Lampard says Coventry 'didn't deserve' play-off loss
Frank Lampard believed that his Coventry City side was the better team over the two legs of its Championship play-off semi-final defeat to Sunderland.
Having lost the first leg at home 2-1, the Sky Blues levelled up the tie at the Stadium of Light in the 76th minute thanks to Ephron Mason-Clark's first-time finish.
With the tie seemingly set to be decided by penalties, Dan Ballard met Enzo Le Fee's corner in the 122nd minute with a fine header to send the Black Cats to Wembley.
Regis Le Bris's team will face Sheffield United in the final on 24 May for a place in next season's Premier League, while Coventry will spend another year in the second tier.
It is not the first time Lampard has experienced play-off heartbreak, having guided Derby County to the 2018-2019 play-off final, only to lose to Aston Villa in the showpiece match.
"Firstly, congratulations to Sunderland, they go to the final but immense pride I've got in my players," Lampard said.
"If anyone watched the two games, we dominated at home, we made a mistake and they scored. I think we dominated huge periods of this game.
"We played, controlled and in the second half it was wave after wave.
"The players have given everything from where we've come from - 17th in the league in December, and the players have been brilliant in the second half of the season.
"They had to concede to us because of the way we played and with the way the lads controlled the game, they don't deserve it.
"I'm a lot older and I've been around a lot so I've taken whacks and I've had success, so maybe I can be a bit more balanced in my job, but for the players, they don't deserve that.
"We're not bitter, and congratulations to Sunderland, but we were the better team over the two football matches and that's why they'll be so happy going to Wembley."
But for Sunderland's match-winner Ballard, it was a game to remember as he helped the Black Cats go to within one game of ending its Premier League absence.
Sunderland was last in the top-flight in 2016-2017, when David Moyes was at the helm, before suffering back-to-back relegations down to League One.
Ballard's season had been littered with injuries, with a hamstring issue seeing him miss 10 games at the end of the campaign, only returning to the side on the final day.
The 25 year-old impressed for his team in the second leg, registering team-high totals for clearances (19), aerial duels won (six) and touches (95).
Speaking after Sunderland's dramatic victory, Ballard hoped he had repaid the faith shown in him by manager Le Bris after replacing Chris Mepham in the starting line-up.
"I was so nervous going into that first game. He [Regis Le Bris] has left Chris Mepham out who has been our best player all season," Ballard said.
"So, it was a big call and I feel for him but I'm just so happy the gaffer put his trust in me and hopefully I've repaid it."
Sunderland was much improved in the second-half of extra-time, much to the delight of Le Bris, who struggled to contain his emotions at the full-time whistle.
"It's really fantastic because this scenario was absolutely incredible. We were probably too nervous for the first part of the game," Le Bris added.
"During extra-time, we were good. We played our football and we just enjoy it now.
"It was a little bit frustrating because we knew on the bench we could play better football."
