Here’s the match report from Louise Taylor … huge congratulations to Coventry, and commiserations to Boro.
Thank you and good night.
Such an impressively-taken goal by Hamer. Those Brazilians can play a bit, can’t they?
"COVENTRY CITY MAKE THEIR MOVE!" ⚡ pic.twitter.com/6AE7AbdVqN
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 17, 2023
“This really is dreamland for the Sky Blues,” says the Sky presenter. He ain’t lying.
“Congrats to Coventry, the best team won,” emails Victor.
Hamer is pictured celebrating. He was excellent. What a calmly taken goal it was to take his side to the Championship playoff final.
Liam Kelly of Coventry speaks to Sky Sports: “We had to dig really deep … we want to go and win the final now. We want to complete it … the final is going to be some day. We can’t wait for it … We’ve got a great team spirit. We’ve had it for a number of years now. We can dig deep when we need to. It’s thoroughly deserved, it’s fantastic … it’s going to be a fantastic day in the final … Next 10 days, we’re going to work really hard, and make sure we are ready for that final.”
Viktor Gyokeres has a chat too: “We said before the game, two really good teams. I think it came down to who was going to work the hardest. I think we did that and we deserved the win today … Luton are a really good team in what they do, they work really hard … it’s going to be a tough final but a good challenge.”
Middlesbrough lacked a bit of spark tonight, but that is testament to the excellence of Coventry’s defending. They were sensational to a man. Chuba Akpom is in tears. But the Coventry players are loving the moment, going to the fans and celebrating … they have vaulted themselves off the bottom of the Championship, all the way to the playoff final …
Coventry beat Boro 1-0! Coventry are into the Championship playoff final!
All over! Coventry win 1-0! Remarkable! They will play Luton for a place in the Premier League at Wembley on 27 May.
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90 min + 8: Coventry defend the corner again … another set piece … and it’s over!
90 min + 7: Corner for Boro …
90 min + 6: Off the crossbar from Archer! From point-blank range … but he’s offside anyway! Wow, that was a big moment … OK he was offside but that was a terrible effort either way not to hit the target from about four yards out.
90 min + 5: So far, so good for Coventry in this spell of stoppage time. Boro have hardly laid a glove on them … but this being FOOTBALL, there is bound to be another chance. Isn’t there?
90 min +3: Gyokeres, who has been immense for the visitors, runs down the left wing and tries to pick out Godden with a low ball but it’s well blocked by a defender. Coventry know they can deliver the knockout blow here …
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90 min + 2: Wilson flaps a corner from the right over the crossbar for a corner … Coventry manage to clear. Boro fans pictured looking dejected … but they still have six minutes or so, at least, to make inroads here.
90 min: We will have a minimum of eight minutes added time.
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88 min: Giles takes a corner for Boro. McNally gets it clear … then Boro have the ball in the net, the crowd roars, but a flag is immediately up for offside! It won’t count. Crooks comes on for McNair, for Boro, with Dijksteel already on.
For Coventry, Panzo is on for McFadzean.
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86 min: Steve Ogrizovic is pictured in the stand. Fun fact: I was sitting near him at the 1989 Natwest final at Lord’s between Middlesex and Warwickshire.
83 min: Middlesbrough build a strong attack down the right. Jones goes in the referee’s book. McFadzean goes down with cramp. Then a corner for Boro … it’s flashed into the six-yard box but then diverted out for a goal kick. McFadzean is down with cramp again. This time, no doubt, will all be added on by the ref.
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82 min: From the Coventry left, Gyokeres strokes a sensational lofted ball crossfield for Hamer, who heads it back first-time for Godden, whose first-time volley is blocked! Lovely football.
79 min: Dabo and Godden come on for Coventry. Godden goes up front, joining Gyokeres. Mark Robins doesn’t look prepared to sit back and invite pressure for this final 10 coming up …
78 min: Manchester City are hammering Real Madrid 3-0 on the night and 4-1 on aggregate. No nervy finish at the Etihad this evening.
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75 min: We move into the final quarter of an hour. Can Middlesbrough force extra time? Can Coventry nab the goal that would surely seal their progress to a playoff final against Luton in 10 days’ time?
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73 min: A Boro appeal for a penalty for handball is waved away. But they have a free kick in a handy attacking spot now … Lenihan gets to it at the far post, but cannot head it goalwards … the ball spins back to McGree on the volley, but McNally is there to hook the ball clear!
70 min: What a hit by Hamer from the free kick! He whips it over the wall and it crashes on to the crossbar with Steffen, in goal, hopelessly beaten! That would have been Goodnight Vienna, but Hamer could not get the ball to dip in time … Still a cracking effort. Boro continue to look short of ideas and confidence.
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67 min: Jones and Barlaser on for Boro. Forss and Mowatt off. Nervy from Jones immediately, who has a chance to cross, but floats it straight out over the goal for a goal kick. In fairness it was his first touch … but Middlesbrough need to be clinical, at some point, if they are going to get back into this.
Lenihan is booked, meanwhile, for the home team, and for Coventry Sheaf goes off, replaced by Eccles.
