Sunderland and Luton Town are no closer to discovering their potential Championship play-off final opponents after Coventry City and Middlesbrough drew a blank in the first leg of their semi-final. The Black Cats finished sixth in the Championship, three places and 11 points behind third-placed Luton, but after the first leg of their semi-final yesterday it is the Wearsiders who will take a slender advantage to Kenilworth Road for Tuesday's second leg having come from behind to win 2-1 at the Stadium of Light.
Elijah Adebayo put Luton in front after ten minutes but on-loan Manchester United forward Amad levelled with a stunning strike before half-time. The turnaround was complete when Trai Hume headed Sunderland's winning goal just after the hour.
But in the other semi-final between Boro and the Sky Blues, who finished fourth and fifth respectively, the game is even more delicately poised with this afternoon's game at the CBS Arena ending goalless. Boro's Chuba Akpom had the best chance of the match inside the opening quarter-hour but he was thwarted by former Sunderland academy goalkeeper Ben Wilson who made a crucial block, with the loose ball looping into the air and hitting the angle of post and bar before bouncing clear.
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The second leg between Michael Carrick's Boro and Mark Robins' Coventry will take place at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night, by which time they will know who their potential final opponents will be. The Championship play-off final will take place at Wembley a week on Saturday, May 27, with kick-off at 4.45pm.
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