Sheffield United beat Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate to reach Championship play-off final
Moore headed in opener for Blades before Hamer added second with deflected strike
O'Hare slotted in third for hosts late on
Blades won first leg 3-0 at Ashton Gate
Sheff Utd will play Sunderland or Coventry in final at Wembley on 24 May
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
A let-off for Max O'Leary in the City goal as he snatches at a clearance kick from a back and lashes straight to Tom Cannon 35 yards out.
Cannon takes a touch and has a pop but Cam Pring slides in to charge down the effort and spare his keeper's blushes.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Rob Kozluk
Ex-Sheffield United defender on BBC Radio Sheffield
The man who can put it was on the side line [Kieffer Moore]. I'm not sure how Andre Brooks has managed to not get to that.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Image source, Rex FeaturesMagic spray and a sip of water and Kieffer Moore will be okay to continue.
He's not back on the field though when Gus Hamer pinches possession down the left and glides into the box before curling a cross to the back post, Andre Brooks and Tom Cannon race in but neither can apply the telling touch and both end up in the back of the net, though, crucially, the ball does not.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Rob Kozluk
Ex-Sheffield United defender on BBC Radio Sheffield
You don't want to be without someone like Kieffer Moore at Wembley. Chris Wilder will have to monitor that one.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Ed Hadwin
Commentator on BBC Radio Bristol
It's not an easy time for football fans in of money and all that, but you look at that tier above the City fans and there are 3,000-4,000 empty seats up there - for a play-off semi-final.
The Kop is also quiet, which is testament to City. Don't get me wrong, they've not been amazing. But they've shown composure on the ball and created three or four decent chances.
As much as you try to guard against complacency, some of those Sheffield United players will feel the job is done. If City get a goal before half-time, the atmosphere here will change quite quickly.
We're going to get a good two or three minutes' added time for Kieffer Moore's injury.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Harrison Burrows launches a free-kick from near halfway into the City box which Kieffer Moore rises at the back stick to nod back into the mixer.
A vital toe from a defender cuts the ball out and they are able to hack clear.
United have seemingly weathered the Robins' early storm.
Moore will need some treatment after an awkward landing.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport at Bramall Lane
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder doesn't look too impressed with what he's seen so far.
The Blades have started to get more possession in the past five minutes or so but were largely dominated prior to that.
The home side have got a lot of quality on the ball but, at the moment, Wilder looks to be instructing his side to get the ball forward quickly.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Gary Owers
Former Sunderland & Bristol City midfielder on BBC Radio Bristol
It's definitely a shot, if you want to call it that.
Kieffer Moore's seen Max O'Leary off his line. It would have been some strike from there, I have to say.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Say what you like about Kieffer Moore (certainly many did last week) but he's not short on confidence.
After taking the ball on his slab of a chest on halfway, he tries an audacious up and under from the touchline in an attempt to catch Max O'Leary off his line.
He has the height but not the distance and the keeper pats down just outside his six yard box.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Rob Staton
BBC Radio Sheffield
There have been a couple of nervy moments.
Bristol City have got into some good positions and have tested Michael Cooper.
If they can put one of these chances away, it will ask questions of Sheffield United.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Finally a huge universal roar of 'gwan' from the home fans as Sydie Peck frees Andre Brooks down the right but he slightly overruns the ball with his dazzling feet as he gets into the box and the City defence are able to clear their lines.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Michael Cooper called into action again, this time to claw Nahki Wells' looping cross from the left of the box out of the air at his near post and gather at the second attempt.
Some nervy and static defending from the Blades and City have got in behind them more than once in the opening 24 minutes.
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Andy Hull: Harry Maguire back to Sheffield United if they get promoted.
Anon: I think the score will be Sheffield United 2-0 Bristol City.
Anon: Bristol City often have a lot of possession. Failure to convert has cost us - especially during the first part of the season.
Will: All I can think of when we play in a play-off is that David Hopkin goal in '97. Many years ago, that day...
