COVENTRY City were cruelly denied a place in the FA Cup final following an extraordinary penalty shootout defeat against Manchester United at Wembley.
Haji Wright’s 95th minute penalty took the game to extra time as the Sky Blues completed a remarkable late comeback from three goals behind to leave United stunned.
That came after the Red Devils took a commanding three-goal lead courtesy of efforts from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.
However, Ellis Simms reduced the deficit on 71 minutes before Callum O’Hare’s deflected shot found the net eight minutes later and Wright’s dramatic late penalty forced an extra period.
And VAR denied Coventry the most sensational of victories in the 121st minute when Victor Torp slid home Wright’s cross after it was determined the latter was fractionally offside in the build-up following a lengthy check.
Despite Bradley Collins saving Casemiro’s penalty in the shootout, O’Hare saw his effort saved and Ben Sheaf blazed over as Rasmus Hojlund converted the decisive spot kick to deny Coventry what would have been just a second FA Cup final appearance in the club’s history.
United spurned a glorious chance to break the deadlock early on as Alejandro Garnacho slid the ball wide of goal from Fernandes’ header.
And the Red Devils missed another chance when Marcus Rashford latched onto Casemiro’s pass in behind the Coventry defence only to shoot wide from close range.
Soon after, Fernandes drilled a corner to the edge of the penalty area as Garnacho sliced a first time shot well wide of goal.
However, United eventually took the lead on 23 minutes when McTominay turned home Diogo Dalot’s low cross from the right from four-yards out.
Coventry looked to trouble the United goal at the other end as Jake Bidwell curled a free-kick into the wall from 25-yards out.
The Sky Blues came forward again soon after as Dalot made a crucial block to cut out Josh Eccles’ ball to the back post with Ellis Simms waiting to pounce.
United almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half time only for Collins to superbly tip Rashford’s first time shot onto the crossbar.
However, from the resulting corner, Maguire planted a header into the bottom right corner from Fernandes’ cross to leave the Sky Blues with a mountain to climb at the break.
The Red Devils went close to a third goal just minutes after the interval as Fernandes curled a shot inches wide of the post with Collins at full stretch.
However, United extended their lead on 59 minutes when Fernandes’ shot deflected into the net off Bobby Thomas.
Just past the hour mark, Maguire stabbed the ball over the bar from close range before O’Hare headed van Ewijk’s cross over the bar at the other end.
The Sky Blues deservedly pulled a goal back on 71 minutes when Simms swept home substitute Fabio Tavares’ cross from the right into the bottom right corner.
And City struck again eight minutes later when O’Hare’s shot from distance looped into the left corner of the goal off Aaron Wan-Bissaka with Andre Onana rooted to the spot.
Coventry almost completed a remarkable comeback soon after as Onana made an acrobatic save to keep out substitute Torp’s thunderous volley.
However, in the third minute of injury time, Wan-Bissaka handled Luis Binks’ shot at the back post and the referee pointed to the spot.
Wright showed nerves of steel in front of the 36,000 travelling Sky Blues supporters to send Onana the wrong way from the spot, coolly placing the ball to the goalkeeper’s right.
The Sky Blues almost gifted United the winning goal in extra time when Thomas headed the ball into the path of Hojlund before Fernandes’ powerful shot came back off the crossbar.
City’s only chance of note in the first half of the extra period saw Ben Sheaf curl a shot just wide of the post.
In the second period of extra time, Collins made a superb stop to tip Maguire’s shot behind for a corner.
At the other end, City produced a stunning counter attack as O’Hare slipped in Wright only for the striker to fire agonisingly wide of the post.
And the Sky Blues almost won the game five minutes from time only for Simms’ shot on the turn to come back off crossbar.
Coventry were then cruelly denied the most sensational of all FA Cup comebacks in the 121st minute when Torp slid home Wright’s cross after VAR determined the latter was marginally offside in the build-up following a lengthy check.
The game ultimately went to penalties as Collins saved Casemiro’s effort and Wright capitalised by lashing his effort into the left corner.
United responded through Dalot as Torp emphatically powered his penalty into the top right corner.
However, after Christian Eriksen scored for United, O’Hare saw his effort saved by Onana to bring United level in the shootout.
And Fernandes put United ahead for the first time with a cool penalty as Sheaf blazed his effort over the crossbar before Hojlund found the right corner of the goal to inflict the cruelest of defeats on the Sky Blues.
