NafisaIn the aftermath of Sunderland’s dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory over Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final, Coventry manager Frank Lampard expressed his belief that his team had been the better side but were undone by crucial mistakes.
Coventry entered the second leg at the Stadium of Light trailing 2-1 but managed to level the aggregate score through Ephron Mason-Clark’s 75th-minute goal.
The match appeared destined for penalties until Sunderland’s Dan Ballard scored a decisive header in the 122nd minute, securing Sunderland’s place in the final against Sheffield United.
Despite the loss, Lampard highlighted his team’s performance, stating that Coventry had dominated large portions of the match. He acknowledged, however, that individual errors had cost them dearly.
He said: “Firstly congratulations to Sunderland, they go to the final but immense pride I’ve got in my players. If anyone watched the two games, we dominated at home, we made a mistake and they scored. I think we dominated huge periods of this game. We played, controlled and in the second half it was wave after wave.
“They had to concede to us because of the way we played and with the way the lads controlled the game they don’t deserve it.
“We’re not bitter, and congratulations to Sunderland but we were the better team over the two football matches and that’s why they’ll be so happy going to Wembley.”
Sunderland fans, meanwhile, celebrated their team’s resilience and late-game heroics. The victory sets up a final against Sheffield United at Wembley on May 24, with the winner earning promotion to the Premier League.
Sunderland will now face Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, aiming for a return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.
Nafisa
