Sunderland head to Wembley after dramatic night
Sunderland 1 - 1 Coventry City (Sunderland won 3-2 on aggregate)
Sunderland booked their place in the Championship play-off final after Dan Ballard’s dramatic late goal in extra time sealed victory over Coventry City.
Author - Lewis W
Stadium - Stadium of Light
Ballard’s header, which struck the underside of the bar before crossing the line, came in the final moments of stoppage time and secured a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate win for the Black Cats.
It was a fittingly tense conclusion to a gripping evening at the Stadium of Light. Ephron Mason-Clark had earlier levelled the tie with a 76th-minute strike to send the match into extra time.
Sunderland will now face Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday 24 May, with a place in the Premier League at stake.
READ MORE: News and stories from the play-offs
In a contest between the sides who finished fourth and fifth in the regular season, the Wearside club now have the chance to end an eight-year absence from the top flight.
Coventry, meanwhile, were left to reflect on what might have been. American forward Haji Wright had a golden opportunity to seal their progress in stoppage time, only to head wide with the goal in sight.
A closer look at what happened
Sunderland led 2-1 heading into the second leg, but Ephron Mason-Clark took them to extra-time after levelling the tie late in the second half.
Things were starting to get nervy among the supporters. Were their dreams of a trip to Wembley about to disappear? Then came the winning goal. That stadium has never witnessed scenes like that since it was first built in the 1990s.
The hero on the night did not even expect to start the first leg, let alone become the toast of Wearside after the second. He had not started a game since February before Friday night's trip to Coventry. But he was immense throughout the tie in defence, and provided an incredible moment to win it at the other end.
