MIKE Whitlow underlined Wanderers' determination to secure automatic promotion today as he waited for the verdict on his injured knee. The Reebok full-back experienced the dreaded play-offs four times with Leicester City in 92, 93, 94 and 96 - reaching the Premiership twice and missing out twice - and insists: "I'd prefer not to go that way again."

Recent slips have seen Colin Todd's side drop to fifth in the table, six points behind second placed Ipswich but a 2-1 win against QPR put them in confident mood as preparations began for Saturday's long-awaited showdown with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Whitlow is unlikely to play a part after limping out of the the QPR win with a twisted knee and it may take a specialist to decide the full extent of the damage. But he was buoyant and hopeful of his team-mates' ability to silence the critics and bounce back. "It was in our own hands a few weeks ago and we slipped up," he admitted, "Now it's up to us to get back on the rails again.

"Hopefully we can still get an automatic place but, if the worst comes to the worst, and we've got to do it the hard way, I'm sure we will stick together.

"I've been in the play-offs four times with Leicester when we went up and down like yoyos. They can be great, they can be painful; I've experienced both sides.

"But there's enough quality and experience in our changing rooms. We have a great bunch of lads. We'll take the criticisms, we'll have the boos and the jeers but we will stick together because we all want to go up." Whitlow limped out of Saturday's win 10 minutes from time and after giving away the penalty that made for a tense finale to a game Bob Taylor appeared to have sewn up with his second goal in the 58th minute.

"I think I got the fans on the edges of their seats again," the down-to-earth defender admitted. "It was a silly pen to give away. You learn from 10 years of age when you go in there you stay on your feet.

"I've gone in, caught him and the lad's gone down. It was pretty damn rubbish of me really."

Robbie Elliott, who played for arch-rivals Newcastle in North-east derbies, is on standby to return at left back at Sunderland after being left out against Barnsley last week and being unavailable for the QPR game because of suspension.

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