Sunderland star who won 100% duels was ‘astoundingly good’ in Coventry City win 

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Sunderland had many standout performers on Friday night, but one player was ‘astoundingly good’ against Coventry City.

After losing five games on the bounce, there were fears that Sunderland would carry that poor run of form into the Championship play-offs.

However, Regis Le Bris executed his game plan to perfection, as the Black Cats produced a counter-attacking masterclass to beat Coventry City 2-1 in the first leg.

Eliezer Mayenda scored a late winner for the visitors, pouncing on a loose pass from Milan van Ewijk before rounding Ben Wilson and slotting into the empty net.

Le Bris praised Mayenda and fellow forward Wilson Isidor post-match as they produced a ‘quality’ display, but it was one of the Frenchman’s defenders who was incredible.

• READ MORE: Frank Lampard issues rallying cry as Coventry must repeat stats dominance in Sunderland ‘challenge’

Dan Ballard was incredible against Coventry City

It was a battle of two brilliant tacticians at the CBS Arena, with Le Bris arguably getting the better of Frank Lampard on the night.

The 49-year-old made a huge call to play centre-back Dan Ballard in the heart of defence alongside Luke O’Nien, and that decision was vindicated.

Ballard started his first game since the end of February after suffering a hamstring injury, and although it was a huge test against a star-studded strike force, the 25-year-old rose to the occasion.

The former Arsenal man incredibly won all 12 of his duels, including 10 on the ground, and also made a whopping 20 clearances.

Ballard’s remarkable strength in the air and ability to clear danger were the catalyst for Sunderland to play on the counterattack, something that caught Coventry out on numerous occasions.

• READ MORE: Sky Sports pundit makes ‘demons’ Sunderland claim after play-off victory against Coventry City

EFL expert praises ‘astoundingly good’ Ballard

O’Nien’s partnership with Ballard has been missed in the centre of defence. The pair complement each other well, with the former flexing his ball-playing attributes, while the latter is a monster in duels.

Kevin Phillips waxed lyrical over Ballard’s display, praising his understanding with O’Nien and emphasising how he deservedly won Man of the Match.

Phillips, unsurprisingly, wasn’t the only one to shower the Northern Irishman with compliments, as EFL expert Ali Maxwell said he was ‘astoundingly good’.

Any youngsters wanting to improve their defensive skills need to watch Ballard’s performance last night, with the Sunderland man serving up a near-faultless display to give his side a second leg advantage at the Stadium of Light.