Luton vs Coventry LIVE: Championship play-off final result and reaction as Luton reach the Premier League

Luton Town will play in the Premier League for the first time after beating Coventry City 6-5 on penalties in Saturday’s Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium, earning a return to England’s top flight after a 31-year absence.

Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo missed the crucial penalty, blazing his shot over the crossbar, to seal the win for Luton following a 1-1 draw, then a goalless period of extra time.

The first 11 penalties of a high-quality shootout were scored before Dabo had the unenviable role of villain as he failed from 12 yards.

Jordan Clark put Luton 1-0 up in the first half before Gustavo Hamer equalised for Coventry after the break and the game headed to a shootout. Luton held their nerve to complete a journey from non-league to the Premier League in just nine years.

Relive the action as Luton beat Coventry in the Championship play-off final.

Luton vs Coventry LIVE: Latest Championship play-off final updates

• Luton Town beat Coventry City on penalties at Wembley in the Championship play-off final

• Luton complete journey from non-league to the Premier League with dramatic win

• FULL-TIME! Coventry 1-1 Luton (Luton win 6-5 on penalties)

• 79’ INJURY - Goalscorer Hamer forced off after landing funnily (COV 1-1 LUT)

• 66’ GOAL! Hamer finishes off lovely Coventry counter-attack (COV 1-1 LUT)

• 23’ GOAL! Clark lashes in opening goal after brilliant work from Adebayo (COV 0-1 LUT)

• 11’ INJURY! Luton captain Lockyer stretchered off after just 11 minutes of play-off final (COV 0-0 LUT)

• 5’ NO GOAL! Luton’s Osho offside after scrambling ball over the line from corner (COV 0-0 LUT)

Coventry City FC 6 - 7 Luton Town FC

Luton dramatically complete fairytale rise from non-league to Premier League

20:30 , Luke Baker

Luton completed their fairy-tale rise from non-league to Premier League with a dramatic, sudden-death penalty shoot-out victory against Coventry in the Championship play-off final.

Just nine years on from ending their five-season stretch in the Conference Premier, the Hatters are celebrating returning to the top-flight for the first time since 1992.

Previous point deductions and disappointments were left in the rear-view mirror at Wembley, where Jordan Clark’s opener was cancelled out by Coventry favourite Gustavo Hamer.

The match finished 1-1 after extra-time and Fankaty Dabo’s penalty miss meant a famous 6-5 sudden-death shoot-out victory for jubilant Luton.

It was a cruel way for the season to end – a £170m clash between clubs that have both gone through the mill during their decades away from the big time.

Luton dramatically complete fairytale rise from non-league to Premier League

Luton celebrate promotion

20:03 , Luke Baker

WATCH! Luton reach the Premier League

20:00 , Luke Baker

Here’s the moment that Luton completed their journey from non-league to the Premier League. Incredible celebrations but you have to feel for Fankaty Dabo, who missed the crucial penalty.

Luton promoted to the Premier League

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But this is Luton’s day! They were in no league less than a decade ago and now they’re in the Premier League! The first team in English history to go from the top flight, to non league, and back again.

Amazing! What a story! Luton win 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw!

Luton win on penalties!

19:51 , Luke Baker

Incredible, incredible scenes. It was a brilliant shootout until Fankaty Dabo blazed it over the bar. You have to feel for him

Penalty shootout: Luton 6-5 Coventry - Luton win

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Dabo the man for Coventry. 12th penalty of the shootout and HE MISSES! LUTON WIN!

Penalty shootout: Luton 6-5 Coventry

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Dan Potts, on as a sub for Luton... And he SCORES! None missed yet

Penalty shootout: Luton 5-5 Coventry

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Kelly calmly rolls it in! Unbelievable. We’re on to the takers who weren’t in the original five now...

