Dan Ballard’s 120th-minute winner has secured Sunderland’s Wembley place

There could not have been a more surprising, or fitting, winner.

It looked like it could be a night that haunted Sunderland for an age. With a goal advantage, a sell-out crowd, they froze. They laboured, couldn't play the way they can. Didn't know whether to stick or twist. Coventry dominated.

Dan Ballard headed away cross after cross, corner after corner, again. And then, with penalties just seconds away, he thumped a header in off the woodwork.

It was not a great Sunderland performance, but this was one of the great Sunderland moments.

As promised, Le Bris had sent his side out to try and win the game, noticeably higher up the pitch than in the first leg. What followed was a tense half of cat and mouse, Coventry pushing forward but anxious not to leave their central defenders too exposed against Isidor and Mayenda. Sunderland pressed and broke in numbers, but retreated very quickly into a midblock when they lost possession.

As expected, chances were at a premium and tension through the roof.

Sunderland's gameplan was working in that they were pinching the ball back in the Coventry half, but the issue was in their execution. Too often they were caught in midfield and couldn't get the final pass right, which left them exposed to Coventry's defence. Mayenda was again their biggest attacking threat, drawing the first save of note in the game when he burst through on goal and had his low effort blocked by the feet of Ben Wilson.

The positive for Sunderland was that Coventry were creating little of their own, Dan Ballard once again dominant in his individual battle with Haji Wright. A tense game broke open sporadically with counter followed by counter, Sunderland fortunate that Sakamoto turned a low cross over the bar after the visitors found some space down the left. They were then immensely fortunate that Rudoni then turned an effort over the bar after Mason-Clarke headed it back down into the six-yard box. That was the biggest chance of the half, and a warning if it were needed to Sunderland that this game and this tie was still in the balance.

RELIVE ALL THE ACTION ON THE NIGHT SUNDERLAND BOOKED THEIR WEMBLEY TRIP

If the hope was that Sunderland would find a little more precision in the second half to turn the tide, then that hope proved to be misplaced. The Black Cats struggled still to retain possession and get their forward players into the game, Coventry making all of the running

Though Anthony Patterson was still largely untested in the Sunderland goal and that offered some hope, the anxiety in the Stadium of Light told you they were playing with fire. All it took was one moment, one cross. van Ewijk had bombarded Sunderland's box across the two legs and this time he found Mason-Clark at the back post. Trai Hume couldn't quite get close enough, the ball dribbling agonisingly into the far corner. Sunderland's gamble hadn't come off, now the tie was level and the visitors had the momentum.

Le Bris turned to Rigg on his bench and reverted to 4-3-3 and while the youngster had a chance to volley with his first touch, if anything the goal only emboldened Coventry. Sunderland dropped deeper and to the despair of the home support, it looked clear that the hosts were fatiguing severely. As stoppage time approach there was only one team making the running, Sunderland camped near their own box and inviting pressure. The Sky Blues should have snatched it, Wright heading wide from a matter of hards with what proved to be the last touch of normal time.

Extra time started in much the same vein, though when Sunderland came through the early wave of pressure they began finally to show signs of life. The introduction of Romaine Mundle made a difference, the winger starting to link up with Le Fee and cause some problems. For the first time in the game, Coventry began to drop. With fifteen minutes to play, Sunderland were still in it.

Finally, they loosened up. Rigg hovered and drove, Mundle lined up his full back. Le Fee started to work 1-2s. Just before it was too late, Sunderland started to look like Sunderland again. And they did it. Just.

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