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Sunderland score dramatic header to leave Frank Lampard's Coventry heartbroken

Dan Ballard scored a dramatic late winner as Sunderland beat Coventry 1-0 on Tuesday (May 13) night to reach the Championship play-off final with a 2-1 aggregate victory

[Sunderland's Daniel Ballard and team-mates celebrate after the final whistle of the Sky Bet Championship play off semi final, second leg match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland]

Sunderland's Daniel Ballard celebrates after scoring the goal (Image: PA)

Wembley Way will be awash with more red and white stripes than a jar of cough sweets come May 24.

With the sands of time running out, Dan Ballard - who had been a rock at the back all night - nodded home the goal that propelled Sunderland into the Championship play-off final on Tuesday (May 13) night. Judging by the run of play, it was daylight robbery.

Coventry were leagues ahead for most of the high-octane clash, but as red flares lit up the fog rolling in from the Wear, Ballard secured a face-off with Sheffield United next Saturday. The Stadium of Light erupted in chaos, leaving Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard utterly gutted at his team's undeserved downfall.

[Daniel Ballard scores their side's first goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship play off semi final, second leg match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland]

Ballard heads in the decisive goal(Image: PA)

Lampard masterminded a daring play-off coup at Elland Road six years ago as sweet revenge for Leeds' 'Spygate' shenanigans. His magic touch went AWOL against Aston Villa at Wembley in the final, but this time luck simply gave him the cold shoulder, reports the Mirror.

But now, Sunderland are just a mere 90 minutes away from breaking their eight-year top-flight drought, and the handful of pitch invaders couldn't dampen the jubilations of Black Cats saviour Regis Le Bris. For the Sky Blues, the prospect of a third Wembley outing in as many years was a mission to finally tip the scales in their favour.

[ Daniel Ballard of Sunderland takes off his shirt to celebrate scoring his team's first goal during the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi Final Second Leg match between AFC Sunderland and Coventry City at Stadium of Light on May 13, 2025 in Sunderland, England. ]

The red and white crowd was jubilant following Sunderland's victory (Image: Getty Images)

Edged out on penalties by Luton in the Championship play-off final in 2023, they were robbed of the ultimate fairytale comeback in the FA Cup semi-finals just a year ago. Victor Torp's disallowed goal against Manchester United, courtesy of the most tenuous VAR decision, remains the ultimate insult from all interfering busybodies - worse than telling a five year old on Christmas Eve that Father Christmas isn't real.

However, after Milan van Ewijk's gaffe handed the initiative to the Black Cats in the first leg, Coventry had to take the lead in a roaring fortress bolstered by a surge of pre-match fanfare. And they rose to the occasion commendably.

Jimmy Montgomery, the 1973 Cup final hero and Sunderland's record appearance holder, inaugurated his namesake stand at the Stadium of Light before kick-off. In true celebratory fashion, Sunderland moved the electronic advertising boards 6ft closer to the pitch - to prevent Coventry long throw specialist Van Ewijk from having a lengthy run-up to launch his missiles.

In an attempt to maximise home advantage - Sunderland had won seven and drawn one of eight previous home ties in play-off games - Wilson Isidor took a blatant tumble under Liam Kitching's watch on the edge of the box, but referee Andrew Madley wasn't having any of it.

A yellow card was the least Isidor deserved for his theatrical antics, and City keeper Ben Wilson was quick to dish out punishment in the playground with a shoulder brush. Wilson was summoned into more genuine action to fend off Eliezer Maydena's powerful shot, but the Black Cats' early swagger in the opening half-hour soon fizzled out.

Jack Rudoni and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto both squandered golden chances from six yards out before Rudoni nudged Ephron Mason-Clark's knock-down over from an even closer distance. With Sunderland under siege for extended periods, the anticipatory roar of a 46,550 strong crowd at Wearside often fell into anxious silence.

Black Cats' defender Trai Hume nearly shattered the deadlock with a spectacular volley smartly parried by Wilson, but the home side's fortune didn't merit lasting - and it finally gave way 15 minutes from time.

Van Ewijk's long-range cross found Mason-Clark and the ex-Peterborough winger deftly tucked his sixth goal of the season into the corner on the volley. And Haji Wright missed a golden opportunity to seal Coventry City's Wembley ticket in the dying moments of regular time - but his header drifted wide.

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