Penalty shootout: Luton 5-4 Coventry

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Liam Kelly, the captain, up fo Coventry. Has to score to take us to sudden death

Penalty shootout: Luton 5-4 Coventry

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Luke Berry with the crucial fifth penalty for Luton. Right into the corner again! Unreal nerves

Penalty shootout: Luton 4-4 Coventry

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If Eccles looks nervous he doesn’t falter. Into the right corner, Horvath goes the other way.

Penalty shootout: Luton 4-3 Coventry

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Josh Eccles next for Coventry. Does he look nervous...?

Penalty shootout: Luton 4-3 Coventry

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Jordan Clark steps up for Luton. We’re in crunch time now.

SCORES! Great penalty into the corner. A really high-quality shootout

Penalty shootout: Luton 3-3 Coventry

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Ben Sheaf for Coventry. Another classy penalty, he scores.

Beyond Horvath into the top left corner. Classy

Penalty shootout: Luton 3-2 Coventry

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Four good penalties, so far. Now it’s Marvellous Nakamba for Luton.

Another good one - into the bottom corner. Unsaveable.

Penalty shootout: Luton 2-2 Coventry

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Viktor Gyokeres steps ups for Coventry. Probably their best player and talisman this season.

The Swede HAMMERS it in. Nerves of steel, roof of the net. Unstoppable

Penalty shootout: Luton 2-1 Coventry

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And Taylor... Scores! Just... Keeper went the right way but too good a penalty

Penalty shootout: Luton 1-1 Coventry

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Joe Taylor up next for Luton, whose extra-time goal was disallowed

Penalty shootout: Luton 1-1 Coventry

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Matty Godden first up for Coventry. How well can Horvath move in goal? Gooden scores!

Into the right corner. Great pen. Horvath goes the other way

Penalty shootout: Luton 1-0 Coventry

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Morris steps up... And scores! Into the corner sends, Wilson the wrong way.

Penalty shootout: Luton 0-0 Coventry

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Luton will take the first penalty, it’s Carlton Morris to get us underway. He’s their top scorer

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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The goalkeepers could be crucial here. Coventry’s Ben Wilson against Luton’s Ethan Horvath.

Remember, Horvath tweaked his hamstring in extra time and he didn’t move well after that. Will he be restricted?

FULL-TIME! Luton 1-1 Coventry - the game goes to penalties

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120+2 mins: Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to pens we go! I hope you like your Championship play-off finals dramatic!

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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120 mins: Two added minutes and if there’s no goals, we’re headed to a shootout. How are your nerves?

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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119 mins: That was the moment you feel and this is surely going to penalties now. Jonathan Panzo will be the most relieved man in London right now

NO GOAL! Luton 1-1 Coventry

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OH MY WORD! Luton score and look like they have one foot in the Premier League but it’s ruled out!

It’s an absolute nightmare for poor Jonathan Panzo as the sub dallies on the ball, Joe Taylor nicks it off him and slides it past the goalkeeper Wilson.

However, VAR shows that the ball hit Taylor’s hand when he nicked it off Panzo and it boucned up. What a let-off for Coventry!

Luton 1-1 Coventry

19:26 , Luke Baker

114 mins: There’s a lot of tired legs out there now and Callum Doyle is the latest to go down with what appears to be cramp. He takes on fluids at the behest of the physios.

Regardless, Doyle exits proceedings as Jonathan Panzo is called from the bench for Coventry.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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111 mins: Another Luton sub as Gabriel Osho, scorer in the semi-final first leg, jogs off. He looks knackered to be honest. Dan Potts on.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

19:22 , Luke Baker

110 mins: The Coventry fans are definitely the louder at the moment. Carlton Morris is livid as he gets called for a foul after a tussle with a Coventry defender.

We’re drifting towards penalties at the moment but is there one moment of brilliance (or mistake) that will decide it before then?

Luton 1-1 Coventry

19:19 , Luke Baker

107 mins: Corner for Coventry as Gyokeres somehow gets some room on the byline and dinks the ball across, forcing Luton to head behind.

