Lampard 'proud' despite Coventry heartbreak

Frank Lampard has now suffered play-off agony with both Coventry and Derby

Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard said he was "proud" despite watching his side suffer desperate play-off heartache.

Dan Ballard's header in the final minute of injury time in extra time took Sunderland to Wembley for the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United.

That came after the Sky Blues had taken tie to extra time thanks to Ephron Mason-Clark's goal, levelling the game at 2-2 on aggregate.

"My biggest emotion is pride at how we played over the two games," Lampard said.

"Congratulations to Sunderland - they go through but we were the better team over the two games."

2023, 2024 and now 2025

It is a becoming a familiar feeling, with Coventry suffering season-defining disappointment for the third year in a row.

In 2023, they lost in a penalty shootout to Luton Town in the play-off final at Wembley as they chased Premier League football for the first time since 2001.

Then last year, they staged one of the greatest comebacks in FA Cup history when they came from 3-0 down to take Manchester United to extra time.

Victor Torp looked to have won that game in the last seconds only to be denied by the narrowest of offside calls by VAR against team-mate Haji Wright, with United going on to win on penalties shortly after.

Now Sunderland's last-gasp salvage job can be added to that list as, for all of Coventry's fine play over the two legs, the Black Cats head to the play-off final.

"I've watched some of those moments, I watched the play-off final and certainly the semi-final," said Lampard.

"I felt for the club from the outside and now I work for the club, I particularly feel for it.

"But that is the harsh world of football, I guess."

Coventry lost both the Championship play-off final and FA Cup semi-final on penalties in the last two years

'We want to compete again'

When the dust settles on this disappointment, Lampard will have to take stock of the great progress Coventry have made on his watch.

He arrived in November to replace Mark Robins, with the Sky Blues struggling at 17th in the table, but an impressive haul of 52 points from 29 games saw them finish in fifth.

Now the challenge will be to regroup and regather over the summer to launch another promotion effort in an attempt to end their quarter-of-a-century wait for a Premier League return.

"The players have been really good at working hard," he said.

"They have taken things on and been very together, finding different ways to win when we've had injuries.

"We want to get better, we want to compete again next year.

"We want this squad to be stronger. Do we need to be, to maybe have more cover, more competitions in areas? I think so, yes.

"Those conversations can happen once the dust settles."