Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard has delivered his verdict on Sunderland’s play-off semi final win

Frank Lampard praised Sunderland’s Dan Ballard for a ‘fantastic’ performance over the course of the Championship play-off semi final.

The Coventry City boss said he felt his team deserved to go through given their performance level through the two legs, but admitted that the Sunderland defender had produced a superb display. Ephron Mason-Clarke’s goal in the second half levelled the tie and was fair reward for an excellent Coventry City display, but Sunderland rallied in extra time and secured their place at Wembley as a result of Ballard’s goal in the 122nd minute.

“He was fantastic,” Lampard said.

“He was fantastic in the first game how he defended the box and was fantastic again tonight. He's a really imposing player. He was their man-of-the-match over the two games for sure. I'm not saying my focus is absolutely on him, but you could sense that he was the one that had a real presence at the back end of the pitch. Well done to him, he played really well.”

Frank Lampard delivers verdict on Coventry City’s play-off defeat to Sunderland

Lampard praised for Sunderland for their defensive work in the game but insisted he felt his side should have come out on top and said his main emotion was ‘pride’ in their efforts.

"My biggest emotion is pride for how they played for two games,” he said.

“Two games as the better team. Of course, congratulations to Sunderland they go through in the last kick of the game. Football wise, incredibly proud of the way we played. To come here in this sort of atmosphere a goal down and take the sting out of the game in terms of what we did to the crowd, what we did throughout a lot of the first half after the first five minutes.

"In the second half we gained a lot of control and we got what we deserved we got back in the game. I think the feeling everywhere was we were the team to go on and win it. That's football.

"It's cruel at times. It's critical moments and Sunderland got that.

"It's not easy creating chances against a team that go into a really disciplined low block, where you push them back into it and they work hard,” he added.

“They shuffle a lot and work really hard. You have to give them credit for that. More than that for me is, as a coach, the way we played and the way we were in their half for all of the second half.

"They got out a few times and dealt with stuff but the way we played, we kept probing and going to the side with crosses into the box and tried to play against a team that defended really well. That was their strategy for two games and you can say credit to that, but I'm proud of the way we played."

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