Championship - Sheffield United reach Wembley

Eurosport - Tue, 12 May 10:15:00 2009

Sheffield United reached the Championship play-off final after a nail-biting 1-0 second-leg win over Preston at Bramall Lane to go through 2-1 on aggregate.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Championship - Sheffield United's Greg Halford celebrates scoring the winning goal against Preston in the play-off semi-finals - 0

Greg Halford was the hero, sending a glorious header into the top corner in front of the Kop from a Kyle Walker cross.

The Blades deserved their victory, which came only three days after Friday's 1-1 draw in the first leg at Deepdale.

Halford was in the wars throughout the evening, catching visiting keeper Andy Lonergan as he claimed a cross around the 15-minute mark.

Lonergan needed smelling salts minutes later as he struggled following the clash of heads, while United made life as difficult as possible for him by peppering his box with crosses and shots.

Halford and Brian Howard, who equalised in the first leg, both scared the away fans behind the goal with strikes before Chris Sedgwick turned neatly at the other end to fire just over for North End.

Halford landed awkwardly on his shoulder after an aerial challenge with Youl Mawene before massive Preston striker Jon Parkin caught him full in the midriff with a straight-leg studded challenge just before the break.

When he had recovered, Parkin followed Ross Wallace into the book - and Halford was almost on the end of a wicked cross at the far post seconds before the whistle, Billy Jones just blocking him out.

Four minutes into the second half Craig Beattie, on loan from West Brom, exchanged passes with Stephen Quinn and cracked a low shot which had Lonergan beaten but grazed the outside of the post.

The Blades again cranked up their attacking machine, with David Cotterill everywhere on the right flank and delivering sublime crosses for the men in the middle.

But it was the boot of 18-year-old Kyle Walker that provided the superb angled cross from which Halford gave United the lead, rising to glance the ball high and wide of the excellent Lonergan to set the home fans celebrating.

PNE went for broke as Kevin Blackwell's Blades sat back a little, Parkin turning in the box to force Paddy Kenny into a save before Walker cleared under pressure from Wallace.

On one of the frequent counter-attacks - the match swung from end to end at a breakneck pace - Beattie and Howard were unable to convert from inside the box, while there were shouts for handball as a defender blocked on the line.

Within a minute former Barnsley hero Howard was back to clear off his own goalline before Sean St Ledger - also a goalscorer in the first leg - blasted wide from close range.

Howard again ventured forward and should have done better inside the area when let down by his control.

Things became frenetic in the final stages as Parkin headed just over and United defended long balls into their area, but they survived the four minutes of time added on and will face either Burnley or Reading at Wembley later this month.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport

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  1. eamodug,???? if brains was @#$% you would not have­ enuff 4 a skidmark u do talk a load of B*****lks

    From dl56uk, on Wed 13 May 1:15AM

  2. eamodug, you sound like a @#$% to me. i bet my 10 year­ old daughter has more brains than you. until you have­ something remotely interesting or intelligent to say go­ and crawl back under the rock you came from. you­ muppet.

    From leigh, on Wed 13 May 12:10AM

  3. Hopefully Sheffield UTD come back to the Premiership,­­­ so West Ham can teach them and that @#$% pot Sean­ Bean­­ a football lesson...
    what utter B***LX ­ djjustone73
    From djjustone73, on Tue 12 May­ 9:44AM

    From dl56uk, on Tue 12 May 5:41PM

  4. Hopefully Sheffield UTD come back to the Premiership,­­ so West Ham can teach them and that @#$% pot Sean Bean­­ a football lesson...

    From djjustone73, on Tue 12 May­ 9:44AM

    From dl56uk, on Tue 12 May 5:38PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    i hope very much that burnley get to play in wembley­ and win it they deserve to play in the p.l. the thought­ that
    sheffield sue you if we go down of getting there­ makes your stomach churn,they werent gud enuff the last­ time
    they were there there two cents players looking­ for compo and that tit warnock obnoxious loud mouthed­ @#$%
    (i cud still be a prem manager) when he left ill­ sue you united i didnt see a rush to sign him,i hope­ united and warnock never see the prem again, it would­ be an injustice a tit of a team and a @#$% of a­ manager. so com on burnley dont let me down,

    From Eamonn D, on Tue 12 May 4:40PM

  6. Recently, I discovered a hot place -- Tallchat Co M --­­ where many sexy tall singles who like sports and­­ chatting there. I'm an open minded girl from UK, I­­ also like discuss sports and love with tall guys on it.