Crystal Palace captain Hopkin scored the only goal of the game from distance in the 90th minute to beat the Blades in the 1996-97 second-tier play-off final.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Another sight of goal for the Robins as Scott Twine battles for possession and the ball breaks to Nahki Wells who has a pop from distance but sends it straight down the throat of Michael Cooper in the Blades goal.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
City are fizzing the ball around with aplomb and playing with absolute freedom, they have very little to lose, after all.
Chris Wilder is cutting a slightly nervous figure on the touchline, despite his side's healthy advantage, glugging away on a water bottle. This is not the start he would have wanted. But at least he'll stay hydrated, I suppose...
Image source, Rex FeaturesSheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Adam Oxley
BBC Radio Sheffield
It is a little quiet inside the Lane. It's the Bristol City fans you can hear.
No gilt edge chances as of yet.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Ed Hadwin
Commentator on BBC Radio Bristol
Scott Twine just tripped himself up and couldn't get his feet right to even control the ball.
If he'd had a shot, you'd have backed him to score.
City have undoubtedly been the better team so far. A goal would really get a few nerves rising.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport at Bramall Lane
The Bristol City fans are down the other end to the one their side are attacking this half.
They've been encouraged by the opening 10 or so minutes here and they're getting right behind every tackle, and shot.
Boss Liam Manning stands right on the edge of his technical area, geeing up his side.
A long, long way back but they've made a solid start.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Really good spell from the visitors as they spray it side to side and then work it back into the middle where Jason Knight warms the palms of Michael Cooper with a rasping low drive from just outside the box which the keeper holds down to his right.
Sheff Utd 0-0 Bristol City (3-0 agg)
Gary Owers
Former Sunderland & Bristol City midfielder on BBC Radio Bristol
It was a brilliant move, starting with Haydon Roberts' crossfield ball.
Scott Twine just can't get his feet right and the chance goes begging. What an opportunity. Twine's had a really good start to the game.
Just listen to how the atmosphere's changed in the stadium already.
Sheffield United players celebrate after Gustavo Hamer's goal made the score 5-0 on aggregate
Sheffield United cruised into the Championship play-off final with a thumping 6-0 aggregate win over Bristol City.
The Blades, who won the first leg 3-0 at Ashton Gate on Thursday, started slowly but took the lead on the night when Kieffer Moore headed in Harrison Burrows' corner kick before the break.
Gus Hamer added to their advantage with a deflected long-range shot from a corner routine which found him in acres of space at the edge of the area, and substitute Callum O'Hare slammed home his side's sixth of the semi-final.
Chris Wilder's men will now face either Sunderland or Coventry City in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday, 24 May as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
Sheffield United's victory, by a record scoreline for a play-off semi-final at this level, means that the team who finished third in the regular season have progressed to the Championship play-off final in nine of the past 10 seasons.
The Blades suffered a dismal relegation from the Premier League in the 2023-24 season but have enjoyed an excellent campaign this time around. They led the league going into the final seven games only for a run of four defeats from five in April to consign them to third place and the play-offs.
Much of the damage in this semi-final was done in the first leg when Rob Dickie's red card gave them a penalty kick that Burrows scored before the break and subs Andre Brooks and O'Hare added to.
City, needing to achieve something no team has done in play-off history and recover from losing the first leg at home by a margin of three goals, made an encouraging start but Scott Twine miscued their best opening.
United grew into it and got the first goal of the night when Moore was able to hold off a defender and head in from a corner kick with goalkeeper Max O'Leary unable to get to the ball first.
That ended any incredibly faint hopes that Liam Manning's side had and the Blades' second of the night summed up their semi-final.
First they coughed up possession on the halfway line to allow the home side to break and win a corner kick, then they failed to pick up Hamer on the edge of the area from the ensuing set-piece and his effort took a huge deflection to go in the far corner.
O'Hare, a beaten play-off finalist with Coventry two years ago, scored his second of the tie when Burrows added to his two assists of the night by stepping over Tyrese Campbell's low cross into the penalty area to allow the midfielder to convert first time.
