Sunderland's promotion dream is over after their slender play-off semi-final first leg lead was wiped out by Luton Town in the return at Kenilworth Road. The Black Cats had won the first leg 2-1 at the Stadium of Light but Tony Mowbray's patched-up side had no answer for the aerial bombardment they faced in the return.
Luton made full use of their height advantage and Gabe Osho put Luton ahead on the night - and levelled the tie - from a corner after ten minutes. And just before half-time, another set-piece led to Luton skipper Tom Lockyer heading the second goal which put Luton ahead overall.
Sunderland had outplayed Luton in the first leg but they were well-beaten in the second game, and the Hatters could and should have won by more with multiple shots cleared off the line, and two players missing an open goal in the second period. It means Luton will go forward to the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday week to face either Middlesbrough or Coventry City, who play the second leg of their tie at the Riverside Stadium tomorrow night.
As for Sunderland, they will reflect on an excellent return to the Championship, and their sixth-placed finish will provide a solid platform on which to build next season. Mowbray had injury concerns over Patrick Roberts and Alex Pritchard in the run-up to this game after both came off with knocks towards the end of the first leg, but they recovered in time to play which meant the Black Cats boss was able to name unchanged starting XI.
Luton boss Rob Edwards also named the same side that began Saturday's first leg on Wearside. The clash in styles was evident right from the first minute, with Luton immediately launching the ball forward at every opportunity.
The Black Cats struggled to get hold of the ball in the early stages, with Amad going to ground as he attempted to wriggle between two defenders inside the penalty area, and a few minutes later Pritchard's ambitious free-kick from 35 yards out flew well wide. Luton went in front on the night - and levelled the tie - in the tenth minute, from their very first corner.
The ball was delivered into the box from the left by Jordan Clark and it was headed down by Lockyer inside the six-yard area, where Osho fired it home. Sunderland had a chance to level on the quarter-hour when Roberts' corner was headed goalwards by Pierre Ekwah but Ethan Horvath made a fine save to keep it out, and then when the ball came back to Ekwah his follow-up shot struck Amari'i Bell on the hand but referee Simon Hooper was unimpressed by the Black Cats' loud penalty appeals.
Luton looked a threat every time they bombed the ball forward and Sunderland were hanging on for dear life. Alfie Doughty's cross from the left was turned goalwards by Carlton Morris but Trai Hume cleared off the line, and when the loose ball came to Elijah Adebayo, his shot was then cleared off the line by Luke O'Nien.
Luton had another chance to double their lead on the half-hour when Sunderland scrambled a free-kick clear of their box but it eventually came to Adebayo on the left and his cross was headed narrowly wide by Lockyer. Adebayo then set up a chance for Morris with a neat cutback from the byline on the right, but the striker flicked his shot wide of the near post.
It seemed that a second goal was just a matter of time, and it duly came two minutes before the interval. Another corner, this time from the right, was only half-cleared and when it came to Doughty, his cross was headed home by Lockyer from eight yards out.
Sunderland had a huge let-off inside the first minute of the second half when Anthony Patterson passed straight to Clark and the Luton man had an open goal to aim at, but his shot was wild and it went high and wide. Luton continued to put Sunderland under pressure from set-pieces and Mowbray sent on Aji Alese in place of Pritchard to give his defence some extra physical presence, with the centre-back making his first appearance since recovering from the thigh injury he suffered in early March.
But still Sunderland were under the cosh and Roberts twice had to head clear at the near post from corner-kicks. At the other end, Roberts embarked on a mazy run which took him past two defenders as he reached the edge of the box but he then dragged his shot wide of the right-hand post.
Luton began to sit back in the final 20 minutes and that gave Sunderland some encouragement, but the Black Cats just could not find the final pass they needed to unpick the hosts' defence and the Hatters held on to secure their place in the final at Wembley.
How they lined up
Luton Town: Horvath, Osho, Lockyer, Bell, Drameh, Mpanzu, Nakamba, Clark (Campbell 84), Doughty, Morris, Adebayo.. Subs not used: Shea, Potts, Berry, Burke, Onyedinma, Taylor
Booked: Clark
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, O'Nien, Gooch (Huggins 77), Roberts, Neil (Ba 77), Ekwah, Clarke, Amad, Pritchard (Alese 57), Gelhardt (Michut 64). Subs not used: Bass, Lihadji, Anderson
Booked: O'Nien
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Attendance: 10,013
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