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66 min: This has been a very ‘streetwise’ performance by Coventry thus far. Some might call it dirty. No, maybe niggly is the right word? They have defended robustly. And it’s been good to watch, allied to their threat on the break. Good no-nonsense defending.
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63 min: Coventry look very sharp on the break. Allen bears down on goal, running around a good decoy run by Gyokeres, and hits a shot that is blocked.
60 min: McFadzean is booked for another uncompromising piece of defending with Akpom trying to get his side on the front foot. There are some afters. Mowatt floats a clever free-kick beyond the far post but Coventry can clear their lines.
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Goal! 57 min: Middlesbrough 0-1 Coventry (0-1 agg) (Hamer)
A fine run by Gyokeres brings Steffen racing off his line out of the Middlesbrough goal. Gyokeres tries to lift the ball over the goalie, but it flicks off sideways, in the direction of Hamer, with the home defence now all over the shop. Hamer looks like he’s going to be crowded out, but he does superbly well (with the goalie out of his ground) to cut inside one attempted tackle, and lash the ball in the top corner! That was very calm and impressive under pressure from Hamer. Are Coventry off to Wembley? The certainly deserve that goal for the way they’ve started this second half.
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56 min: Akpom yells at the linesman after failing to win a corner. A measure of Boro’s frustration.
54 min: McGree meets a ball pumped forward by McNair. But he is penalised for a foul on the edge of the area. Boro do seem to have gone into themselves a bit here … they are not exerting themselves on the opposition like they were at times in the first half.
“Exiled Boro fan watching on TV from behind the sofa in South London,” emails Victor. “Boro seem very pedestrian and need to inject some pace and urgency. Crowd and players are making each other anxious and they [Coventry] are looking very dangerous on break. Despite our excellent penalty shoot out record, not sure my nerves would last out.”
50 min: Coventry should be ahead! Gyokeres bursts down the middle. Sheaf overlaps, tries to shoot, but the ball breaks to Allen … the goal is gaping, and he’s only a few yards away, but he completely scuffs what can be hardly called a shot! That was a huge, huge chance. And it has been passed up.
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49 min: A bit of a lull to begin the first half, aside from that little early flurry from Coventry. The pace has dropped, or perhaps it hasn’t even got going in the second half.
46 min: Coventry’s Allen and Hamer link “in and around” the Boro penalty area. Allen maybe over-plays it a bit and looks for a one-two when he could have hit a shot from the edge of the box … the hosts eventually tidy things up and clear.
Updated
Second half kick-off!
Who is going to Wembley? There’s only one way to find out …
Half time! Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (0-0 agg)
There is time for another chance for the home team. But Coventry defend it bravely again, and then a huge chance created by Sheaf at the other end! Gyokeres tries to tee it up for an on-rushing teammate, turning his back to goal, but the attempted pass goes astray.
Boro rush down to the other end and win a corner. Lenihan heads it at Wilson and that’s half time.
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45 min: The clock ticks past the allotted 45 minutes … we will have a minimum of three minutes added.
43 min: Boro ping the ball around in Coventry’s half. Lenihan overhits a pass and it goes out for a goal kick. Coventry have done really well in this half, defensively, and have presented a bit of an attacking threat too.
41 min: McNair goes in the book for a very cynical pull on Gyokeres around halfway after the Swede pulls off a smart swivel.
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39 min: Now Forss cracks a shot from an angle after what was initially a misjudgment by Bidwell … however, Bidwell himself does well to rush out and block the effort.
38 min: Akpom threatens for Middlesbrough in a crowded box. Coventry deal with it.
2-0 Man City, now.
Manchester City lead Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final, 1-0, the goal from Bernardo Silva.
35 min: A lightning break by Coventry and Hamer is suddenly in, almost one on one, rushing on to a flick … but Giles is on hand to hack the ball clear. Good defending, it looked like Hamer was going to have the space to get a shot in there.
31 min: McFadzean commits another foul with Boro moving forwards, getting stuck into Archer from behind. The home fans want a booking but there is nothing doing.
29 min: Mowatt floats in the free-kick. Boro have a shot blocked, then Gyokeres races into space on the counter, into the opposition half, but he is crowded out eventually.
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28 min: Kelly fouls Akpom of Boro in an advanced area. More danger for Coventry …
27 min: McGree now slams a powerful shot from distance that flicks off a defender and out for a corner. McGree again gets on the ball and floats a cross to the far post but no one can get on the end of it.
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26 min: McGree pumps the ball to the far post for Boro, looking for the run of Forss. Bidwell does a good job to head the ball out for a corner.
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23 min: In the Coventry goal, Wilson is put under pressure by the pressing of the Boro front line, but he neatly gets out of trouble with a pass down the middle to the nearest sky blue shirt.
There is still plenty of noise from the crowd, and they have had a decent amount of excitement with chances at both ends. But who will find the breakthrough?
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21 min: So it’s goalless, tonight and on aggregate, with nearly half the first half gone … something about this just screams ludicrous late drama, doesn’t it?
