Angry Frank Lampard and tie not over as Sunderland win tactical battle against Coventry City
Coventry City match analysis from CoventryLive as Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner discusses some of the big talking points from the club’s first leg play-off semi-final against Sunderland
Coventry City have it all to do at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday after gifting Sunderland the first leg advantage in a high energy and hard-fought play-off semi-final at the CBS Arena.
Despite dominating the ball, the Sky Blues struggled to find a way past the Black Cats’ well organised and disciplined side who sat deep to defend while playing on swift transitions, a tactic that produced their opening goal when Wilson Isidor broke clear with 68 minutes on the clock.
Jack Rudoni headed home an equaliser less than two minutes later but a poor backpass two minutes from time handed Eliezer Mayenda the winner on the plate. Here, Sky Blues reporter Andy Turner looks at some of the big talking points from the 2-1 City defeat.
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Big game atmosphere best yet
Wow, what an atmosphere! The noise the Sky Blue Army created in the build-up and throughout the game has to go down as one of the loudest ever at the CBS Arena. The support was simply outstanding from the rousing rendition of the pre-kick-off anthem “We’ll Live And Die In These Towns” to when City went a goal down and the fans ramped things up, urging their team to get their equaliser just two minutes later. It may not have been the right result in the end, but the supporters set a new bar on Friday night by creating a big match atmosphere from start to finish.
“They were amazing, as they have been all season,” said Frank Lampard afterwards.
Black Cats buck trend
Sunderland went into the tie having no win in their last six in a run that saw a sequence of five straight defeats going into the game at the CBS Arena. During that spell the Black Cats had managed to score just one goal, meaning the Mackems needed to flick a very big switch to get back to their previously impressive and consistent Championship form that had kept them in the top six places for most of the campaign. Unfortunately for the Sky Blues, that’s exactly what they did as they somehow dug deep to return to winning ways with their first victory over Coventry in their last 11 attempts, dating back to 2007, and first win in the West Midlands since 1985.
Sunderland win tactical battle
When asked in Thursday’s pre-match press conference if he felt Regis Le Bris would set his Sunderland players out to be tight in the first leg with a view to turning the Sky Blues over on home soil next Tuesday, Frank Lampard suggested that the visitors may take a more aggressive approach to the opening tie in line with the current trend in the Champions League.
However, the teamsheet suggested straight away the Frenchman’s intentions, with the Black Cats’ game plan seeing them switch from their usual 4-3-3 formation to two banks of four and two up top – a tactic that worked a treat for the North East outfit who defended deep and resolutely to frustrate the life out of their opponents.
Coventry had almost 75 percent of overall possession but managed just 14 attempts on goal, only three of which were on target, against Sunderland’s low block and counter-attack approach that won the day to take the clear advantage back to the Stadium of Light, albeit given a clear helping hand with the winning goal.
Even Lampard held his hands up and admitted: “I think they brought that (approach) here because of probably how they felt when they played against us in the league, and maybe how they view how we have been playing at the CBS. And I understand that. Sometimes you just have to say credit to them.”
Back the Sky Blues’ play-off bid
Coventry City are in the Championship play-offs for the second time in three years. This time, they face Sunderland home and away hoping to reach the final at Wembley on Saturday, May 24 – when the riches of the Premier League will be on offer to the winners.
First, though, are those games against the Black Cats, starting with the first leg at the CBS Arena on Friday, May 9 (8pm). The second leg follows next Tuesday, May 13, at the Stadium of Light (8pm).
You can back the Sky Blues via bet365 by just clicking HERE
The current first leg odds are Coventry to win 27/20; the draw 2/1; Sunderland to win 23/10.
The current odds on winning promotion via the play-offs for each of the competing clubs are Sheffield United 6/4 fav ; Sunderland 11/4; Coventry City 10/3; Bristol City 4/1.
Other specific bets include a Sky Blues win to nil at 5/2, and both teams to score plus 2.5 goals at 15/8.
Play-off Schedule
Semi-final, first leg
- Bristol City vs Sheffield United, Thursday, May 8 (8pm).
(Match Odds – Bristol City 17/10; draw 21/10; Sheffield United 17/10)
- Coventry vs Sunderland, Friday, May 9 (8pm).
(Match odds – Coventry City 27/20; draw 2/1; Sunderland 23/10)
Semi-final, second leg
- Sheffield United vs Bristol City, Monday, May 12 (8pm).
- Sunderland vs Coventry, Tuesday, May 13 (8pm).
Final
Wembley Stadium, Saturday, May 24 (time to be confirmed).
Season-long problem rears ugly head again
Huge individual errors have blighted City’s season, stretching right back to when Tottenham were invited back into the Carabao Cup tie in the dying minutes at the CBS back in September.
Stray passes, moments of goalkeeping madness, misunderstandings, you name it, City have done it all and the frustration continued when, uncharacteristically, Milan van Ewijk played what appeared to be a blind backpass to Ben Wilson, only for Eliezer Mayenda to nip in and say, ‘thank-you very much,’ before rounding the keeper – who had committed himself outside his box – and slotting home the winning goal into an empty net.
Mistakes happen all the time in football but the Sky Blues appear to have made more than their fair share this term, with this latest blip threatening to be the most costly of them all if it ultimately denies them progression to Wembley.
It’s hard not to feel for Van Ewijk who was excellent for the most part and brilliantly beat his man to set up Jack Rudoni for the equaliser, only to slip up two minutes from normal time.
Milan van Ewijk of Coventry City plays a poor backpass leading to the second Sunderland goal
BTA unable to take his chance
Frank Lampard insisted after last week’s Middlesbrough win that he wants to inject more speed into his team. Fast forward six days and he pitched in Brandon Thomas-Asante from the start, coming in to replace Ellis Simms in leading the line for the Sky Blues. Simms is no slouch when it comes to pace, albeit takes a little longer to get going rather than the more explosive, straight out of the blocks Thomas-Asante.
Explaining the selection decision, Lampard said: “I brought him in. He played really well for 30 minutes at the weekend and deserved his chance.”
In the event, however, the former West Brom striker struggled to make an impact on a day when Haji Wright ran into trouble far too often and eventually out of steam.
