Jobe Bellingham shares one-word message from Sunderland AFC dressing room after play-off drama | OneFootball

The Black Cats booked their place at Wembley in the most dramatic fashion

Sunderland ace Jobe Bellingham has given his reaction as the Black Cats dramatically progressed into the Championship play-off final.

By comparison to Sheffield United's two-legged, record-breaking demolition of Bristol City at Ashton Gate and Bramall Lane with a 6-0 aggregate scoreline, the Black Cats' contests with Coventry City were far more cagey, leaving both sets of passionate supporters on edge.

After taking a 2-1 lead back to the Stadium of Light courtesy of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, an expectant crowd was hoping for a more straightforward route to Wembley, but that was plunged into doubt when Sky Blues winger, Ephron Mason-Clark turned a Milan van Ewijk cross home on 76 minutes, before the game continued to ebb and flow heading into extra-time.

But, as the Championship play-offs so often serve up, what ensued in the 121st minute would have been beyond the wildest dreams of any Mackems player or supporter.

Dan Ballard, who had been a collossus over the course of the two legs, connected with Enzo Le Fee's corner to head past Ben Wilson, sparking scenes of pandemonium across the home sections of the iconic stadium as Regis Le Bris' dream of promotion in his first season in charge lives on with a 3-2 aggregate success.

Whilst Ballard will receive the vast majority of praise for his defensive and attacking contributions over the two-legged affair against Frank Lampard's men, the likes of Bellingham were just as key in aiding the Wearside outfit's progression, especially at the CBS Arena.

As has become the norm in recent times, the 20-year-old playmaker immediately took to his Instagram story to issue an immediate reaction, which, unsurprisingly, was the one-word message of "Wembley!!" coupled with plenty of red and white heart emojis, such is the affinity he has built with the club since his £3m switch from Birmingham City two summers ago.

The man, who has been linked with an abundance of Premier League and top European sides over the course of the season, then issued a further post on his account, which read: "What a team, what a club, what a place and what a night. An absolute pleasure, as always.

"See you at Wembley, Mackems!," he added.

Sunderland hoping to end eight-year hiatus from the Premier League

The Black Cats have spent eight seasons outside the Premier League between 2017 and now, and given the stature of the club, much of it has been well-documented, literally. The infamous 'Sunderland 'Til I Die' Netflix series broadcast their initial plight from the elite into League One in successive seasons, before they were eventually promoted back to the second-tier at Wembley over Wycombe Wanderers in 2022.

Since then, it has been a mixed period for the club, having reached the play-off semi-finals in 2023, losing out to eventual winners, Luton Town, over two legs, before finishing 16th last season despite competing for a top-six berth in the season's early stages.

However, Le Bris has been able to add a greater sense of maturity to the side with the lowest average age in the Championship, as well as recruiting smartly with strong additions such as Le Fee, Isidor, Chris Mepham and Alan Browne.

After seeing off the Sky Blues in the most dramatic way possible, Sunderland now have 10 days to prepare for the play-off final against the Blades, with both sides emerging victorious in their respective home fixtures against each other in the regular season.