Latest news with #Rudoni
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨 Sunderland seal smash and grab win at Coventry in semi-final first leg
Sunderland ripped up the form book to seal a smash and grab 2-1 win against Coventry in the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final at the Coventry Building Society Rudoni 70'; Isidor 68', Mayenda 88' Coventry dominated the first half, with Régis Le Bris setting his Black Cats side up to defend and counter almost from the first whistle. Their approach worked with the Sky Blues having very few clear cut chances despite having nearly all of the ball. Little changed after the break, but the game finally picked up with a frantic final quarter, and it was Sunderland who scored on the break. Dan Neil got the ball to Enzo Le Fée quickly, and the midfielder glided up the pitch before slipping in Wilson Isidor. For a striker who had not scored in near-three months, his finish past Ben Wilson was unnerving when put through on goal. His joy would be short-lived with the lead lasting just 110 seconds as Jack Rudoni rose to power a brilliant header past Anthony Patterson from Milan van Ewijk's cross. Both sides went for the win, with the visitors happier with the draw, but they would be gifted the win from the man who helped cut out their lead. Van Ewijk's back pass was under hit, allowing Eliezer Mayenda to seize the ball, round Wilson and slot home. The two sides will meet again on Tuesday, with Frank Lampard hoping for another famous semi-final comeback. 📸 Marc Atkins - 2025 Getty Images
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Coventry City star Jack Rudoni thriving under boyhood hero Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance at Coventry City to guide the Sky Blues into the Championship play-offs and nobody has benefitted from his arrival more than Jack Rudoni The old saying goes that you should never meet your heroes. Fortunately, Jack Rudoni never got the memo. Long before Rudoni, 23, fired Coventry into the Championship play-offs last weekend with a match-winning brace to sink Middlesbrough, he had all the hallmarks of a goalscoring midfielder; even if he had to bide his time before plundering his maiden senior goal. "Not before time" was the verdict of then-AFC Wimbledon manager Glyn Hodges after watching Rudoni finally manage said feat against Bristol Rovers in an EFL Trophy tie back in January 2021. There were near misses aplenty during that period but it was always a foregone conclusion that the floodgates would open once Rudoni was eventually off the mark in the famous yellow and blue of Wimbledon. The footballing gods have played a blinder, then, pairing the Coventry City star up with one of England's finest ever goalscoring midfielders. It's no slight on Frank Lampard that he probably wasn't even aware of Rudoni back when, in an interview with The South London Press during the youngster's rise to prominence at Wimbledon, the fleet-footed Rudoni name dropped Lampard as one of his footballing idols. 'I'm a Chelsea fan, so I always looked up to Frank Lampard.' Four years on, 'Rudi' is elevating his game to new heights under Lampard, who has restored his own reputation by guiding Coventry into the Championship play-offs. Lampard inherited a good team in a bad place following the departure of the supremely popular Mark Robins. But while the squad may still bear Robins' fingerprints, Lampard's influence is beginning to shine through in Rudoni. Rudoni is in the midst of his most productive ever season, with his tally of nine goals and 12 assists surpassing his Wimbledon record from the 2021-22 campaign. His impact since Lampard's arrival cannot be understated: no Coventry player has amassed more goal contributions in the league since Lampard took the reins in the final throes of November than Rudoni, who ghosted into the penalty area in the box-office showdown with Middlesbrough with all the poise and predatory instinct that made the former Chelsea and England midfielder such a cheat code his prime playing years. While Rudoni has long harboured the trait of arriving late in the box, it's clear his manager is doing what he can to harness it. Lampard revealed post-match that he and Rudoni had been out on the training pitch alone in the days leading up to the match that would make or break Coventry's season relentlessly working on finishing. 'I think Thursday me and him just stayed out working on little cutbacks and finishes in different areas and it's good because today showed that when you do that, you score; it happens.' Those two goals, his eighth and ninth of the season, could prove to be priceless if Coventry can go on and land the golden ticket which would guarantee them a slice of riches on offer in the Premier League. Rudoni couldn't have been further away from the elite when he was let go by Crystal Palace as a youngster. But he took his licks in non-league before rebuilding in the academy at Wimbledon, where he promptly emerged to stand head and shoulders above his peers after settling in the senior ranks. A solid if unspectacular two years at Huddersfield Town followed. Perhaps Rudoni has been hamstrung by his own versatility has held him back; he had played a wealth of football in different positions prior to his switch to Coventry in the summer. He now looks like a Premier League player in all but name after being given a license to roam with the Sky Blues, who have been flexible tactically during the run that has seen Lampard elevate them from 17th to fifth. Lampard is better placed than anyone to understand how deadly a player like Rudoni can be in a high-stakes environment. The jeopardy doesn't get much higher than the four-team shootout that bookends the EFL season, culminating in the richest match in football at Wembley. Rudoni has always possessed the talent. The technical ability. That knack of being at the right place at the right time. One advantage he has over his childhood hero, as Lampard has quipped, is his heading ability, which came to the fore during his formative years in Wimbledon. And with Lampard now in his corner providing counsel, there's no limit to how high Rudoni can go.
