While the Blades had cruised through to Wembley on Monday as they swept aside Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate, this tie always felt in the balance.
Play-off games rarely need extra spice, but this was given it by the Black Cats’ decision to bring their advertising hoardings along the sidelines noticeably closer to the pitch.
By doing so, it was a deliberate attempt to negate the Sky Blues’ tactic of using the long throws of Dutch right-back Milan van Ewijk to create danger.
His costly mistake in allowing Eliezer Mayenda to grab a late winner in a 2-1 first-leg win for Sunderland had left him in tears, but looking for inspiration to mount a famous comeback, Coventry could turn to head coach Frank Lampard.
He was in charge of the last away side to overturn a first-leg deficit when Derby County defeated Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road in 2019 to win 4-3 on aggregate.
After surviving a bright Sunderland start in which Mayenda forced a good save out of Ben Wilson, Lampard watched his side grow into the game.
But they spurned crucial chances as Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scuffed an attempt over from six yards, before in-form midfielder Jack Rudoni prodded their best opportunity of the first half over from a similar distance.
