Kevin Phillips warns Sunderland ‘they got away with murder’ against Coventry City in four words clear message to Regis Le Bris

Kevin Phillips warns Sunderland ‘they got away with murder’ against Coventry City in clear message to Regis Le Bris

Sunderland clinched a dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory over Coventry City to book their place in the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United.

Dan Ballard’s 120th-minute header sparked scenes of jubilation for the majority inside the Stadium of Light, after Ephron Mason-Clark’s goal took the game to extra time.

It was an incredible moment in the Championship play-offs that will live long in the memory of the supporters, as Sunderland aim to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

While there was pandemonium when Ballard scored, Le Bris claimed his Sunderland players were ‘nervous’ and this allowed the visitors to grab a foothold in the contest.

Former striker Michael Bridges even commented on the nervy atmosphere inside the stadium that trickled down onto the pitch, while another ex-player made a negative claim about their performance.

Kevin Phillips says Sunderland ‘got away with murder’ vs Coventry City

In the first leg, Sunderland’s game plan was to play on the counter-attack, something that worked a dream against Frank Lampard’s side with the pace of Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor.

A similar pattern followed in the second stanza, as the hosts sat back in their shape and soaked up Coventry pressure before hitting them on the break.

Sunderland only had 41% possession, despite being the home side, with Le Bris focused on preserving his side’s lead instead of going gung-ho for a two-goal deficit.

That nearly backfired when Mason-Clark bagged, and then Haji Wright came close to scoring the winner before the full-time whistle, with Kevin Phillips claiming his former side ‘got away with murder’.

“I don’t think [Le Bris] will change his tactics. It’s a big pitch, it will be red hot, and they’ll conserve their energy. Maybe take a set-play and hit them on the counter-attack,” Phillips told Sky Sports.

“Do they deserve to be there? I’ll say yes. The spirit, the hunger and the desire they’ve shown. They needed a bit of luck and they got that with the second goal down at Coventry.

“They’ve got away with murder tonight at times, but it’s football. Now they need to take it to Wembley and put in a performance against a very good Sheffield United team.”

Sunderland’s game plan won’t change vs Sheffield United

Sunderland were fortunate that Coventry didn’t have their shooting boots on last night, as it could have been them celebrating reaching Wembley for a third season in a row.

But fortunately, Ballard was able to pop up with a dramatic late winner to create the loudest noise the Stadium of Light has ever seen.

It’s those sort of moments that can win you promotion, an unlikely source scoring a goal right at the very death, ensuring Sunderland now carry momentum into the final.

Sheffield United brushed aside Bristol City with ease over two legs, and the Black Cats will have their work cut out to stop Chris Wilder’s attacking firepower.

But, Sunderland have proven they can execute a counter-attacking system to perfection, with a moment of brilliance perhaps needed to beat them in the final.