Coventry City

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Coventry City manager Frank Lampard was delighted with how his team played in their play-off clinching win over Middlesbrough.

Jack Rudoni's two goals - one in each half - guaranteed the Sky Blues' spot in the top six and a two-legged semi-final against Sunderland.

Lampard, who came to the CBS Arena in November, was pleased at how his side responded to any tension created by successive defeats to Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town.

"It's great work from everyone involved," he told BBC CWR.

"It's tense – it's a long week going into the game. We've got ourselves into this position but it's one game and anything can happen.

"Our performance was brilliant in the first half, though Middlesbrough had their chances.

"We stayed focused though, and I really felt the power of us in the second half. We were brilliant on the counter-attack and showed great desire to defend our box."

After enjoying the celebrations of today's victory, focus shifts to the matches with the Black Cats, with the first leg in Coventry on Friday night.

"I'm really delighted we've got there and now we've got to take a breath and understand that it's a step," said Lampard.

"Now we have to recover and go again for Sunderland."

Coventry City tussle with Middlesbrough at the CBS Arena as both seek a final chance at making the play-offs on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Victory for the Sky Blues would ensure they make the top six, while for Boro even a win might not be enough for them to make it.

They'd also need to rely on Millwall and Blackburn Rovers not taking all three points in their respective matches.

Though with both those sides playing top three opponents, the hope is firmly alive for Middlesbrough... that's if they can put in a better performance than the one that saw them lose 3-0 to Coventry in the reverse fixture back in November.

• Coventry City have won four of their last five league games against Middlesbrough (D1), scoring exactly three goals in each of their last three wins during that time.

• Middlesbrough have lost each of their last three away league games against Coventry City, failing to score a single goal during that time.

• Coventry have won their final game of a league season in just one of the last seven campaigns (D3 L3), a 6-1 home victory over Millwall in May 2021.

• Only once since the 2012-13 season have Middlesbrough lost more away league games than this campaign (11), though during that season (12 in 2022-23) they did compete in the Championship play-offs.

• Coventry have won 13 of their home games in the Championship this season (D3 L6), last enjoying more victories on home soil in a second tier campaign in 1966-67 (14).

"It's so hard to call. What we are guaranteed is drama, drama and more drama."

The 72+ team discuss the final two Championship play-off places and the "absolute carnage" that will be the final-day battles to secure them.

Sheffield United and Sunderland have already booked their spots in the semi-finals but there are five others aiming to join them: Bristol City, Coventry City, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough.

Fifth and sixth are currently held by the Robins and the Sky Blues - but with their future in their hands, is that the worst place to be?

"The pressure is on those sides who are already in there. That's what I find when I've been in these situations myself," former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff told the podcast.

"You feel it's yours to lose. I think if you are going into it on the outside of it, you can have a little bit more of an open mentality.

"Whereas if you are Bristol City or Coventry at the moment, who are in there, there's a little bit more of that tension of maybe messing it up."

Listen to the full episode and more on the Football Daily podcast.

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Coventry City captain Ben Sheaf says he welcomes the pressure of their season-defining clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Sky Blues' stoppage-time defeat at Luton Town had let the door open for Boro to regain sixth place ahead of their meeting on the final day at the CBS Arena.

However, Michael Carrick's side drew at home against Norwich, meaning a win for Coventry in front of an expected sell-out crowd should confirm a play-off place, although a draw could let in Millwall or Blackburn, while defeat would see Boro leapfrog them.

"These are the games you want to be playing in. You want to feel that pressure," Sheaf told BBC Radio CWR.

"It's still in our hands. We're in this position and we don't want to lose that."

Breathing down Coventry's necks for a top-six spot are Millwall, who are level on 66 points with the Sky Blues after beating Swansea.

But Frank Lampard's men remain in the box seat with a superior goal difference of four goals over Millwall, who travel to Championship title-chasers Burnley in their final game.

"We're worthy of being where we are because of the quality we have and the way we've played," Sheaf added.

"I'm confident in the squad and the coaching staff. The belief is there for sure."

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard praised his side's spirit after a dramatic late defeat in a fiery game against lowly Luton Town, which saw both sides finish with 10 men.

"We gave absolutely everything. We dug in with 10 men for a long, long time," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"The effort they put in against a team that goes direct, and cross it a lot - when you're a man down - it's a long afternoon and the lads' spirit was brilliant.

"It was probably a red [for Jay Dasilva]. He said he didn't mean to but he clips his heels and pretty much every referee, even thought they're hard to predict at the minute, will give those.

"There's a great spirit in the group, that's why we've been able to amass points and move up the table because of spirit first and quality second.

"It's not easy to change gear from desperation and defending but [after their sending off] we got on the ball in different situations, didn't create massive chances. They should have gone down to nine and I thought the game was ours.

