Simon Jordan blown away by ‘Unbelievable’ scenes at Sunderland
Sunderland are heading to Wembley for the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United.
The Black Cats went into the second leg of their play-off tie against Coventry City with a 2-1 win under their belts, but Ephron Mason-Clark managed to cancel that out in the 74th minute.
As extra time ticked on and penalties looked set, Dan Ballard scored in the final seconds of the game to secure a 3-2 victory on aggregate.
The Stadium of Light erupted as the Mackems secured their place at Wembley.
Simon Jordan full of praise for Sunderland fans
Sunderland have certainly been put through the ringer since their relegation from the Premier League in 2017.
The Black Cats have since been down to League One, having returned to the second tier in 2022 through the play-offs.
Even in the Championship, life has not been easy for Sunderland supporters, with a 16th-place finish last season causing disappointment on Wearside.
However, Regis Le Bris has done an excellent job this season, with his side securing their spot in the play-offs with plenty of time to spare.
The last-gasp goal from Ballard will no doubt have felt like a deserved relief for the home supporters after some of the things they have had to put up with, hence the levels of celebrations.
Simon Jordan has praised the Sunderland faithful for the role they had to play in the way the tie played out as he said live on talkSPORT (14 May, 10:07am): “The stadium atmosphere was phenomenal.
“There’s only a few incarnations of sport and football that can produce that kind of reaction. I mean, you watch the goal go in, obviously the last minute header from Ballard and the atmosphere was, I mean, unbelievable.”
Sunderland face Sheffield United challenge
Getting to Wembley is a massive achievement for the Black Cats, and Le Bris’ men will be relishing the opportunity to play on the big stage.
However, that’s only half the task and winning that game against Sheffield United could secure a return to the Premier League.
The Blades will be no easy opponents, either, having finished the season sitting 14 points above the Mackems in the Championship table.
| Team | Position | Goal Difference | Points |
| Sheffield United | 3 | 27 | 90 |
| Sunderland | 4 | 14 | 76 |
Chris Wilder’s side also beat Bristol City by a scoreline of 6-0 across the two ties, showing the ruthlessness drilled into the Yorkshire men.
That being said, the final is a one-off game and with plenty of momentum on their side now, there is no reason why Sunderland can’t go out and blow their opponents away.