FRANK Lampard insists Coventry City’s play-off tie against Sunderand ‘is not over’ despite suffering a late home defeat in the first leg.
A late goal from Eliezer Mayena condemend the Sky Blues to defeat at the Coventry Building Society Arena after Jack Rudoni quickly cancelled out Wilson Isidor’s opener.
The 2-1 defeat means City must overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, May 13
And Lampard has history of turning a play-off tie around after upsetting Leeds United when in charge of Derby County in the 2018/19 season.
However, Lampard insists he is only thinking about the here and now and how his side can improve before taking to the field in the second leg.
Lampard said: “It’s not over that’s for sure, Sunderland know it’s not over, we know it’s not over.
“I won’t be drawing on too much from the past, we just have to look at what this game may look like [in the second leg].
“And we don’t know because they may take the approach they brought here at home.
“I just think about what we can do a bit better and where the spaces might be if they come out more.
“There’s pressure on us both now in different ways.”
Mayenda pounced on Milan van Ewijk’s short backpass to round Ben Wilson and finish into an empty net on 88 minutes to restore Sunderland’s lead late on.
Isidor’s clinical finish on the counter attack put the Black Cats ahead on 68 minutes only for Rudoni’s trademark header from van Ewijk’s cross to draw City level two minutes later.
And despite Sunderland taking a one-goal advantage back to the Stadium of Light, Lampard is looking forward to the challenge ahead in midweek.
Lampard added: “It’s half time, we go again, football is not easy, anyone who watched the game will get a sense of the game.
“The Sunderland players will feel what that game was, we’re one behind, they’re favoruties, that’s no problem, it’s a good challenge.
“They defended low, they made it hard for us to find space and get clear opportunities, they defended the box brilliantly.
“It’s a play-off game, I didn’t expect them to open the doors for us, you have to keep going and keep going and make sure we don’t give away any counter attacks because that’s what they play for.”
Coventry travel to Sunderland in the second leg of the play-offs on Tuesday, May 13 with kick-off at 8pm at the Stadium of Light.