McFadzean flicks the corner on to Kelly but his heel flick goes straight to Horvath

KICK-OFF! Luton 1-1 Coventry

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105 mins: Back underway for the final 15 minutes. Luton sub as Joe Taylor on for Elijah Adebayo. It’s only Taylor’s sixth appearance since joining from Peterborough in January.

HALF-TIME OF EXTRA-TIME! Luton 1-1 Coventry

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The whistle goes for HT of FT. We’ve got 15 minutes left to find a winner or it’s heading to a shootout...

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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105+1 mins: Space opens up in front of Liam Kelly and he strides forward to the ‘d’. the shot is wayward though, so he won’t be Coventry’s hero at this stage.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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105 mins: Both sides still battling hard here. Two added minutes at the end of this first half of extras

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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104 mins: Horvath was good to continue between the sticks but Coventry might want to test him out sooner rather than later.

We’re coming up to half time of extra time now

Luton 1-1 Coventry

19:09 , Luke Baker

102 mins: This is becoming a war of attrition! Luton goalkeeper Horvath clears a ball upfield and immediately goes down, signalling to the physio. It appears to be his right hamstring. Can it be stretched out or is it too serious?

Meanwhile, Kasey Palmer subbed off for Coventry and Josh Eccles is his replacement. Palmer only came on in the 80th minute for Hamer and doesn’t look thrilled about being taken off. Coventry coach Adi Viveash is trying to explain the reasoning to him

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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99 mins: Big appeal for a penalty for Luton! But the referee is having none of it and, in fact, gives Jordan Clark a yellow card for simulation.

A ball into the box, Clark gets a foot to it and goalkeeper Wilson lunges across, causing Clark to throw himself to the ground. There’s no contact however and he’s deservedly booked.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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97 mins: The two sides trading jabs but not landing any significant punches at the moment. Luton make a sub - Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu, who has been with Luton ever since the non-league days, comes off as Luke Berry enters the fray

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:59 , Luke Baker

92 mins: Gyokeres is becoming more and more influential in this game. He turns Bell beautifully and shoots at goal. Horvath spills it but gratefully clasps the rebound to his chest

KICK-OFF! Luton 1-1 Coventry

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Here we go. 30 more minutes to try and reach the Premier League or it’s the p word...

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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It’s hard to say who will win this in extra time. Coventry have the momentum but Luton were by far the better team in the first half. Proper tension!

FULL-TIME! Luton 1-1 Coventry - the game heads to extra time

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Bell’s cross from the left goes harmlessly out for a throw and that’s probably the final meaningful action of normal time. In fact, it is. The whistle goes.

We’re headed to extra time and an additional 30 minutes.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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90+7 mins: Mpanzu shoots from outside the box but it’s weak and easily held by a diving Wilson. Only a minute left.

The ball then runs away from Morris in a good position

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:49 , Luke Baker

90+6 mins: The Coventry fans produce a roar as their team win an attacking throw-in off Osho. Sheaf takes aim from long range but Burke with a vital block - he’s defended really well in this second half.

It’s end to end now

WATCH! Gustavo Hamer equalises for Coventry

18:47 , Luke Baker

Here was Hamer’s equaliser for Coventry.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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90 +4 mins: Good defending by Burke to nick the ball away from Gyokeres - didn’t over-commit. The ball then runs out of play off Morris at the other end.

I’ll be honest, this feels extra time-y.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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90+1 mins: Clark is eyeing up this free-kick but his effort is well over the bar. IT would’ve been a contentious one if it had gone in

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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90 mins: We’re into 8 minutes of injury-time at Wembley. A veritable lifetime for either side to find a winner!

McFadzean fouls Morris about 25 yards out. Not a lot of contact but the central position is good for a free-kick.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:42 , Luke Baker

89 mins: Luton pressing forward again and will this be one last heave before extra time? Good ball in by Drameh and Norton-Cuffy has to put the ball behind.

The corner is long and ineffective though, it runs all the way through.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:40 , Luke Baker

87 mins: Good defending by Burke, as he uses his body to lever the Coventry man off the ball and win the goal kick. A quickly-taken free kick then gives Luton an attacking opportunity but Coventry break it up and attack themselves.

