Gustavo Hamer scored the only goal of the game to help Coventry produce one of the narrow football scores of the weekend in the Championship. After the first leg ended in a scoreless draw, Coventry delivered the decisive punch at the Riverside Stadium when Gustavo Hamer scored in the second half. Coventry is now 90 minutes away from making their first Premier League comeback since 2001, having most recently played in League Two in 2018. They will compete against Luton in the championship game at Wembley on Saturday, May 27.
As was to be expected, Middlesbrough enjoyed the majority of the possession, but Coventry had the decisive early advantage. Viktor Gyokeres capitalized on Tommy Smith’s error with a botched backpass, but Zack Steffen reacted quickly to stop the Swede. In the second half, Coventry turned up the pressure, and after 57 minutes, the tie was finally broken. Once more, Gyokeres was the one to start things off as his excellent effort caused the ball to fall into Hamer’s path. Hamer regained his composure, moved the ball to his right foot, and then curved one into the top corner.
Michael Carrick, the manager of Middlesbrough, made several substitutions, but Coventry appeared more probable, with Hamer once again posing a threat with a free kick that rocked the crossbar. Boro would be unable to pass through. They will play in the Championship once more the following season, ending a wait of at least seven years for top-flight football.
“That was perhaps the longest game I’ve ever played! Middlesbrough is a great team. If you allow them any time or room, they’ll hurt you,” Coventry boss Mark Robbins said. “We did a great job of marshalling the two best center-forwards in the division throughout the course of the three games. Our supporters have propelled us forward. It was a fantastic team effort. We’ve been working towards this point for six arduous years. Next up is a tremendously challenging game at Wembley, but tonight is about enjoying ourselves, so we’re going to have a few drinks.”
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