Frustrated Regis Le Bris Not Impressed with ONE key area, Shares what Disappointed him from Sunderland on the night despite late winner over Coventry to qualify for Wembley – Reveals the Mistake his Sunderland players made that nearly COST them the win over Frank Lampard

Sunderland are set to take on Sheffield United in the play-off final following their aggregate victory over Coventry City in the semi-finals.

Regis Le Bris’ men edged Coventry 2-1 in the first leg and, despite having the advantage at the Stadium of Light, found themselves under pressure for large portions of the match.

To gain a slight advantage before kick-off, Sunderland repositioned their advertising hoardings to counter the long throw-in threat posed by Milan van Ewijk, who was left in tears after his error in the first leg.

Ephron Mason-Clark’s strike forced extra time after a 1-0 result on the night brought the tie level at 2-2 on aggregate.

However, despite the effort from Frank Lampard’s squad, Dan Ballard had different plans in the dying moments of extra time as his header from a corner struck the bar and crossed the line—sending the Black Cats to Wembley.

It proved to be a bridge too far for Coventry, and now Sunderland are bound for the Championship play-off final, where the stern challenge of Sheffield United awaits after their win over Bristol City in the other semi-final.

Regis Le Bris says it was ‘frustrating’ to watch Sunderland performance:

Speaking post-match, the Sunderland boss told Sky Sports that although his team emerged on the right side of the dramatic finish, he was irritated by their display during normal time.

He said: “We were probably too nervous for the first part of the game. But in extra-time we played our football and it’s fantastic. Now, just enjoy it. It was a little bit frustrating.

“We knew on the bench that we could play better football but at 1-0 up at home in a semi-final we were in two attitudes [minds]. After the equaliser, we knew now we wanted to score and the game changed.

“They [players and fans] deserve to live [experience] this event and now have a final to play. “

When is the play-off final?
Now that the final line-up is confirmed, Sunderland and Sheffield United will clash for the final Premier League promotion slot on Saturday, 24 May 2025, at Wembley Stadium.

At the time of writing, the exact kick-off time remains unconfirmed, but it’s highly likely that both fanbases will fill the 90,000-capacity stadium.

A place in the Premier League brings significant financial rewards, and both sides will be fully aware of the massive stakes in just over a week’s time.