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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.

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