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19 min: Akpom is OK, after a fairly lengthy spell of treatment out on the pitch. That break in play has taken the fizz out of the game though – it had been relentless for the first 17 minutes.
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17 min: Akpom is fouled by Sheaf, a meaty challenge that leaves the forward prone on the turf and needing treatment.
15 min: Another defensive mix-up: Steffen passes out to Smith, but Hamer nips in and gets away from the home defence. Smith pulls him back, and is booked. The resulting free-kick is pumped to the far post, but Middlesbrough deal with it.
12 min: There’s nearly a back pass-related howler from Coventry, now, but the goalie Wilson comes out to the edge of his area to hammer the ball away.
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9 min: This is very lively. Akpom now escapes down the right wing for the hosts, and tries a cross, but it’s blocked at the near post. Loads of energy and intent from both sides.
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7 min: Now Gyokeres is nearly in at the other end, for Coventry! Steffen has to tidy up after a very poor, underhit back pass by Smith. The goalie does exceptionally well to stay on his feet and prevent Gyokeres from rounding him after the forward sprinted after the loose pass.
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5 min: Archer now threatens on the edge of the box for Boro, but is tackled well by McFadzean.
4 min: Middlesbrough so nearly score! They break down the left wing and Giles pings a good low ball into the middle. There’s a bit of pinball around the six-yard box but no home player can get a meaningful contact on it.
3 min: Coventry on the front foot early on. But no clear sight of goal just yet.
“Should this one be dubbed “The Sir Alex Ferguson’s Saviours” Derby?” emails Admir Pajic.
“Mark Robins, the scorer of the goal that saved Ferguson’s job at Man Utd in 1990, v Michael Carrick, the midfield lynchpin whose arrival in summer 2006 injected new energy to Man Utd’s engine room which eventually led to three league titles in a row.”
First half kick off!
Go!
Akpom has 28 goals this season, 21 at home.
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Here we go then. The teams are on the pitch, the crowd is making a lot of noise.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
A brief reminder that Barry Glendenning has the Champions League action here, if you want to keep tabs on that:
“Good evening from Middlesbrough!” emails Paul Fletcher.
“It’s hard not to be nervous when you’re about to start the second of a possible three cup finals, when chaos reigns and everyone wants their hands on the prize … but hopefully Fortress Riverside will be bouncing, and that will feed into the performance and the Choo Choo Chuba train will edge himself closer to the mythical 30 goals target! Keeeemon lads, UTB!!”
Mark Robins has a chat and is asked about his new contract (which according to the club website is agreed, and will be signed later this week): “We’re looking at the game. Everyone knows how I feel about the club and it’s nice to be offered a four-year contract … we didn’t have enough of the ball in the first leg.
“Can we hurt them more, can we have a bit more possession? Hopefully we can start right, start fast. All to look forward to, all to play for.”
The Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick speaks to Sky Sports: how can they get a result tonight? “Doing what we’re good at,” he says. “Play to our strengths. It’s what we know, what we trust in …
“We’re really looking forward to it, it’s a great chance for the boys to go and express themselves, and hopefully win the game.
“There’s a lot comes into consideration when you’re picking the team … a bit of freshness, a bit of a change, a bit of a tweak. It’s not just about who starts, it’s about who finishes the game too, so hopefully we got the balance right.”
Updated
Mark Robins has agreed a new four-year contract at Coventry, it was announced today, and you can read all about it here on the club website.
Hat’s the way to do it:
While we await kick-off, coming up at 8pm, here are some newsy bits from the Premier League, where they say the streets are paved with gold:
Teams
Marcus Forss comes into Middlesbrough’s lineup for Isaiah Jones on the right, in the one change made by Michael Carrick. Two changes for Coventry: Ben Sheaf and Jamie Allen come in for Matty Godden and Josh Eccles.
The #Boro teamsheet 👊@unibet #UTB pic.twitter.com/zj99sCkIdD
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) May 17, 2023
📋 Lining up for the Sky Blues tonight...#PUSB pic.twitter.com/aXP57GLbFx
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) May 17, 2023
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Team news soon, so says Coventry’s Twitter:
All accounted for at the Riverside 🤝
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) May 17, 2023
Team news 🔜 pic.twitter.com/JDKfyghFSt
Peter Lansley was present at the first leg in Coventry:
In Champions League news, Barry Glendenning has Manchester City v Real Madrid here for you:
Preamble
Tonight’s high-stakes match is beautifully poised, at least in the sense that not much happened in the goalless first leg. Coventry City have a chance of achieving a remarkable, Nottingham Forest-esque run from the bottom of the Championship to the Premier League in the space of a few months, but their manager Mark Robins believes Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough are comfortable favourites for Wembley following Sunday’s stalemate.
On the balance of play at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Robins has a point: Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom had the best chances on the day and arguably should have given his team a first-leg lead to take back to the Riverside.
As it stands, it’s all square and all to play for in the battle to face Luton in the playoff final at Wembley in 10 days’ time. Team news and more coming up.
Kick-off: 8pm
Riverside ready 🔜⚽️ #UTB pic.twitter.com/MFKtVsJWcf
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) May 17, 2023
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