During the intense Championship play-off semi-final between Sunderland and Coventry City, fans were left scratching their heads after Sky Sports made a major scoreboard blunder.
The first leg of the semi-final, held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, saw Sunderland come out on top with a 2-1 victory, putting them one step closer to a final showdown with Sheffield United later this month.
The Mistake on Sky Sports
Fast forward to the second leg at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening, and the game was still very much in the balance.
Both teams struggled to break the deadlock early on, but then something unexpected happened.
Sky Sports’ scoreboard in the top-left corner briefly displayed the wrong score—showing Coventry leading 2-1 on the night, which would have tied the aggregate score at 3-3.
Fans quickly noticed the mistake and were quick to voice their confusion on social media, with many expressing their surprise at the slip-up.
“Why does Sky have the score as 2-1 to Coventry? What’s going on?” one fan tweeted, bewildered.
Another wrote: “Sky showing 2-1 Coventry for a minute really confused me—how did that even happen?”
There was even some humor thrown in, with one X user joking: “Anyone else see that score change? I thought I was hallucinating.”
The Lighter Side of the Mistake
A Sunderland fan account took a cheeky jab at the error, saying: “Sky really want Coventry to win, like what’s going on with the scoreboard?” along with a laughing emoji.
Although the error was corrected within about a minute, it was just enough time for fans to catch the blunder and have a bit of fun with it.
The Match’s Dramatic Finish
Back on the field, the match remained scoreless in the first half, with both teams fighting for a spot in the final.
Coventry, under Frank Lampard, pushed hard for the first goal to level the aggregate score, but couldn’t manage to break through.
However, they did find the net in the second half, with Ephron Mason-Clark scoring a close-range goal to send the match into extra time.
In the dying moments of extra time, it was Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard who became the hero, heading in the decisive goal to secure a place in the Wembley final for his team.
What’s Next?
With Sunderland’s place in the final now confirmed, all eyes will be on the upcoming clash with Sheffield United.
As for Sky Sports, they’ll likely be hoping for fewer scoreboard mishaps next time!