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Daniel Ballard described his extra-time winner as “what desires are product of” after he despatched Sunderland by to the Championship play-off remaining with a dramatic semi-final win over Coventry Metropolis.
Sunderland led 2-1 from the primary leg, but it surely was Coventry who dominated the return on the Stadium of the Mild, with the reward for his or her superiority coming when Ephron Mason-Clark levelled the tie on mixture 14 minutes from the top of regular time.
Haji Wright wasted a gilt-edged probability to finish the turnaround on the finish of second-half stoppage time, and that miss in the end proved pricey as Sunderland’s extra-time resilience paid dividends proper on the demise with penalties seemingly inevitable.
Ballard, who was wonderful in defence for Sunderland, wrote himself into membership folklore within the 122nd minute, stooping to fulfill Enzo Le Payment’s nook and head in off the bar to clinch a 3-2 mixture win.
Sunderland will face Sheffield United at Wembley for a spot within the Premier League on Could 24, having spent eight consecutive seasons outdoors the highest flight.
“It’s what desires are product of actually. The followers at the moment had been completely unimaginable,” Ballard informed Sky Sports activities.
“It was simply feeling prefer it wasn’t going to be our day and all of the lads had been determined to try to give them one thing to rejoice.
“What a dramatic finale and stuff desires are product of.
“I used to be so nervous going into that first sport. He [manager Regis Le Bris] has left Chris Mepham out who has been our greatest participant all season.
“So, it was a giant name and I really feel for him however I’m simply so blissful the gaffer put his belief in me and hopefully I’ve repaid it.”
Save the date.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 13, 2025
In the meantime, Coventry boss Frank Lampard was left to rue what he felt was an undeserved finish to the season for his aspect.
“Firstly congratulations to Sunderland, they go to the ultimate however immense delight I’ve obtained in my gamers,” Lampard informed Sky Sports activities.
“If anybody watched the 2 video games, we dominated at residence, we made a mistake they usually scored. I feel we dominated big durations of this sport. We performed, managed and within the second half it was wave after wave.
“The gamers have given every thing from the place we’ve come from – seventeenth within the league in December and the gamers have been sensible within the second half of the season.
“They needed to concede to us due to the way in which we performed and with the way in which the lads managed the sport they don’t deserve it. I’m rather a lot older and I’ve been round rather a lot so I’ve taken whacks and I’ve had success so possibly I could be a bit extra balanced in my job however for these gamers, they don’t deserve that.
“We’re not bitter, and congratulations to Sunderland however we had been the higher workforce over the 2 soccer matches and that’s why they’ll be so blissful going to Wembley.”