BBC News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Rudoni 'looks a top-flight player in the making'
It's the play-offs again for Coventry, but this time they have Jack outstanding display against Middlesbrough on Saturday was the catalyst to an excellent victory in front of a club-record crowd at the CBS 23-year-old - signed last summer after two solid but unspectacular seasons at Huddersfield, which concluded in relegation - has blossomed with the Sky Middlesbrough in a high-stakes game, I saw a player with great awareness, vision and balance. His ability to maintain possession of the ball in tight areas is superb; he didn't seem to go more than 30 seconds without touching the ball, such was his presence in all areas of Coventry's attacking play. Much like Frank Lampard in his prime, Rudoni possesses the instinctive qualities that take him into areas that make him a supreme goal threat as now scored nine goals this season - all but two of the coming since the appointment of boss Lampard, who told me after the game that he is a huge admirer of his midfield lynchpin."I work with him a lot because he's easy to work with," said Lampard."He engages, he wants to get better. He's got great talent, he's got great energy."We work on finishing. He's so infectious as a lad. Sometimes when you work with a player and you see him grow and improve individually, that's a real pleasure too."Lampard will now hope Rudoni can help guide Coventry to the Premier League. Released by Crystal Palace as a youngster, he looks to be a top-flight player in the making - as astute a signing as any Championship side made last summer.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Frank Lampard hails 'fantastic day' as Coventry seal play-off spot with 2-0 win over Middlesbrough to move one step closer to Premier League return
Blues skies are back in fashion in Coventry. Frank Lampard has chased away the clouds and ended of a tumultuous campaign with a riot of celebration. They were wallowing in 17th when he was appointed in late November, with fans torn apart by the sacking of Mark Robins, the managerial hero who led them from the mire of the fourth tier to the brink of the Premier League. Lampard tiptoed skilfully through the post-Robins minefield and slowly rebuilt the team, guiding them steadily up the Championship, soothing scars along the way. And they have finished the season in fifth place, clinching a place in the playoffs thanks to two goals by Jack Rudoni, in front of a record crowd at the CBS Arena. 'A fantastic day,' beamed Lampard. 'To make play offs from where we were tops off what's been a really good period. To make the play offs and come fifth in the league is brilliant. 'We can be happy, and that wasn't certain because Middlesbrough is a tough game and there was pressure on the team.' Rudoni's second, scored on the break in the 88th minute unleashed wild scenes among fans. They have witnessed tough times since relegation from the Premier League in 2001 after more than three decades defying gravity in the topflight. 'I've always respected Coventry because of the history and tradition,' said Lampard. 'I remember the FA Cup final in '87, one of my first, but I didn't realise this fanbase and the sound they make here. 'So if I've played a small part in it, I am pleased but I am a small part in it. I've found it an enjoyable club to work at. I hope I don't sound as if I'm getting too far ahead of my station but from 17th to fifth is a big deal at this point and a lot of people should take credit for it and mainly the players. 'There's still a lot of work to be done. We're not there yet.' Coventry bounce into the playoffs on a high and take on Sunderland who have faded at the end of the season with no wins in six and five defeats in a row. 'Nobody will be fooled,' said Lampard. The first leg of the semi-final is at the CBS on Friday. Middlesbrough travelled south knowing victory would have given them a shot at the play-offs but, on a day of extremes, defeat left them in disappointed in tenth on 64 points, five fewer than last season and questions for their boss Michael Carrick, Lampard's former West Ham and England teammate. 'It's a sickening feeling,' said Carrick. 'The boys were upset. It was quiet in the changing room and you could see visibly it hurt them. And seeing that upsets me because I care about them a lot. 'I want to see them celebrating but it's part of sport and you have to take it.' Boro survived a strong opening by Coventry and grew into the game. Finn Azaz had an effort pushed onto a post by goalkeeper Ben Wilson and then Rudoni struck just before the interval leaping to head in a cross from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. Wilson, back in the team for the first time since October, made more excellent saves as Carrick's team responded in the second half, the best of them to deny Azaz again. Coventry substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante made a fabulous impact. He hit a post at one end and Morgan Whittaker hit a post at the other end before Thomas-Asante burst to set up the second for Rudoni. Cue celebrations. Lampard's coaching staff leapt on him and the crowd erupted. There will work to be done in the playoffs and more drama awaits but the clouds have gone.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rudoni double sends Coventry past Middlesbrough and into the playoffs
