Play-offs final and Champions League dreams still alive for trio

COVENTRY City, Aston Villa and Walsall will still be able to achieve their goals this month... Coventry and Walsall for promotion and Villa to make the European Champions League again!

- GARY NEWBON

The Sky Blues have the challenge of overcoming a shattering 2-1 home first leg Championship semi-final play-off defeat to Sunderland on Friday.

Tonight the return leg is at the Stadium of Light (8pm live on Sky) and Sunderland will be favourites.

But I agree with Frank Lampard that this tie is far from over and the Sky Blues are still very much in it.

The Sunderland head coach, Frenchman Regis Le Bris, had the better gameplan at the CBS Arena although it took a terrible back pass from Milan van Ewik to inadvertently set up Sunderland’s winning goal two minutes from time.

The defender was still distressed afterwards. It was a terrible error of an under-weighted back pass towards his goalkeeper, but I felt so sorry for him.

However, Jack Rudoni is a key player for the Sky Blues. His equaliser - his seventh goal in 11 matches - underlined his stand-out play.

It's a tough ask, but if they play as well as they can then Coventry will just make it to the Championship final at Wembley on Saturday, May 24.

I am writing this column before knowing the result of the other semi-final at Bramall Lane, but I am expecting the home side Sheffield United to have made it after winning the first leg 3-0 at Bristol City.

Chris Wilder's team will be favourites at Wembley but it is a one-off game so you are never quite sure. The winner goes to the Premier League.