This weekend is the deciding contest to see who will be playing Premiership football next season and it will be 3rd against 4th in the Championship table. Sheffield Utd dropped off towards the end of the season having looked likely to gain automatic promotion but four defeats in their last seven fixtures scuppered their chances. Chris Wilder had his work cut out to regather his players for the playoff games after a disappointing end to what had been a good season for the Blades.
They were up against Bristol City who had filled the final playoff position, with a 22 point difference many thought this would show come match day. The first leg was played at Ashton Gate and after a very close first half a massive bit of drama happened in injury time, Robert Dixie made a last man challenge which saw a red for him and a penalty for the visitors. Harrison Burrows stepped up and netted to take his side a goal up at the break. Wilder would have been pushing for his side to take advantage of the extra man in the second half and midway through they scored their second goal thanks to substitute Andre Brooks. Shortly after that lead was extended when another substitute Callum O’Hare netted with ten minutes of the ninety remaining.
The return leg at Bramall Lane was just a case of remaining organised after much of the work was done in the first leg but a 3-0 victory made a statement to whoever they were going to be playing at Wembley. The Blades goal scorers were Kieffer Moore, Gustavo Hamer and also Callum O’Hare who was brought off the bench again. He now has given his manager Wilder a tough decision to make whether to start him for the final against Sunderland.
Sunderland finished 4th in the league, 14 points adrift of their opponents Sheffield Utd. The home advantage played a part in the contests between them earlier in the season with Sheffield Utd winning 1-0 at Bramall Lane and then Sunderland winning 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. Regis Le Bris’s side were up against Frank Lampard’s Coventry side with a visit to their ground first of all, after a tight game of football the breakthrough came in the 68th minute when Wilson Isidor netted for Sunderland. That lead only lasted two minutes as the homeside equalised thanks to Jack Rudoni, this game could have gone either way from then on with twenty minutes to play. Just as the 90 minutes was approaching it was the visitors who went back in front thanks to striker Eliezer Mayenda.
The return leg at the Stadium of Light was set for an entertaining 90 minutes with Coventry needing to go for the win to have any chance of progressing to the final. After a very chest like game the first goal of the game didn’t come till midway through the second half and it was Coventry who took the lead thanks to winger Ephron Mason-Clark. The game finished 0-1 to the visitors so extra time was needed, it looked highly likely penalties would be needed to separate the two sides but in the 122nd minute Sunderland’s centre half Daniel Ballard scored with his head from an assist from Enzo Le Fee which took his side through and a trip to Wembley.
We can expect a tight tussle between the two sides and no doubt some tasty challenges but we feel that Chris Wilder has more talent at his disposal.
The best odds for this fixture can be found at non UK casinos here: Sheffield Utd 11/8, Sunderland 23/10 and the Draw 21/10. Kick off 15.00pm Saturday Live on Sky Sports Main Event.
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