With the clock ticking down to the end of extra time at the Stadium of Light, it looked as Sunderland and Coventry City’s nail-biting Championship playoff clash was going to be decided by the agonising lottery of penalties.
However, with the tense game deep into added on time at the close of the 120-minute marathon, Daniel Ballard became the Black Cats’ dramatic saviour when his last-gasp header cannoned past a startled Ben Wilson.
This handed Regis Le Bris’ ecstatic hosts a slender 2-1 victory on aggregate to the dismay of Frank Lampard’s hard-done-by Sky Blues.
But, aside from the bruised visitors, Ballard would put in a valiant performance across both legs, away from stealing all of the limelight with his heroics on Tuesday night.
Ballard's performance in numbers vs Coventry
Indeed, the first leg at the CBS Arena saw Ballard have to stand firm throughout whilst Coventry piled on the pressure, with the 25-year-old very much succeeding when having to stifle many a Sky Blues attack.
Staggeringly, the Northern Irishman would win all 12 of his duels during the 2-1 win, with his well-known prowess in the air obviously helping him back on home soil when Enzo Le Fee’s corner kick was expertly converted.
The Stadium of Light would erupt after his header was thumped home, with Ballard actually up to three goals for the season overall now, despite some injury issues leaving him with a low total of 23 Championship appearances.
Further ensuring Coventry didn’t gain any more footholds in the second leg when making a mammoth 19 clearances, Le Bris will pray Ballard can be at his battling best once more when facing off against an intimidating Sheffield United side at Wembley to give his team a fighting chance at promotion.
But, whilst Ballard will be sure of his starting spot against Chris Wilder’s Blades, an underperformer in attack could now be axed for the crucial game to come.
5/10 Sunderland dud must be axed
In truth, it wasn’t the most electric performance by Sunderland all across the second leg, with Coventry managing to register 20 shots on Anthony Patterson’s goal to the hosts’ slightly lesser 16.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
In the end, the Sky Blues’ superiority in attack didn’t matter as Ballard bailed out Le Bris’ hosts, but another out-of-sorts display in attack at Wembley just won’t do if Sunderland are serious about leaping up to the Premier League.
Consequently, the experienced Patrick Roberts could find his starting spot down the left flank is taken up by a fresher body.
Minutes played
95
86
Goals scored
0
0
Assists
0
0
Touches
35
27
Shots
1
1
Accurate passes
15/17 (88%)
10/14 (71%)
Possession lost
10x
8x
Successful dribbles
0/4
1/1
Total duels won
3/12
3/5
Whilst the ex-Celtic man was largely ineffective during the first leg – seen in Roberts only registering one shot on goal from 86 minutes of action – his performance in the second leg was far harder to stomach from a Sunderland perspective.
Across his dire 95 minute spell on the Stadium of Light turf, Roberts didn’t complete a single successful dribble from four attempts, on top of also failing to catch out Wilson in the Coventry net again with a single on-target shot.
With his goals and assists notably drying up towards the end of the regular campaign too, it could well be the best possible time to reinstate Romaine Mundle to the starting XI over Roberts, with Le Bris surely wary of another no-show from his number ten at Wembley.
To add salt to the wound, Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson blasted Roberts’ attacking quality throughout as “dreadful”, amidst a low 5/10 post-match rating heading his way.
Whilst Le Bris and Co will still be rightly dizzy off the last-gasp heroics conjured up by Ballard, they will be aware that their best possible team must start against the Blades in order to try and come out on top during the promotion-deciding affair, meaning Roberts must now be dropped on the biggest stage.
Sunderland star has now proven he's their best signing since Defoe
Sunderland could now have stumbled upon their best buy since Jermain Defoe.
ByKelan SarsonMay 13, 2025