Gyokeres twists and turns to get half a yard of shooting space but his shot is blocked and harmlessly runs through to Horvath.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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86 mins: Into the final five minutes - will we find a winner? Or is an additional 30 minutes beckoning?

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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84 mins: Good work by Onyedinma shortly after coming on. He gets down the left but the sting is taken out of the cross and no damage done for Coventry.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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83 mins: Corner is well defended by Cov. Luton’s turn to make a change as Alfie Doughty taken off for Fred Onyedinma. Some fresh legs down Luton’s left flank. It’s been a good shift by former Charlton man Doughty, with some quality crosses put in.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:35 , Luke Baker

81 mins: Luton starting to cling on here. Ben Sheaf is slipped through one on one but the flag goes up for offside.

Luton break quickly and do win a corner as McFadzean forced to clear behind

Luton 1-1 Coventry

18:33 , Luke Baker

79 mins: Bad news for Coventry as Gustavo Hamer went down injured after landing funnily. He tried to limp on but a few minutes later, he’s forced off and Kasey Palmer comes on. The goalscorer will be a big miss for Coventry

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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78 mins: As we edge closer to full-time, the nerves increase and neither team wants to lose it. Are we heading to extra time?

CHANCE! Luton 1-1 Coventry

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72 mins: Coventry are flying now. They have a corner which comes to nothing but then there’s another chance for Godden

He finds half a yard of space in the box, a great ball into feet by Gyokeres frees him but he can only fire over the top.

Luton 1-1 Coventry

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69 mins: The Coventry fans are suddenly in fine voice. This game has a completely different feel to it now

GOAL! Luton 1-1 Coventry (Hamer 66’)

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And they’re level! A quick counter-attack from Coventry and it’s game on! Doyle slides a lovely ball down the left to Gyokeres.

He is unselfish, looks up and finds Hamer running into the box and his first-time finish is beyond Horvath. Exactly what Coventry needed!

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:17 , Luke Baker

65 mins: Nice counter-attack by Luton after a brilliant sliding tackle by Adebayo to win the ball. In fact, three good tackles form him to keep winning the ball. Morris and Clark link well but McNally blocks the cross for a corner.

Dangerous-looking corner but Coventry scramble clear.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:15 , Luke Baker

62 mins: Luton have settled down again now after their early second-half jitters. They press Coventry hard, although the Sky Blues do well to work their way around it.

Doyle then decides to try one from 40 yards and it’s not even remotely close. Miles over. Probably not the right choice in that situation, it’s fair to say...

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:12 , Luke Baker

59 mins: Adebayo wins a free-kick for Luton out on the left. Doughty whips it in and Morris rises at the back post but can’t quite connect and fouls Bidwell anyway.

Better from the Hatters though

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:08 , Luke Baker

55 mins: Coventry win the corner after a nice overlap and Bell is outjumped in the area by McNally but his header is harmlessly over the top. Another warning sign for Luton though - Coventry have been the better side since the break.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:06 , Luke Baker

53 mins: Osho and Bruke collide both going for the same ball - a bit of friendly fire between the two Luton men. They both need treatment so we have a stoppage in play.

Rob Edwards gathers his remaining players and gives them a quick talking-to. They need to settle down after a nervy start to this second half.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:04 , Luke Baker

50 mins: Deary me. Yet more confusion at the back for Luton! A harmless ball through sees Horvath and Osho get themselves confused and Godden almost nicks in. The ball cannons off him and loops goalwards but Luton get back to clear

Luton 1-0 Coventry

18:02 , Luke Baker

48 mins: Another warning sign for Coventry as Morris gets clean through but he’s flagged offside. Almost disaster at the other end though as Luton goalkeeper Horvath isn’t happy with the backpass and Bidwell closes him down but the ball cannons off the Coventry man, out for a goal kick

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:59 , Luke Baker

46 mins: Matty Godden on at half-time for Coventry. A second genuine striker to play alongside Gyokeres.

