Coventry edge out Middlesbrough to reach championship playoff final

By Victor Okoye

Coventry City reached the Championship playoff final after a second-half goal by Gustavo Hamer sealed a 1-0 win at Middlesbrough in their semi-final, second leg on Wednesday and a 1-0 aggregate victory.

Coventry will face Luton Town on May 27 for a place in next season’s English Premier League.

Coventry finished the regular season in fifth place and are looking to return to the English Premier League for the first time since they were relegated in 2000/2001.

They held fourth-placed Middlesbrough to a goalless draw in the first leg.

They can become the first team to go from the English Premier League down to the fourth tier and back up to the top flight.

This is possible if they join Burnley and Sheffield United who were promoted as Championship winners and runners-up.

Coventry came out of fourth-tier League Two via the playoffs in 2018 after one year and went on to win League One and reach the Championship two years later.

In January, businessman Doug King became the new owner of the club with the team sitting 15th on the table.

(Reuters/NAN)