At least this saves Frank Lampard a two grand bar bill – but after Sunderland’s last-gasp winner, the Coventry boss would have needed a drink.
It was six years ago, having guided Derby to a 4-3 aggregate win over Leeds at this stage, that he put his credit card behind the bar during an impromptu pub stop. His team then lost in the final to Aston Villa.
This time, there will be no final. That will be contested by Sunderland and Sheffield United after Dan Ballard headed a 123rd-minute goal that nearly sent the Stadium of Light roof into the North Sea.
Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee had not enjoyed his best night and was only still on the pitch to take a penalty. In the end, all he needed was a corner. Dipping and inviting, it hung in the air like a question, and Ballard had the answer, meeting the delivery six yards out and watching as the ball bounced in via the underside of the crossbar.
The defender did not see much at all after that. By the time he had wrestled his sweat-soaked jersey over his head, he was buried beneath a pile of team-mates. It was a wonder they had the energy to get back up, such was the slog in getting to this point.
In the stands, parents and children were separated as bodies swapped rows, yet they would not have cared. The Stadium of Light was not so much illuminated as ignited. Ballard’s intervention was not just a goal, it was an explosion, the uncorking of two hours’ worth of fear and doubt.
Dan Ballard’s dramatic late winner sparked chaotic scenes as Sunderland beat Coventry
Ballard’s stunning header saw Sunderland overcome Coventry 3-2 on aggregate
Sunderland’s supporters will not complain about the unease of their bumpy passage to Wembley now, however. We’ve seen more of the Black Cats on Netflix than Match of the Day in recent years. And reruns of Sunderland ‘Til I Die would have certainly made better viewing than the majority of this game.
It was not until Ephron Mason-Clark’s 76th-minute volleyed goal, from Milan Van Ewijk’s centre, that we had some composure in front of the posts. Before that, they’d swiped high and wide. Sunderland had moved their advertising boards closer to the pitch to reduce the range of Van Ewijk’s long throw-ins. He might have had his hands tied, but his feet were free to do their worst and his delivery was the best of the evening. At least, that is, until Le Fee’s final flag-kick.
The Stadium of Light has always done the big nights well. There just have not been enough of them of late. Since relegation from the Premier League in 2017, this was undoubtedly the biggest. Their only other Championship play-off semi-final second leg was an away defeat at Luton two years ago.
This time, 46,000 had a stage to influence and intimidate, and very few stadiums do tribal like this one. The pitchside flamethrowers probably cooled those in the stands in the seconds before kick-off, such was the fury with which they welcomed their own and scorched the opposition.
‘Wise Men Say’ was the song that sent them into battle, and the wise men in these parts were saying this tie was far from over, despite Sunderland’s first-leg advantage. They have seen how those documentaries can play out.
What was most definitely unwise was Wilson Isidor’s decision to dive when attempting to burst clear on the edge of Coventry’s penalty area early in the game. Too early to be carrying a yellow card in the heat of this occasion. And the occasion, it seemed, was impacting the quality on the pitch. In truth, there was no quality. A pilot episode for the Premier League this was not.
Mason-Clark did show a little adventure when he danced infield from the left, but it led down a blind alley and his eventual shot was nothing more than catching practice for Anthony Patterson. At the other end, Eliezer Mayenda did a jig of his own past a couple of Sky Blue jerseys but, likewise, it only led to a dark place.
Indeed, there was little illumination in a first half hour of heavy touches and light heads. Then, Coventry found some rhythm. They finished the first half much the stronger and should have led when first Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and then Jack Rudoni prodded over the bar from inside the six-yard area. Two good chances, two bad finishes.
Defeat was heartbreaking for Coventry boss Frank Lampard as his side fell short
Ephron Mason-Clark’s 76th-minute volleyed goal put Coventry level on aggregate
It looked as though the tie would be decided on penalties before Ballard’s late intervention
For Sunderland, there was no control or conviction to anything they did. They looked like a side who had lost their last five matches of the regular season. Le Fee was too peripheral. Isolated on the left, he had a ringside seat but was watching others throw the punches. Not that any were landing. Come half-time, the teams had traded one shot on target.
From noisy to nervy, the mood changed entering the second half. Forty-five minutes waiting for the bell is hardly an enticing prospect.
Belatedly, after the hour, they dragged themselves from the ropes and gloved up. Full-back Trai Hume sent a spectacular volley goalwards and Ben Wilson somehow smuggled the ball around the post. It was a stunning effort hardly in keeping with what had gone before.
Jude Bellingham had done his best impression of his brother for too much of the first half, the version who has ghosted through too many Real Madrid matches of late. Then, when his team needed him, the younger sibling stepped up. He quite literally stepped up when jumping to his feet after a goalmouth melee and going forehead to forehead with goalkeeper Wilson.
The atmosphere needed that, stoking those home flames in danger of petering out. The confrontation brought a roar of approval from the red and white masses. As did every clearance from Ballard and Luke O’Nien. Each time, it felt like one kick closer to Wembley.
But then, the kick in the crotch. With 14 minutes left, Coventry right back Van Ewijk hoisted a cross from the right and Mason-Clark stole in to cushion the ball into the bottom corner. Lampard celebrated as if his side had won, but that was nothing compared to the celebrations that would come at the death.
