Coventry edge Middlesbrough to reach Championship playoff final

1:03

Gustavo Hamer curls home a goal for Coventry City

Gustavo Hamer finds the back of the net to give Coventry City a 1-0 lead over Middlesbrough.

Updated: Oct 12, 2023, 06:18 am

Coventry City edged Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough on Wednesday to reach the Championship playoff final with a 1-0 aggregate victory in the semifinals.

Coventry will face Luton Town on May 27 for a place in next season's Premier League. Both sides were playing in England's fourth tier as recently as the 2017-18 season.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Coventry, who finished the regular season in fifth place and are looking to return to the Premier League for the first time since they were relegated in 2001, held fourth-placed Middlesbrough to a goalless draw in the first leg.

They can become the first team to go from the Premier League down to the fourth tier and back up to the top flight should they join Burnley and Sheffield United, who were promoted as Championship winners and runners-up.

Coventry came out of fourth-tier League Two via the playoffs in 2018 after one year and went on to win League One and reach the Championship two years later.

In January, businessman Doug King became the new owner of the club with the team sitting 15th in the table.