Coventry draw at Boro to set-up play-off showdown between the two as Sunderland snatch sixth-place and will face Luton
COVENTRY CITY and Middlesbrough will lock horns again in the play-offs after this draw ensured the Sky Blues a fifth-placed finish.
And they will be joined by Sunderland, whose stunning 3-0 win at Preston, led to them pipping Blackburn on goal difference to snatch sixth.
The Black Cats will now take on third-placed Luton in the other play-off semi as Millwall, who were beaten 4-3 late on at home by Rovers, and West Brom, who lost 3-2 at Swansea.
Coventry flew out of the traps at the Riverside with Gustavo Hamer hammering a low drive across goal which was pushed wide by a solid hand from Zack Steffen.
Josh Eccles rifled another effort past the post as they continued to look the most dangerous before they deservedly broke the deadlock on 22 minutes.
Boro appeared to have rode out the early storm, but Hamer carried the ball from midfield and received it back from Viktor Gyokeres before firing a bullet across Steffen and into the bottom corner.
Sky Blues boss Mark Robins, who has guided the club up from League Two since taking charge in 2017, urged his side on as they pressed for a second but he was tearing his hair out at the slack defending Boro punished on the stroke of half time.
Isaiah Jones caught the Coventry defence napping with a quick short corner to Riley McGree.
The Australian international drove into the area and laid it off for Alex Mowatt to pull the trigger.
His low shot hit Cameron Archer on the way before it pinged around the crowd off blue and red shirts, but the on-loan Aston Villa forward reacted quickest to hammer home the equaliser.
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Coventry knew beforehand a point would do, and the nerves started jangling in the second period as scores from elsewhere started to filter through with Boro taking the ascendency.
But with little action happening on the pitch, the travelling supporters burst into celebration late on as news filtered through of Blackburn taking the lead in that rollercoaster clash at Millwall.
And as the final whistle sealed their play-off spot, they are now preparing to do battle with Boro again at home on Sunday lunchtime.