Good start for Luton though as Cov’s Luke McNally is booked for a foul out wide. Doughty whips the cross in but it’s well defended

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:58 , Luke Baker

46 mins: Back underway at Wembley. 45 minutes left in the ‘richest game in football’. Can Coventry respond? Not since Blackpool in 2010 have a team come from behind to win a Championship play-off final

HAL-TIME: Luton 1-0 Coventry

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Here was confirmation of that great news about Tom Lockyer. It was very worrying scenes.

HALF TIME! Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:52 , Jamie Braidwood

Tom Lockyer has been taken to hospital after collapsing in the first half of the play-off final. He was conscious leaving the field and will undergo further tests.

HALF TIME! Luton 1-0 Coventry

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Here’s the moment Luton took the lead.

HALF TIME! Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:41 , Jamie Braidwood

Luton are halfway there - now only 45 minutes from the Premier League.

Despite the blow of Lockyer’s injury, Luton have been dominant are could have been out of sight.

Jordan Clark’s goal is the difference and Coventry are still in this.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:39 , Jamie Braidwood

45+6 mins: It would actually be a bit of a result for Coventry to get to half time only a goal down. Luton have been so much better, ever since Lockyer’s injury.

Mark Robins’ side will need to improve after the break though.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:36 , Jamie Braidwood

45+3 mins: Norton-Cuffy rouses Coventry with a run from the defence that needs three Luton players to take him down. Those Coventry fans in the shaded half at Wembley haven’t had much to shout about so far.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

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45 mins: There will be eight minutes of added time - mostly down to Lockyer’s injury.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:30 , Jamie Braidwood

43 mins: CHANCE! Coventry’s best moment by a mile! Horvath comes for a cross from the left but gets it all wrong. Hamer arrives at the back post but can’t keep his volley down!

That was Coventry’s first shot of the match.

NO GOAL! Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:27 , Jamie Braidwood

41 mins: Luton have the ball in the net for the third time - but it’s ruled out again!

It’s the right call though: Doughty roamed forward and had the chance to strike at goal. It’s blocked and as a Coventry defender attempts to hack clear, it deflects in off of Adebayo’s arm.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:25 , Jamie Braidwood

37 mins: Luton are crossing on sight at the moment and are winning every ball - this time Morris gets a touch on a ball from the right, but can’t make a good enough connection to trouble goalkeeper Wilson.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:24 , Jamie Braidwood

36 mins: Norton-Cuffy gets his first chance to get forward and run at the Luton defence but Doughty stands his ground and times his tackle well.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:21 , Jamie Braidwood

33 mins: Luton have been so impressive over the last 15 minutes - intense, direct, never giving Coventry a moment. Adebayo heads over after a cross from the right and it feels like a second Luton goal is inevitable.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:19 , Jamie Braidwood

31 mins: Another long ball looks for Morris, who peels off to the back post and then goes down in a heap along with Norton-Cuffy. But the referee points the other way! Both players had a hold of the other there.

Luton 1-0 Coventry

17:16 , Jamie Braidwood

28 mins: CHANCE! Luton should be two up! Coventry are a shambles defensively and are lucky to still be in this! Another long ball is hit towards Morris, who nods down to Adebayo. The goal was gaping but he can’t manage to volley in!

GOAL! Luton 1-0 Coventry (CLARK 23’)

17:09 , Jamie Braidwood

BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PLAY-OFF FINAL!

Jordan Clark lashes in a deserved opener for Luton Town! It came after brilliant work from Elijah Adebayo on the left wing, twisting and turning his defender to set up Clark. His touch was excellent, and allowed him to strike inside the near post!

