COVENTRY’S mouthwatering clash with Luton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley is underway RIGHT NOW.Both clubs were in League Two in the 2017/18 season and Luton were remarkably a non-league club just a decade ago.
But now they find themselves in football’s richest game – said to be worth around £200m in future revenues to the winners – as they prepare to battle it out for a place in next season’s Premier League.
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Coventry XI: Wilson, Bidwell, Doyle, McFadzean, McNally, Norton-Cuffy, Sheaf, Kelly, Hamer, Allen, Gyokeres
Luton XI: Hovarth, Drameh, Osho, Lockyer, Bell, Doughty, Ruddock, Nakamba, Clark, Morris, Adebayo
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Coventry 0-0 Luton
22. Mpanzu unleashes another Luton effort on goal, but it’s straight at Wilson.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
20. Chance for Morris!
Coventry give the ball away continuously as Luton press, and it eventually leads to Drameh delivering from the right.
Moving across Kelly, Morris gets a foot on the ball to bring it down and then fires over via a deflection off the recovering defender.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
18. It’s fair to say that the game is yet to settle into anything resembling quality – but how much of that was to do with the concerning incident involving Lockyer is hard to ascertain.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
16. Luton win another set-piece upfield, and a huge roar goes up from their fans.
They certainly feel it’s an area where this game can be won.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
14. Both set of players seem nervous following that break in play.
First, Adebayo puts the ball behind for a corner unnecessarily, and then on the break, McFadzean fails to deal with a long ball, and Morris pokes his shot wide.
Coventry 0-0 Luton – Luton substitution
12. Lockyer is stretched from the field to applause from all around Wembley including the Coventry fans and management.
Reece Burke is the player thrown on as the captain’s replacement, and now these Luton players – visibly emotional by the incident – have to compose themselves to continue.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
10. This is all the more worrying than initially feared.
It is understood that Lockyer went down with no player in his immediate vicinity.
The players have been ushered away so that the medical staff can treat the player.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
8. Now it’s Luton’s turn to be concerned.
Their inspirational captain Tom Lockyer has gone down, and the immediate fear is that he’s not going to be able to continue.
The stricken centre-back is surrounded by a host of medical staff as well as his teammates, while on the touchline manager Rob Edwards is being forced into quick decisions.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
6. It’s an immediate escape for Coventry, who have had an early indication of the threat Luton carry at set-pieces.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
5. The ball is in the net – but it’s not going to count!
Lockyer’s stopping header from the corner is forced over the line by Osho.
However, the Luton defender had stepped beyond Norton-Cuffy as his captain connected with the first effort on goal.
Offside is the call, and it’s the correct one.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
4. Lockyer launches a free-kick from his own half towards the Coventry penalty area, and then pounce on the second, third and fourth ball with the opposing defence all of a panic.
It results in the game’s first corner.
Coventry 0-0 Luton
2. Is this an early glimpse of what we should expect? Coventry begin with some patient play around the back before Luton launch with an up and at ’em approach.
Kick-off – Coventry v Luton
1. Here we go! It’s Luton that get the richest game in sport underway.
The Hatters, wearing their orange and blue, are kicking towards the end of Wembley covered in shade.
The Sky Blues of Coventry will have to do their first half attacking in blistering sunshine.
Here come the two teams!
A sea of orange and sky blue greet the players as they are introduced to the pitch.
Wembley is bright – more so due to the tremendous sunshine – and colourful, and for one of these two clubs the afternoon will end with a journey into the light of the Premier League.
The squads and staff go through the pre-match formalities of a final as captains Liam Kelly and Tom Lockyer lead a meet and great with the day’s special guests and then it’s time for the national anthem.
And now – finally – after all the talk and preparations, it’s time for the football.
The ultimate prize is on the line, but only one of Coventry or Luton can emerge victorious.
Robins expects tight affair
Mark Robins believes his side will have to be clever if they are to compete with Luton’s physical presence and the Wembley sunshine.
However, the Coventry boss wants his players to impose themselves on the game, and leave everything out there on the pitch.
It’s going to be a tight game. They pose a huge threat and physicality, but they have some real good quality and they’re coached very well. This weather will dictate the game to a certain degree. We need to go and impose ourselves on the game.Mark RobinsSky Sports
Edwards: We know the stakes
Luton manager Rob Edwards is not playing down today’s game – known as football’s £170m fixture.
Instead, the Hatters coach wants his team to bottle that, and take the game – their game – to Coventry.