"But you can't legislate for a late mistake that leads to their goal."

Luton Town picked up a vital win over Bristol City last time out and will need to repeat their heroics against another play-off contender in Coventry City on Saturday (12:30 BST).

While Monday's victory wasn't enough to see them out of the bottom three, it did put the Hatters level on points with Derby County above them, giving them a possible shot of escaping the relegation zone this weekend.

But Coventry's play-off battle could also go down to the wire, with Middlesbrough in prime position to oust them from their sixth spot should they fail to pick up points at Kenilworth Road.

Having lost to bottom dwellers Plymouth Argyle in their previous match, the Sky Blues will be looking to stop a second successive defeat to a lower-table team just as much as Luton will be seeking a double upset at the top.

• Luton have lost just one of their last 10 league games against Coventry (W4 D5), though it was in the reverse fixture in October (3-2).

• Following their 3-2 win in October, Coventry are looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 2005-06.

• Luton have won consecutive league games for the first time since September. They last won three in a row in March 2023.

• Coventry have lost three of their last four away league games (D1), having won four in a row on the road before this.

• Haji Wright has scored five goals in his last seven Championship appearances, while he also scored Coventry's 90th minute winner against Luton in the reverse fixture.

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Frank Lampard says Coventry's players need to be "up to the challenge" as they seek to secure a Championship play-off place.

Despite a 3-1 defeat at basement boys Plymouth on Monday, the Sky Blues remain sixth, a point behind Bristol City and three ahead of Middlesbrough and Millwall, with each club having two games to play.

When Lampard took over, Coventry were 17th, two points above the relegation zone and 10 adrift of the play-off places.

He told BBC CWR: "We've amassed a huge amount of points from where we were.

"We're sixth, if you'd asked me when we came in if we'd take that with two games to go, absolutely we would.

"I'm not going to sit here and have a go at the lads. We've got this close, now we have to go and deal with what's in front of us in the last two games."

While the Sky Blues went down at Home Park, Bristol City lost 3-1 at Luton while Middlesbrough went down 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday.

"It's a big bonus," Lampard admitted of the other results. "This is the Championship, anything can happen, it's the cutting-edge time of the season.

"This time of year is very hard, which is why I won't hang too much on the result."

Coventry head to Kenilworth Road themselves on Saturday (12:30 BST) with the Hatters in the relegation zone on goal difference.

"The shape will be similar (to Plymouth), the atmosphere is going to be hot, Luton are still right in it. We have to accept the challenge.

"The players know that was not our level (on Monday), it can happen, but we don't want it to happen again."

Hear more from Frank Lampard on the Sky Blues Fancast via BBC Sounds here.

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Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard was left to rue his side's mistakes as they lost 3-1 at bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle.

The defeat keeps the Sky Blues in sixth place and occupying the final play-off spot.

But with play-off rivals Bristol City and Middlesbrough both losing it was a missed opportunity to further consolidate a chance of some post-season action.

"This was a game that was completely dominated by the types of goals that they score against you," he told BBC Sport:

"We were going to have a lot of the ball and it was mistakes that led to transitions and set pieces.

"If you are short on those on the day against a team that are a team of giants, big boys, you know what's coming.

"Every goal kick, every throw in, every set piece is coming in - and you have to deal with that and you have to be more dynamic to break the low block, and we were not at that level today.

"The third goal comes along and makes it even more difficult; they have something more to protect."

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard watched his side give a polished performance to beat West Bromwich Albion in front of the largest crowd to witness a Sky Blues home win since they left Highfield Road 20 years ago - then promised "there's more to come".

An early goal from Jack Rudoni, followed by an even earlier second-half second goal from fellow midfielder Matt Grimes, led to a comfortable local derby victory over their Championship play-off rivals - aided by the sending-off of Baggies defender Callum Styles, for two yellow cards.

The win leaves sixth-placed Coventry three points ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough with three games left.

"We were aggressive and played some really good stuff," Lampard told BBC CWR. "It's nice to get an early goal at home and you start with the right energy.

"In the second half we get our early goal, then it was the red card. They're a good footballing team so they can handle 10 players to a degree and stay on the ball a bit. It's important against 10 men that you try and push them right back with a man advantage.

"Sometimes you don't get your goal. I'd have loved to have had three, but at the same time I was happy with the way we saw it out.

"It's a big game. And there's more to come. We've not achieved anything yet. But we're hoping to make the play-offs and it was a very, very good performance."

He was also particularly pleased with Rudoni's very Lampard-like finish for City's opening goal.

"I'm delighted for Jack," he added. "We work loads on the training pitch on those sort of finishes. He gave me a little wink when he came over. He's a top-class young player."