It had been coming - Coventry are all over the place here.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

17:09 , Jamie Braidwood

21 mins: Coventry are all over the place here! Another long ball from Luton causes doubt in the backline and Coventry can’t deal with it. The ball breaks to Mpanzu, but his shot is bobbled straight at goalkeeper Wilson.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

17:06 , Jamie Braidwood

19 mins: Another half-chance for Luton and Morris! Coventry again just can’t clear their lines - it breaks to Morris in the box but he lashes over.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

17:04 , Jamie Braidwood

17 mins: It’s been a very nervy start from both Coventry and Luton - you can just feel the weight of the opportunity they’ve got in front of them.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

17:02 , Jamie Braidwood

14 mins: CLOSE! Wow - chaos in the Coventry defence almost gifts Luton the opener! A long ball downfield is not cleared by Coventry defender McFadzean - and almost allows Luton foward Morris to swipe home into an open goal! Morris wasn’t quite ready for it, and it bobbles wide.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

16:58 , Jamie Braidwood

11 mins: Tom Lockyer is stretchered off after just 11 minutes - that is horrible. The defender has such a key part of Luton’s rise.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

16:57 , Jamie Braidwood

8 mins: There is real concern here for Tom Lockyer, who is down and receiving lenghty treatment.

The stretcher has been called and this would be such a cruel way for his play-off final to end.

NO GOAL! Luton 0-0 Coventry

16:52 , Jamie Braidwood

5 mins: CLOSE! Luton win the first corner of the match and cause havoc from it. Lockyer gets his head on it and Osho scrambles the ball over the line!

But, wait! No goal! Osho was just offside and it’s ruled out!

Great spot from the assistant referee on the far side.

Luton 0-0 Coventry

16:50 , Jamie Braidwood

3 mins: A cautious start from both Coventry and Luton, with a couple of early fouls from either side to break up momentum. Luton are doing most of the pressing early on.

KICK-OFF! Luton 0-0 Coventry

16:46 , Jamie Braidwood

Underway at Wembley! Luton and Coventry are 90 minutes away from the Premier League - who can take that chance?

Luton vs Coventry LIVE: Championship play-off final

16:43 , Jamie Braidwood

After God Save the King we are ready to go at Wembley. Both teams are unchanged.

Luton vs Coventry LIVE: Championship play-off final

16:40 , Jamie Braidwood

Here we go! Luton and Coventry emerge out into a wall of noise at Wembley stadium, which is looking a picture here.

90 breathless minutes await as Luton and Coventry battle for a place in the Premier League.

Luton vs Coventry: Why the play-off final is about more than money

16:36 , Jamie Braidwood

For Coventry City and Luton Town, how do you even begin to quantify the enormity of Saturday’s Championship play-off final?

Financially, of course, the prize is seismic. The winner can expect additional revenues between £170-285m over the next three seasons, depending how long they stay in the top flight. When you consider that both clubs’ annual income is around £17-18m right now, those are transformative, lottery-ticket numbers.

Money is certainly part of the story here. These two clubs have been to the brink and faced serious existential threat. Luton were docked 30 points amid financial woes in 2008-09 and fans still sing about being let down by the FA. Coventry’s holding company went into liquidation in 2013.

But this game is also about the resilience of football clubs, especially those historic institutions that are part of the fabric of their place. It is about how they keep springing back to life however hard they’re trampled, and about what might one day blossom from a lot of graft and a little hope.

Luton vs Coventry big-match preview, by Lawrence Ostlere

Coventry and Luton are proof the play-off final means more than just money

Luton vs Coventry: How are Luton one game from the Premier League?

16:26 , Jamie Braidwood

Before every home game, Luton Town’s club shop is teeming. The little building perched outside Kenilworth Road is like a temporary prefab classroom and inside it’s cosy: once you’ve bought a shirt or a mug or a woolly hat then you best be on your way to make room for someone else.

It is a different world to the extravagance of the Premier League. Tottenham, for example, boast the largest club shop in Europe: half an acre of sheer Spursy-ness, selling everything from Spurs-encrusted party bowls to the Spurs Monopoly board game, complete with a 100-seat auditorium to consume even more Spurs from the comfort of a soft chair. These two clubs seem to exist on different planets, and yet they could well be rivals in the same league next season.

