Sheffield United cruise into Championship play-off final with record win over Bristol City

Sheffield United are one win away from ending their play-off hoodoo after booking their place in the Championship final with a record-breaking semi-final demolition of Bristol City.

The Blades will meet Sunderland or Coventry at Wembley after a 6-0 aggregate victory over the Robins – the biggest winning margin in Championship play-off semi-final history.

After doing the heavy lifting in Thursday’s first leg at Ashton Gate, where they won 3-0, they finished the job on home soil thanks to goals from Kieffer Moore, Gus Hamer and Callum O’Hare.

They will be hoping it is 10th time lucky, having lost in their previous nine play-off encounters, which has included three Championship finals.

None of those have been under boss Chris Wilder, though, and he is eyeing a third promotion with his boyhood club.

For long parts of the season it looked like the Blades would go up automatically until Leeds and Burnley ran away with it, but they regrouped well in time for the play-off semi-finals and can now turn their attention to Wembley in 12 days time.

This was a bridge too far for Bristol City and they were unable to repair the damage from Thursday’s first leg against a team they finished 22 points behind in the league.

The Robins had no option other than to go for it in the early stages as they tried to make inroads to their first-leg deficit.

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George Earthy flashed an effort just wide in just the second minute before Jason Knight tested goalkeeper Michael Cooper with a low effort from distance.

But the Blades held firm and as the first half wore on they began to take control.

In the 34th minute Andre Brooks could not connect with Hamer’s cross while Harrison Burrows saw a deflected effort fizz just wide.

And a promising spell of pressure was rewarded when the hosts went in front to well and truly kill the tie.

Moore was the man who inflicted the damage, heading Burrows’ corner from close range.

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Hamer made it 2-0 on the night shortly as a clever corner routine saw him with time and space on the edge of the area, with his shot deflecting off Haydon Roberts.

Tyrese Campbell almost made it 3-0 shortly after coming off the bench when he fizzed an effort just wide and as the Blades wanted to make it a night to remember.

Another substitute, O’Hare, got on the scoresheet in the 83rd minute with a fine goal. Campbell burst down the left, Burrows cleverly stepped over his cross, allowing O’Hare to sweep home.

It meant the night ended in celebration for the Blades, who paid an emotional tribute to their former player George Baldock, following his tragic death in October after drowning in a swimming pool in Greece.

PA