    From shidigerade10, on Tue 12 May 4:03PM

  7. mobileclay, make yourself known when we come down i­ will personally open your head up on the pavement you­ maggot. bring it on. i can't wait

    From leigh, on Tue 12 May 2:13PM

  8. It's cheating whatever way you want to gloss it­ over.
    You couldn't even rip the contract's up­ so how you gonna rip united apart hahaha as you­ londoner's say",your avin a lafffffff­ "

    I am very proud of my chairman for your­ information he did what was right against cheat's­ and lier's.

    From wendyroebuck67, on Tue 12 May 1:38PM

  9. Not good enough? didn't we beat you s.h.i.t.houses­ 3-1 at the lane that season?

    From matthewcrowley26, on Tue 12 May 12:42PM

  10. Wrong mobileclay,wet sham deserve everything they get ­ (BAD) as they are cheat's and lier's.

    niklas­ what has peter's and katie's marriage got to do­ with football ???? and your out of order with­ comment's like that.

    From wendyroebuck67, on Tue 12 May 12:24PM

  11. Response to the note on come on reading stuff Burnley,­ Thats only because you couldent do it yourselfs isent­ it, Well at the end come Burnley or reading or sheff­ utd who goes up will be the best team on the night.­ Preston just werent Good enough 1 down 2 to go eh.

    ­ M o

    From mickybream, on Tue 12 May 12:24PM

  12. Who are these teams?

    From Half A Brain, on Tue 12 May 10:35AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    katie and peter ehhh???...BET HARVEY DIDN'T SEE­ THAT ONE COMING!!!

    From niklasvilhelmrejstrom, on Tue 12 May 9:55AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sheff UTD = SCUM

    From Justin, on Tue 12 May 9:45AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Hopefully Sheffield UTD come back to the Premiership,­ so West Ham can teach them and that @#$% pot Sean Bean­ a football lesson...

    From Justin, on Tue 12 May 9:44AM

  16. Hard luck Preston - well done Sheffield.

    Yet again we­ have fallen at the final stages - what we now need is­ for Derek Shaw et al to ensure we keep the decent­ players and buy several more quality ones (and pigs­ will fly - Shaw has never shown the drive and­ commitment required to run a top flight club so why­ should he start now?).

    Anyhow, as I'm sure all PNE­ fans will say - Come on Reading - stuff Burnley good­ and proper

    From DaveM, on Tue 12 May 9:41AM

  17. Getting into the playoffs, or should I say payoffs is a­ lucrative game. The first place get auto-promotion,­ yes, but they don't get the revenue from the­ payoffs and a possible Wembley big game. Wonder if­ Reading FC did this on purpose?

    From Edmond Dantès, on Tue 12 May 9:12AM

  18. Well done Sheffield United, Now I hope and pray that­ Reading will beat Burnley tonight to join you at­ Wembley, that would be a good match. Good Luck any way­ no matter who you play against. But I will be rooting­ for "The Royals" tonight. So come on you­ Royals and join Sheff U at Wembley.

    From Lizzy Ingram, on Tue 12 May 9:02AM

  19. PNE have done magnificantly this season. They are 3 or­ 4 quality players short of a credible squad worthy of­ challenging for promotion but have shown great depth of­ character, to once again, punch above their weight. PNE­ deserve a chance in the top flight and their time will­ surely come, subject to funding.
    The best team­ don't always win, sheer character and determination­ have earned PNE many points this year but Sheffield­ United deserve their success over the two legs, they­ were good enough - just !! PNE players now deserve a­ damned good holiday !

    From sharples.ltd, on Tue 12 May 8:29AM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @12
    Don't forget we beat you twice this season and­ will again next season - you aren't good enough to­ go up.

    From carmer, on Tue 12 May 1:45AM
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