Lamps' huge calls pay off as Rudoni fires City into the play-offs

HEAD COACH VINDICATED AFTER KEEPER CHANGE AND THOMAS FITNESS DECISION

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revealed in his post-match press conference. “On Tuesday I wasn’t sure and on Thursday Bobby felt he was ready to play, and he showed it to be fair. And it’s a tight turnaround, so all credit to him because to come back from the injury as he has is ahead of time.”

He added: “He's a great character and I really love working with Bobby. He's a leader in the dressing room and he's growing in that sense, for sure, and we'll just have to manage him over the next few days to try to make sure he’s okay because he will have pushed himself out there today.”

Tats more like it

Frank Lampard knew Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was up for the challenge of Middlesbrough by the way he trained in the build-up to the crucial play-off decider.

Not only did the Japanese winger cause the visitors problems down the right flank, where he gave left-back Neto Borges such a hard time that the defender was taken off after the break, he provided the pinpoint cross for Rudoni’s exquisite headed goal and combined almost telepathically with his back-up man Milan van Ewijk.