Mayenda’s Late Strike Hands Sunderland First-Leg Edge Over Coventry
Eliezer Mayenda marked his 20th birthday with a dramatic 88th-minute winner, securing a crucial 2–1 victory for Sunderland over Coventry City in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.
The young Spaniard pounced on a costly backpass from Coventry right-back Milan van Ewijk, calmly rounding goalkeeper Ben Wilson to slot home the decisive goal and give Sunderland a slender advantage heading into the second leg.
The match burst into life late on, with three goals coming in the final quarter of an hour. French striker Wilson Isidor broke the deadlock for the visitors, ending a three-month scoring drought with a sharp low finish past Wilson.
Coventry, however, responded almost immediately—just 110 seconds later—through Jack Rudoni. The in-form midfielder powered in a header from Van Ewijk’s cross, notching his seventh goal in 11 games to draw the Sky Blues level.
The win ends a difficult run for Sunderland, who had gone winless in their previous seven matches to close the regular season. But with the return leg set for Tuesday night at the Stadium of Light (20:00 BST), the tie remains finely poised.
The winner will book a place at Wembley on 24 May to face either Sheffield United or Bristol City. The Blades currently hold a commanding 3–0 lead after their first-leg triumph.
This matchup also rekindles a storied history between Sunderland and Coventry. Most infamously, in 1977, a 2–2 draw between Coventry and Bristol City—played out after Sunderland's match had concluded—ensured the Black Cats' relegation, sparking an official (but unsuccessful) complaint from the Wearside club.
Two decades later, heartbreak struck again when Sunderland’s final-day defeat to Wimbledon allowed Coventry to stay up with a win over Tottenham, sending Peter Reid’s side down once more.
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