Coventry claim slender victory over Middlesbrough to reach play-off final

Despite failing to register a single shot on target in their home leg on Sunday, Coventry’s recent away form (W4, D5) provided plenty of encouragement as the Sky Blues made the trip to Teesside.

A positive result, however, was always going to be a tall order for the visitors, and it was Middlesbrough - roared on by a sold-out Riverside under the floodlights - who shone brightest during a cagey opening half-hour.

Armed with the early momentum, the hosts continued to dominate possession as the first half progressed, but clear-cut chances came at a premium, as the Coventry rearguard held firm, frustrating the potent duo of Cameron Archer and Championship top-scorer Chuba Akpom.

In a low-quality opening 45 minutes, the best opportunity fell to Middlesbrough’s Darragh Lenihan on the stroke of HT, but the Irish defender could only direct his close-range header straight into the arms of Ben Wilson.

Desperate to gain a foothold in the contest, Coventry emerged after the restart with renewed focus, and spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead when Jamie Allen mistimed a shot after excellent work from Ben Sheaf.

Undeterred by that miss, the visitors continued in their pursuit of an opener, and their patience was duly rewarded before the hour mark, as Gustavo Hamer capitalised on poor goalkeeping from Zack Steffen to power a clinical strike into the roof of the net.

Stunned by the visitors’ second-half improvement, Middlesbrough came within inches of falling further behind when Hamer saw a sublime free-kick cannon against the crossbar.

With time ticking into the final 15 minutes and their play-off hopes quickly fading, the hosts looked to take advantage of that reprieve as they went in pursuit of a late response.

However, for all their effort, Michael Carrick’s side ultimately came up short, as Coventry held firm to secure a richly-deserved triumph, moving to within one match of a remarkable return to the top flight for the first time since 2001 - an achievement made all the more impressive considering they were in League 2 as recently as 2018.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Gustavo Hamer (Coventry City)