‘We must use Wembley heartbreak as fuel to come back stronger’, says Coventry bos​​​​​​​s after Luton defeat

Coventry boss Mark Robins said his players must use their Wembley heartbreak as fuel to come back stronger for next season.

The Sky Blues lost 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to Luton Town after a tense play-off final, which finished 1-1.

Robins said his players are still hurting from the experience but he will now start the rebuilding process for next season - hoping that he can hold onto key players such as Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer.

"We have to let it sink in and reflect on it but use it as fuel to come back stronger," he said after the game on Saturday May 27.

"We have to use it to strengthen and galvanise us to come again."

Robins admitted that Luton were the better side in the first half and was frustrated with his team's sluggish start.

And this was despite the Hatters losing their captain Tom Lockyer in the first ten minutes. The Welsh international collapsed off the ball and needed treatment from both team's medical staff. Fortunately, Lockyer's family later said that he was responsive in hospital.

This seemed to energise Luton who deservedly took the lead on 23 minutes with a superb strike by Jordan Clark, after excellent build-up work by Elijah Adebayo. Adebayo and his striker partner Carlton Morris caused problems for Coventry throughout the game and both had chances to put the game out of reach by half time.

Having got to the break at just 1-0 down, Coventry were the better team in the second half and it was no surprise when Hamer slotted home on 66 minutes with crisp finish, after hard work on the left by Gyokeres - in a similar move to Luton's opener.

Extra time seemed inevitable, but during the course of 120 minutes, Luton had three disallowed goals - with the last one right at the end of extra time, when substitute Joe Taylor stole the ball off Jonathan Panzo and rolled the ball under Ben Wilson.

Luckily for the Coventry fans - and Panzo - VAR spotted that the ball ricocheted off Taylor's hand in the build-up to the goal.

So the inevitable had happened - and the most expensive penalty shoot-out in football would decide which team would make it to the Premier League.The first ten penalties were all dispatched with style. But when Potts scored Luton's sixth spot kick, the pressure fell on Fankaty Dabo, who put his penalty high and wide, leading to scenes of wild celebration for one half of Wembley and heartbreak for the other.

Luton boss Rob Edwards said after the game that he was mainly concerned for his captain Tom Lockyer, adding: "Health is more important than football." And Lockyer's shirt was hoisted high as the team celebrated one of football's greatest achievements.

After falling from the top flight back in 1992, Luton have endured decades of decline and spent a few years playing non-league football. Now their players will play in arguably the greatest league in the world - with their midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu being the first player to play for the same side in all the top five divisions.