Ecstasy for Ephron was quickly followed by agony as Coventry City lost a play-off semi-final in cruel fashion at Sunderland
There was ecstasy followed by agony for former Peterborough United star Ephron Mason-Clark in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg at Sunderland on Tuesday.
Mason-Clark scored the goal that took the tie into extra time, but he had been substituted before the home side won the game with a 122nd minute header from a corner. The second leg finished 1-1 after Sunderland had won the first leg in Coventry 2-1.
It was a first start for several weeks at the Stadium of Light for Mason-Clark who ended the regular season battling against a foot injury. He scored with a neat side-foot volley 20 minutes from the end of a game dominated by ‘The Sky Blues’ until the second period of extra time when Sunderland took control.
It’s the third season in a row Mason-Clark has suffered semi-final play-off defeats. He was part of the Posh team beaten in League One play-offs by Sheffield Wednesday in 2022-23 and Oxford United in 2023-24.
Posh had a £1 million promotion bonus clause in the terms of Mason-Clark’s £4.25 million move to Coventry last year. They also have a £1 million promotion payment written in the transfer of Harrison Burrows to Sheffield United last summer.
Sheffield United now face Sunderland in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday, May 24.