Nottingham Forest will take on Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Sheffield United.
The Blades had dragged themselves back into this semi-final despite losing the first leg 2-1 and trailing at the City Ground to Brennan Johnson’s opener as second-half goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and John Fleck took the tie to extra-time.
The EFL play-offs remain just about the best thing about modern football
Brice Samba produced a special save from Iliman Ndiaye as the tie finished level at 3-3 on aggregate after 120 minutes and the Congolese goalkeeper then denied Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Gibbs-White to send Forest through to a showdown against Huddersfield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, May 29.
Johnson, Cafu and Steve Cook all scored their spot-kicks and while Joe Lolley fired over it was inconsequential after Samba saved from Gibbs-White to prompt a pitch invasion from jubilant Forest fans.
Forest, bottom of the second tier after seven games when Steve Cooper took charge in September, are now just one win away from a return to the top-flight after a 23-year absence.
The hosts held the upper hand after the first leg although they conceded late on at Bramall Lane and were pushed all the way.
Forest were initially tentative, pushed back into their own half as rain lashed down at the outset, and while John Egan’s bullet header missed the target it was a warning shot.
Samba saved superbly soon after, rushing out of his goal to smother Ndiaye’s shot after he was put through one-on-one from Gibbs-White’s exquisite pass with the outside of the right foot.
From nowhere, Forest reclaimed their two-goal cushion as Scott McKenna’s long ball was collected on the left by Sam Surridge, whose square pass allowed an outstretched Johnson to send beyond Wes Foderingham.
Backed by a cacophonous crowd, the 19th-minute goal seemed to cast off Forest jitters and they poured forward with purpose although at the…
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