Who really pays attention to playoff form anyway? After suffering five straight losses, Sunderland stepped into the English Playoffs with the worst possible momentum. Yet, thanks to Wilson Izidor’s first goal in 14 matches and a late winner from Elizer Myenda, they snagged a victory at Coventry City—marking their first win there since 2007 and sending Coventry to the EFL Championship Playoff Final.
Jack Dotoni, who grew up idolizing Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, quickly made an impact, leveling the game just two minutes after Isidor’s long-awaited goal. But it was Myenda’s timely run in the 88th minute, capitalizing on a disastrous backpass from Milanovan Ewick, that sealed the deal—Sunderland’s Ben Wilson, an academy graduate, couldn’t prevent the goal. About 2,400 Sunderland fans created a vibrant atmosphere, reminiscent of the Roker roar, in a small section of the CBS Arena.
Since taking over Coventry in November, Lampard had exceeded expectations, banking on his team’s stellar second-half performance to echo his success at Derby County in 2019. However, on this particular night, Sunderland’s long-standing struggles became apparent.
The crowd, having set a club attendance record during a prior match against Middlesbrough, was excited as the Full Moon cast its gaze over the pristine blue sky. Coventry captain Ben Thief noted in his program that the day’s atmosphere was one of the best ever experienced at the CBS Arena.
It seemed like everything was going Coventry’s way. They had won nine of their last 11 home matches, while Sunderland’s poor form extended back further than those five consecutive losses that closed the regular season. In fact, Sunderland hadn’t triumphed over Coventry in any of their last ten encounters.
As the season wrapped up, Sunderland found themselves out of the race for automatic promotion, having scored just three goals in nine games since a 3-0 defeat in March. Their top scorer, Wilson Izidor, was on a 13-game barren run after missing the previous match against QPR.
So it was no surprise the CBS Arena buzzed with optimism. Early on, Sunderland’s goalkeeper Antony Patterson struggled to handle the pressure, failing to catch a few corners and looking shaky.
It wasn’t until the 45th minute that Matt Grimes, a mid-season signing from Swansea, had chances on goal, controlling the game through his team’s solid possession.
Throughout the first half, Sunderland had minimal breakaway opportunities. Mayenda made a spirited run, but Izidor’s poor pass meant he had to go it alone, ending with a wayward shot from outside the box.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto frequently troubled Sunderland from the right wing. Following a harsh foul by Dennis Chilkin, he delivered a threatening cross, but Patterson’s lack of confidence was palpable as he fumbled again, leaving the traveling Sunderland fans anxious.
Back in the playoff picture for the third time in four seasons, Sunderland initiated a corner that ended with Enzo LeFée delivering an excellent diagonal cross to Trai Hume.
Dotoni proved to be a bright spot for Coventry, elevating the noise levels, yet there was a hint of unease among the home fans with three Coventry players booked within eight minutes.
Eventually, Sunderland struck midway through the second half. LeFée picked up the ball at the center circle, and while Coventry players protested for offside, Izidor made a stunning run, cutting in to find the far bottom corner—his 13th goal of the season.
This ignited a response from Coventry. Just two minutes later, Milan Van Ewick sent in a cross from the right, finding Dotoni at the near post—he scored yet again, marking his impressive tally of 12 goals in the last 13 matches.
