Frank Lampard pushed away a Sunderland fan who tried to take a selfie with him moments after his Coventry team lost in the Championship play-off semi-final.
Dan Ballard’s goal in the final moments of extra time saw the Black Cats secure a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, booking their place at Wembley by winning 3-2 on aggregate.
A goal by Ephron Mason-Clark saw the Sky Blues win the match after the 90 minutes, sending the semi-final tie to extra time after Sunderland won the first leg 2-1.
It looked set to be determined by a dreaded penalty shootout but Ballard turned a corner home with a combination of his head and his body in stoppage time at the end of extra time to settle matters.
Ballard’s heroics sparked ecstasy among the Sunderland faithful, with some fans even making their way onto the pitch once the full-time whistle was blown.
One supporter tried to get a quick picture with Lampard, who understandably pushed them away before others stepped in too.
Speaking to talkSPORT after the game, Lampard said: “It was tough, but we were the better team. It was a really tough atmosphere before the game, the first five minutes.
“But after that, we controlled major portions of it, as we did the first game. I’m disappointed, but proud for what the players produced, because when we came here, we silenced a lot of the atmosphere.
“Second half, the atmosphere was gone. It was wave after wave of us with the ball in their half.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get a result because as football, they score more goals in the end because we maybe don’t take a few of our chances. But the players are incredible.”
When asked what the dressing room was like, Lampard said: “Disappointed, I’m proud because the minute I walked in here, we came in at 17th in the league and some lacked confidence in a difficult moment.
“They’ve been brilliant. They’ve been brilliant every day. They’ve been brilliant in how they’ve played.”
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Mason-Clarke struck late in the second half to give Coventry a deserved win in the 90Getty But Ballard and the Black Cats had the final sayGettyAs for Sunderland, they will be hoping to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
“I’m lost for words. Just looking around and what this man [Dan Ballard] has done for this team. It’s incredible,” Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien said immediately after full-time.
“Credit to Coventry. It’s a tough one to take [for them]. I think it was a hell of a tie, so credit to them and their fans, being on the receiving end of a loss in the semis.
“It was a tough one but they were a really tough opponent.”
Standing in their way are a Blades side who made it to the final in hugely comfortable circumstances, beating Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate in their tie.
Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris said: “They are a really good team, well-organised with different threats, good experience. They were in the Premier League last season, so another tough challenge.
“But I think to be promoted at the end, you have to break something and it will be tough, but we’ll have our ambition, we’ll have our desire to win and we’ll give all the quality we have in this group, the character, the ambition and so on.”
Jobe Bellingham is one win away from becoming a Premier League playerGetty Expect the Sunderland fans to party all nightPA Read More Details
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