Coventry stepped up and did the job on the final day of the Championship season, securing a spot in the playoffs with victory over a Middlesbrough side who never abandoned their hopes of promotion until the final whistle blew on a captivating contest. Related: Bristol City end Championship playoffs wait and Preston dodge the drop Advertisement A brace for Coventry's all-action playmaker Jack Rudoni earned the three points that confirmed a two-legged encounter with Sunderland that begins next week. For Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard, who joined in November when the club was in 17th position and two points off the relegation places, it is an unlikely achievement that has also rehabilitated his managerial reputation. Rudoni made the breakthrough with time running down in the opening half and the crowd beginning to get restless. Pulling back from his marker on the edge of Boro's six-yard box he made the room to connect sweetly with a lofted cross from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and place a downward header past Mark Travers. There was delight on the field, and a sense of relief off it, as Coventry had been made to work for their advantage. Indeed, the home side's early grip on the game had been sufficiently loosened for Middlesbrough to look the more dangerous side before Rudoni's timely intervention. The opening 10 minutes of the match had seen a succession of chances for Lampard's side. Sakomoto was at the heart of much of the action, his ability to shift on to either foot and vary his delivery troubling full-back Neto Borges and Boro's centre-halves alike. Ellis Simms flashed a volley just past Travers' post in the second minute, while Rudoni could have opened his account nine minutes in only to blast a Sakomoto cutback over. Advertisement Boro adapted to the onslaught. They became more compact, more decisive in their attempts to secure possession. They also started to find Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker on the break. The duo's ability to move the ball upfield and hold on to it created chances for Samuel Iling-Junior and then Finn Azaz, whose feathered strike was turned on to the post by Ben Wilson. The noise in the Coventry Arena was dropping and doubts were rising among the home support. But then Rudoni struck. While recent form had seen Michael Carrick's side losing three of their previous five matches, a run symbolic of a turbulent season, they remained in promotion contention and their efforts were not about to cease with 45 minutes to go. They came out and attacked the second half as Coventry had the first, Azaz a dynamic presence in the number 10 role, and it was the Irish international who nearly equalised on the hour mark with a fierce drive that Wilson did well to get down to block. Lampard has won plaudits for the way he has galvanized this Coventry side after their early struggles this season, and for the free-scoring football that has been their hallmark. The Sky Blues manager was also forced to display his tactical ability here though, his intervention with 20 minutes to go stemming a rising red tide. The switch of Brandon Thomas-Asante for Simms seemed a case of like-for-like as he shifted into Haji Wright's left-hand berth in the Coventry attack. But Thomas-Asante's fresh legs and extra acceleration were deployed differently, the home side abandoning a more deliberate approach and regularly lofting the ball over the Boro backline to force Dael Fry into a foot race he could not win. Advertisement Asante-Thomas had got behind several times, and had also seen a goal-bound shot blocked from six yards out, by the time he came up against Fry again with six minutes to go and forced his way beyond the towering defender and in on goal. Rudoni was quick enough to react and join his teammate and when Thomas-Asante found the right cut-back, the 23-year-old held off a challenge and turned the ball home. That was enough for the Coventry fans who were up on their feet and celebrating. A second successive playoff battle awaits and they are a team in form.