Luton have climbed here by consistently punching above their weight. The club’s entire wage budget, around £6m, would buy one Manchester City sub. They are always swimming against the tide and the small but mighty Kenilworth Road is a monument to that – intimate and intense, like a particularly atmospheric cow shed, with 10,000 seats that sound like 50,000 when the linesman fails to spot a foul throw.

By Lawrence Ostlere

How Luton climbed to within one game of the Premier League

Luton vs Coventry: City aiming to come full circle after journey to hell and back

16:16 , Jamie Braidwood

It’s 22 years and counting since Coventry City last graced the Premier League, over two decades of ups and downs, necessary ups as a result of downs, a whole chapter and more of club history written outside of the game’s elite.

Once, the Sky Blues were synonymous with top-flight football, iconic Nineties names – if not always quite among the elite – throughout the team. They lined up for the first Premier League campaign, in 1992/93, and stayed a part of that fledgling top flight for the first nine years, finishing in the bottom half each term but always there, always a tough opponent, always carrying players with a backstory, a big future, or both.

But an entire generation of football fans have never seen Coventry among the top clubs. A sea change has happened at England’s highest level since they were on the scene; they departed in 2001, two years before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and could now return one year after he sold it.

While billions were moved around in the transfer market and in broadcast deals in Coventry’s absence, they embarked on an altogether more painful journey; should they complete the comeback on 27 May and win the EFL Championship play-off final they will become the first team to go from the Premier League all the way down to the fourth tier... and come all the way back up again.

By Karl Matchett

Coventry aim to come full circle after journey to hell and back

Luton vs Coventry: How much do Championship play-off final winners earn?

16:07 , Jamie Braidwood

The Championship play-off final offers huge rewards to the winner as either Luton Town or Coventry City will complete their fairytale rise from the ashes by reaching the Premier League.

Often dubbed ‘the richest game in football’, the play-off final is worth huge swathes of money to the winner as they get to join the elite, 20-team cash cow that is the Premier League.

How much will the winners get for being promoted to the Premier League?

Ahead of the 2020 Championship play-off final, Deloitte reported that the victorious club could earn anywhere between £135m and £265m, depending on whether or not they could avoid immediate relegation from the Premier League.

What TV money will the winning club receive in the Premier League?

Official figures for the 2020-21 season showed that broadcast revenue incredibly totalled more than £2.5bn and was distributed among the 20 clubs in the Premier League.

Of that, each club was guaranteed at least £31.4m in equal share payments, £47.5m in international TV money and £5.9m in central commercial payments: a baseline of roughly £84.8m per team, regardless of position. In fact, Norwich City, who finished bottom of the league in that campaign, were handed just over £101.5m.

By comparison, Championships clubs only receive around £8m in TV rights income for a season spent in the second tier.

Luton vs Coventry LIVE: Confirmed line-ups

16:02 , Jamie Braidwood

Coventry and Luton have both named unchanged teams. Mark Robins plumped for the City team that beat Middlesbrough, while Luton boss Rob Edwards stuck with the same side that beat Sunderland to reach Wembley 10 days ago.

Luton vs Coventry: Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s ‘crazy journey’ from non-league

15:55 , Jamie Braidwood

Luton midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu is aiming to reach the Premier League having been at the club since they were in the National League.

Mpanzu joined from West Ham in 2014 when Luton were languishing in the fifth tier of English football and a win in the Championship play-off final would be his fourth promotion in 10 seasons.

Over 300 appearances and nine years later, the 29-year-old is potentially 90 minutes away from reaching the top-flight and facing off with his former side next season.

Mpanzu said: “Here we are moments away from the Premier League, it’s been a good experience and I don’t want it to end on Saturday.

“I knew my ability would get me back there (Premier League), obviously you have got to have a great team around you and support, but when you have belief and know you can rise back to the top, Luton have done that in a short space of time.

“Going from non-league to the Premier League with one club would be crazy.”

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