Doubters ‘lit a fire in our belly’, says Sunderland skipper Dan Neil

The Black Cats will face Sheffield United at Wembley for a place in the Premier League.

Skipper Dan Neil has warned people to write off Sunderland at their peril as they target a return to the Premier League.

The Black Cats survived a major test of their credentials at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening when Dan Ballard’s last-gasp extra-time header sent them through to the Sky Bet Championship play-off final after a dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory over Coventry.

A 2-1 first leg win at the CBS Arena – their first on the road against the Sky Blues in 40 years, less than two months after a 3-0 league defeat there – paved the way to a showdown with Sheffield United at Wembley.

But it took real courage and resilience to get over the line after Ephron Mason-Clark had put the visitors ahead on the night.

Written off

Neil said: “To score in the last minute when it looked like everything was against us… It felt like we were written off before the two legs as well, which makes it even sweeter.

“It felt like after the result during the season at their place, the record playing Coventry, it felt like we’d been written off and that lit a fire in our belly.

“You could see that over the two legs, how we worked for each other, how we were so disciplined, how we stuck to the game plan when the chips were down.

“That’s what makes us an unbelievable squad.”

Relegated at the end of the 2016-17 season, the Black Cats suffered the same fate 12 months later and spent four long years in League One before they started the climb back towards the promised land.

Skipper Dan Neil has saluted Sunderland’s resilience after the booked their place in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final
(Owen Humphreys/PA)

Dream

Whatever happens at Wembley on Saturday, May 24, the memories of a famous night on Wearside will burn bright for years to come for those among a crowd of 46,530 who witnessed it.

Neil said: “I didn’t know where to run when we scored.

“I started cramping up in the crowd when I jumped over the boards.

“This is what you play football for and dream of growing up as a kid.

“How much it means to everyone associated with the club, the fans, the staff, for that to be the ending, it’s just incredible.”

Disappointment

For Coventry boss Frank Lampard, there was understandable disappointment, but also the knowledge he has something upon which to build after taking the club from 17th place and just two points above the relegation when he was appointed in November.

Lampard said: “We want to get better, we want to get stronger, we want to compete again next year, so those conversations can happen once the dust has settled.

“We want the squad to be stronger.

“Do we need to maybe have more cover in areas, more competition in areas?

“I think so, yes, but those conversations we can have.”

READ MORE: Dan Ballard’s last-gasp extra-time header sends Sunderland to Wembley