How Sunderland's 5-4 defeat at Coventry City became a massive turning point in their season

Every football season has its fair share turning points, and conceding five goals at home to Coventry City was always going to be one for Sunderland.

For Jack Baldwin, it has not been a happy one. His part in the defensive calamity looks to have ended his season, maybe even his Black Cats career. In and out of the team in 2019 up to that point, the 5-4 defeat appeared to be the game where he completely lost the confidence of manager Jack Baldwin. The central defender has not made the 18 since.

It if could have been the breaking of Baldwin at the Stadium of Light, it has been the making of Alim Ozturk. His Wearside career was yet to go get going before that game in April, his only two league starts up to that point unconvincing to say the least. He had looked stronger in the Football League Trophy but not only had it not translated into opportunities in League One, he was ditched once Wembley came into sight.

Yet by the time the play-offs came around, we had Sunderland desperately hoping his first-leg red card would be overturned so Ozturk could face Portsmouth. It was, and the Turk played his part in a vital clean sheet.

It has also been a turning point for the team as a whole, though we do not yet know if it will be for the better or the worse.

In the short-term, it appeared to damage confidence, turning a push for automatic promotion into a fifth-placed finish as the Black Cats took five of the 15 points available. Given that the first match after Coventry was a win, and that results went on a downward curve after that, perhaps it was not the case.

Certainly the shock therapy delivered by Mark Robins' side appears to have sharpened Sunderland up defensively. After conceding five goals in a game, they have shipped six in their last seven. In the goalfest that is the play-offs, the Black Cats bucked the trend with just Chris Maguire's goal over 180 fiercely-contested minutes against Portsmouth.

“There’s always moments in seasons,” goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin reflected after his most important clean sheet of the season. “There will always be games like that which give you a wake-up call and a chance to reassess things but these things happen.”

For much of this year, you would have been scared stiff at the thought of Sunderland setting their stall out to take a 0-0 from Fratton Park. The brilliance of their goalkeeper, Jon McLaughlin, has never been in question this season but the reliability of the central defenders in front of him – no matter what combination of Ozturk, Baldwin, Tom Flanagan, Jimmy Dunne or Glenn Loovens – has not afforded him sufficient protection. On Thursday night, Sunderland more or less locked down the match and on the odd occasions Portsmouth were able to break through the lines, McLaughlin was up to the task.

There are criticisms you can level at this Sunderland squad, particularly watching through the eyes that saw the club playing a decade of Premier League football which came to an end only two years ago. The likes of Ozturk, Baldwin, Flanagan, Dunne, Loovens and the rest are League One footballers who come with League One imperfections.

It was not like Ozturk came into the side and instantly looked a class above. He was rusty in the 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers which must have felt a bit like a second debut for him, fortunate not to have a penalty given against him for man-handling at a corner. Even as he got into his groove, he was still a bit handsy throughout the two legs against Portsmouth, prone to the odd rash challenge. But just to have stayed fit and focused enough to come into the side at that stage of the season, and to have battled through as he has, is a great feather in Ozturk's cap, and a vindication of how supportive Ross has always been publicly of the defender he first worked with when they were both at Heart of Midlothian.

McLaughlin has certainly been impressed.

“To come in at this stage having been frustrated watching on for so long, he’s done fantastic,” the goalkeeper marvelled. “He’s looked so solid and strong in that position, real no nonsense. Him and Flanno (Flanagan) have made a real partnership there late on.

“Luke (O'Nien, a midfielder converted into a full-back late in the first half of the season) has been doing great things with his energy and enthusiasm, and then you have the talent and experience of Bryan (Oviedo).

“As a back four we’ve been putting in good performances. We’re starting to look solid and have that little bit of a bond, and of course winning games and keeping clean sheets helps that. The boys are trusting me and we’re starting to gel as a unit nicely.”

One thing you cannot say about this Sunderland squad is that they lack the heart for the battle. Portsmouth are the only team in the top six to have beaten the Black Cats this season, something the latter will be reminding themselves before they walk out at Wembley on May 26.

“We’ve shown good character all the way through (the season) under a lot of pressure from our own fans, from other fans, the expectations,” argued McLaughlin. “We’ve come through a lot of those tests and if we can see it through, we’ll see it as a really success to get that promotion.”

Given how many of the club's recent years have had for more ability only to be undone by a lack of heart, bottle or both, that is something worth celebrating.