Sunderland will face Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final after Dan Ballard's dramatic 123rd-minute header guided them past Coventry City in the semi-finals.

Having won 2-1 away from home in the first leg last Friday, Sunderland squandered that lead in Tuesday's second leg at the Stadium of Light as Coventry's Ephron Mason-Clark scored to take the tie to extra time.

However, with penalties looming, centre-back Ballard powered Enzo Le Fee's corner in off the crossbar to stun Frank Lampard's visitors and book the Black Cats' place at Wembley on May 24.

A frantic first half saw chances at both ends, with Le Fee volleying off-target for Regis Le Bris' hosts while Jack Rudoni prodded over the crossbar for Coventry.

Sunderland grew more and more nervous as the second half went on as Lampard's side sent a barrage of crosses into their area, and Coventry's equaliser arrived when Mason-Clark side-footed Milan van Ewijk's delivery into the bottom-right corner in the 76th minute.

The Sky Blues should have won it three minutes into stoppage time, but Haji Wright somehow nodded wide from six yards out as Sunderland survived until extra time.

Sunderland improved in the additional period, but it was not until the third minute of stoppage time that they got their goal, Ballard stooping to divert Le Fee's delivery in off the woodwork and spark wild celebrations at the Stadium of Light.

Data debrief: Black Cats pull it out of the bag

Sunderland are just one game away from returning to the Premier League for the first time since their 2017 relegation, having ended Coventry's perfect away record in the play-offs – they had won their previous two such games, 4-1 at Notts County and 1-0 at Middlesbrough.

Sunderland, meanwhile, had finished the Championship season with three straight 1-0 defeats at home. They had never lost four straight home matches without scoring, and though they failed to find a way through in 90 minutes, they got the job done in the end.

Including extra time, Sunderland have still never lost a play-off match at Roker Park or the Stadium of Light, winning seven and drawing two.

Coventry were left to rue Wright's 93rd-minute miss, from a chance with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.49. A stoppage-time goal did go in half an hour later, ending their promotion dream.