FILE PHOTO: Championship - Play-Off - Semi Final - Second Leg - Sunderland v Coventry City - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - May 13, 2025 Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham and Daniel Ballard celebrate with teammates after the match Action Images/Lee Smith/File Photo
SUNDERLAND, England (Reuters) - Sunderland will face Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final after Daniel Ballard's header in the final seconds of extra time snatched a 1-1 home draw against Coventry City on Tuesday to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The hosts were closing in on a place in the May 24 final at Wembley after Friday's 2-1 first-leg win, but Coventry's Ephron Mason-Clark levelled the tie 15 minutes from time, beating his marker to score with a low shot.
While Frank Lampard's Coventry looked the better team throughout, Sunderland came alive in extra time and Ballard sent the Stadium of Light into raptures in the 123rd minute, rising to crash home a header from Enzo Le Fee's corner.
Sunderland, who were winless in their final six regular season games, knew the dangers of getting ahead of themselves, having held a 2–1 advantage after the first leg of their 2022–23 playoff semi-final against Luton Town only to lose the return fixture 2–0.
Regis Le Bris' side will hope to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Toby Davis)