There’s no point hiding away from it. We need to be the best version of us. We recognise it’s a different kind of game. We know the stakes. But we’re only going to be successful if we do what we do and do it well.Rob EdwardsSky Sports
LUTON, ENGLAND – MAY 16: Luton Town manager Rob Edwards during the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg match between Luton Town v Sunderland at Kenilworth Road on May 16, 2023 in Luton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
London falling for travelling Luton
It’s only an hour down the M1 from Luton to London, but that journey often has the Hatters in a losing habit.
The normally resolute Kenilworth Road club have lost 12 of their last 15 games in the capital, winning two and drawing one.
They did manage to keep a clean sheet in each of the three games where they avoided defeat but managed to concede a whopping 40 goals in the 12 that they lost.
Atmosphere heating up at Wembley
Thousands of Coventry and Luton fans are excitedly – and nervously – making their way up at Wembley way, knowing that their clubs are potentially 90 minutes away from the Premier League.
What as story it would be for either with both having had more than their fair share of heartbreak and hardship this century.
Cov’s fond memories of Wembley
Coventry City fans arrive at the national stadium this afternoon, knowing just what it takes to win a Wembley final.
The Sky Blues have won three of the four matches played at Wembley in their history, most famously when lifting the 1987 FA Cup after beating Tottenham. Keith Houchen’s diving header in the 3-2 win is etched in football folklore.
Coventry also tasted victory when beating Oxford 2-1 in the 2017 EFL Trophy final, and then again in the 2018 League Two play-off final against Exeter.
Their only defeat at the stadium came against Everton in the 1987 Charity Shield.
The Luton Town starting XI
Luton (3-5-2): 34 Horvath; 32 Osho, 4 Lockyer, 29 Bell; 2 Drameh, 18 Clark, 13 Nakamba, 17 Mpanzu, 45 Doughty; 11 Adebayo, 9 Morris
Subs: 1 Shea, 3 Potts, 8 Berry, 16 Burke, 22 Campbell, 23 Onyedinma, 25 Taylor
Robins names his Coventry team
Coventry (3-4-2-1): 13 Wilson; 16 McNally, 5 McFadzean, 3 Doyle; 7 Norton-Cuffy, 6 Kelly, 14 Sheaf, 27 Bidwell; 38 Hamer, 8 Allen; 17 Gyokeres
Subs: 1 Moore, 2 Panzo, 11 Wilson-Esbrand, 23 Dabo, 24 Godden, 28 Eccles, 45 Palmer
Luton lack play-off know-how
Luton have made a habit of defying the odds over the past decade, but now they will have to make further history in order to complete their rise back to the top-flight.
Today marks the club’s first ever appearance in a Football League play-off final – on the back of their first ever victory in an EFL play-off game, the 2-0 win over Sunderland in the second leg of the semi-final 11 days ago.
The Hatters did feature in two play-off finals while languishing in non-league, but neither ended in glory.
Luton failing to win promotion back to the Football League in both 2011 when they lost on penalties to AFC Wimbledon, and in 2012 after being beaten 2-1 by York.
Hatters smart on head-to-head
Despite the two draws this term, Luton are very much in the ascendancy when it comes to recent meetings with Coventry.
In fact, the Hatters are unbeaten in their last nine games against the Sky Blues, winning four.
The West Midlands outfit last got the better of their Bedfordshire counterparts with a 3-0 away victory in October 2017 when the two clubs were stranded in League Two.
Upward clubs quick on draw
There was nothing between Coventry and Luton in their two Championship meetings this season with each game ending level.
However, in both meetings, the Bedfordshire club struck early.
Back in September under the guidance of Nathan Jones they led through Carlton Morris’ 4th-minute goal. The striker struck again on the quarter of an hour mark, but on both occasions the Sky Blues struck back to equalise through Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer.
It took just 40-seconds for Luton to lead in February’s return when Tom Lockyer tapped in. Matt Gooden was the man who rescued Cov on this occasion with a penalty on the stroke of half-time before Josh Wilson-Esbrand was sent off late on.
Coventry 1-1 Luton (Feb 11)
Luton 2-2 Coventry (Sept 14)
Hatters faves to reach promised land
The pundits are split on which of these two clubs will join the elite in the Premier League next season, but the bookies are siding with Luton Town – just.
Rob Edwards’ Hatters are favourites to win promotion although they can be backed at odds against to seal the deal within 90 minutes.
90 minute betting:
Coventry win 12/5
Draw 15/8
Luton win 7/5
To win promotion:
Coventry to win promotion 11/10
Luton to win promotion 8/11
Odds from Betfair correct at time of post publication.
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