A middle-aged Bristol City supporter going to pick up his ticket outside the Tony Currie Stand spotted a likeminded soul, heading over to impress how important his sacrifice was – especially on a school night.
The recipient, a lad who can’t have been older than nine – with Robins shirt over a hoodie, as all kids should wear their colours – seemed fairly pleased with this appraisal as he stood next to his guardian in a mobility scooter, trying not to grin with pride.
It was only a brief encounter but ended with the man saying ‘miracles do happen, you know’ before bounding off. Hope, optimism. Blind or otherwise.
Miracles don’t though. Very rarely, anyway. Even on this play-off stage, supposedly the most unpredictable of all. That child learnt a lesson on Monday night, one significantly more valuable than he will when back in class on Tuesday morning. Don’t dream.
Also in attendance was Harry Maguire. The former Sheffield United defender, who was playing for the Blades in League One, is now plying his trade at Manchester United and preparing for a Europa League final. But he – and they – can probably consider themselves lucky they aren’t going to be waving to United as they pass on the way down.
Maguire was at Bramall Lane to watch his former side become record breakers, with former Sky favourite Chris Kamara also there. Kamara played for United on loan in the early 90s – and both of them couldn’t have been any less than impressed with what they saw.
Harry Maguire was in attendance as Sheffield United stormed to the Championship play-off final on Monday
Chris Kamara was also in attendance as Chris Wilder’s side beat Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate
Callum O’Hare scored his side’s third goal of the game as they secured 3-0 wins in both games
Bristol City were superb for half an hour. Really very good in how they manoeuvred Sheffield United, without penetrating and chipping away at that three-goal deficit from the disastrous Thursday night down at Ashton Gate.
There felt like something might be here for them, to surprisingly etch names into play-off folklore. Liam Manning bobbed and fidgeted as Scott Twine’s snapshot bobbled wide, when Nakhi Wells threatened from distance.
But the size of this mountain was just too great. Not just the first leg result but the comparative budgets – Chris Wilder might have done tremendously after beginning with a threadbare squad at the start of the season yet still has decent finances to fall back on – and the 22-gap between these sides in the table. Twenty-two is a vast expanse.
And it all meant that despite the City pressure, the free-flowing attacking and the nearly moments, Bramall Lane never went truly nervous. It quietened somewhat in the opening exchanges, with this goalless and United incapable of registering a shot on target, but never to a degree that materially impacted what happened before them.
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Sheffield United will face either Coventry City or Sunderland in the May 24 final at Wembley, an occasion that will determine who are favourites to finish 20th in next year’s Premier League in this grim reality we now live in. You can argue that it is wrong to bring that up right now and how teams should enjoy their successes and there is probably some merit to that complaint yet United’s recent experiences suggest it is an inescapable, even with a final to look forward to.
They can relish that after reaching it with genuine ease by the end. Kieffer Moore headed in the first, four minutes before half time, and the Championship Player of the Season Gustavo Hamer’s deflected effort seven minutes after the restart made sure. Both came from corners, an area in need of improvement for City all term, and it finished how everybody here – bar perhaps that bloke outside earlier on – had expected.
The top three in this division amassed 290 points between them – two centuries and a measly 90 for Wilder’s side – as part of this weird yo-yo league comprising little more than six teams.
Although this tie has, in some part, been defined by Rob Dickie’s red card last week, that the team in third hammered the team in sixth by six clear goals over two legs – Callum O’Hare added another late on – is a record and grimly predictable. So predictable that City’s early flamboyance felt like a victory in itself.