In emotional scenes after the game, United players and staff celebrated with a Greece flag in honour of former Blades full-back George Baldock, who died at the age of 31 in October.
The South Yorkshire side have failed in all nine of their previous play-off campaigns and have failed to score in all four of their play-off finals to date. They will look to end what is the worst play-off record in the EFL a week on Saturday.
It was always going to be a big ask for Bristol City, who secured sixth spot on the final day of the regular season and were looking to reach the Premier League for the first time.
They finished three points closer to relegated Luton Town than they did their play-off opponent.
Robins fans will point to Joe Williams' shot which hit the crossbar in the opening minutes of Thursday's first leg and how the game was completely changed by Dickie's dismissal for hauling down Moore, but there were precious few bright moments for them across the two games.
With Williams out injured and Dickie banned they made four changes for this second leg and competed well in the first half, albeit they were unable to force Michael Cooper in the home goal into meaningful work.
Along with Preston North End they are the Championship's longest-serving side, with next season their 11th successive one at this level.
When the dust settles on this bruising play-off defeat they will reflect on an improved campaign and look to build over the summer.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"It was a tough evening for us. It's something I've not really experienced before going into a game 3-0 up.
"It's a fabulous night for all concerned.
"Our attitude right the way through since the Burnley game [when their automatic promotion hopes ended] has been spot on.
"It was important to get through the first 20 minutes, when I didn't think our press was great and it allowed them to cause us some nervy moments.
"They've given it a right go. They've got some talented young players and they've been stretched by injuries and haven't got the biggest group, so it was a tough night for them but they gave it a go until the end.
"It looks a pretty straightforward two games but it hasn't been. The biggest thing was getting the job done which we have."
Bristol City boss Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:
"Naturally going into it after the first leg we knew how difficult it's going to be. It's such a difficult place to come but I'm hugely proud of the lads.
"I think we came and we had a go without having a bit of conviction or quality at the end of it between the boxes. Especially early on the first 15, 20 we came out and got in some great areas but lacked quality in the final bit - whether that's composure, conviction, we lacked that.
"I think probably the frustration is what leads to their set-pieces - great learning for the lads, we're a young group playing in pressurised games like this.
"If we take the lessons, we reflect and we're honest with ourselves and step up and take responsibility, it will only make the lads better."
Manager: Chris Wilder
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Liam Manning
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Chris Wilder
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Liam Manning
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Championship
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
After winning the first leg of this play-off tie 3-0 at Ashton Gate, Sheffield United are now unbeaten across their last eight games across all competitions against Bristol City (W6 D2). In that time, the Blades have kept five clean sheets in total. SaWZ\Q
Bristol City have failed to win any of their last four away games across all competitions against Sheffield United, though three of their last four victories overall against the Blades have come at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United have lost each of their last two home EFL play-off fixtures (2-1 vs Nottingham Forest in 2022 & 2-1 vs Swindon Town in 2015), after going unbeaten across their first seven matches at Bramall Lane beforehand (W5 D2).
In the history of the EFL play-offs just 10 of 60 teams have progressed from the semi-final stage after losing their first leg on home soil, though no side has ever come back from a three-goal margin of defeat at home in the first leg to reach the final. Â
Throughout the regular season in the Championship, Sheffield United kept 12 clean sheets across their 23 home league games, with only top two sides Leeds (14) and Burnley (15) managing more.
During the regular season, Bristol City won just four of their 23 away Championship games, with only five sides in the division managing fewer. Amongst the teams who finished in the top six in 2024-25, they faced the most shots (328), shots on target (106) and recorded the highest xG against tally (32.3) on their travels.
In the first leg of this play-off tie, Sheffield United recorded 2.77 xG in total, their second-highest tally in any Championship match this season after their 3-0 win over Oxford United in November (3.56 xG).
Gustavo Hamer created four chances for Sheffield United in the first leg of this play-off tie, the eighth time that he’s recorded 4+ chances created in a Championship match this term. Across the second tier this season, that’s the t-most of any player alongside Luton Town’s Alfie Doughty.
