logo
Sheffield United ease past Bristol City and into Championship play-off final by record margin

Sheffield United ease past Bristol City and into Championship play-off final by record margin

RTÉ News​12-05-2025
(aggregate 6-0)
Sheffield United are one win away from ending their play-off hoodoo after booking their place in the Sky Bet 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.
George Earthy flashed an effort just wide in just the second minute before Republic of Ireland midfielder 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 past Irish-qualified Max O'Leary from close range.
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Louth pair shine bright at European Youth Olympic Festival in baking Skopje heat
Louth pair shine bright at European Youth Olympic Festival in baking Skopje heat

Irish Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Louth pair shine bright at European Youth Olympic Festival in baking Skopje heat

The Argus Today at 21:30 Estella Volkoff and Rian McCrystal did themselves, the country and the Dundalk area proud with their performances in last week's European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, North Macedonia. Carlingford-based Estella was in the Irish gymnastics team in the Girls' All Around competition, and following the four apparatus events she finished with a total score of 45.300. Her final position overall was yet to be confirmed, but she and fellow Irish gymnast Roisin Hickey combined for 10th place in the team competition. The EYOF has served as a valuable springboard for many of Ireland's top gymnasts, including Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghanand 14-year-old Estella, who competes for DP Gymnastics Club, was pleased with her performance. She scored 10.45 in the uneven bars, 12.1 on the beam, 11.2 in the floor routine and 11.55 in the vault, and afterwards she said: 'I feel like my vault and my bars were very clean. I'm very happy with my floor because I put in a double tap for the first time in an international competition. I'm also very pleased with my beam.' 'I was happiest with the beam. I really love the beam, even though this routine wasn't the best.' Rian McCrystal, nephew of Paralympic champion Eve McCrystal, represented his country in cycling's 10km out-and-back time trial, held in temperatures that reached 40 degrees at one stage, and he performed very strongly to finish 35th in a time of 13:19.696. Team Ireland enjoyed significant success at the Festival, winning six medals, with a number of national records and personal bests also broken.

'Win by will' - The powerful video Katie Taylor sent to the Lions
'Win by will' - The powerful video Katie Taylor sent to the Lions

The 42

time5 hours ago

  • The 42

'Win by will' - The powerful video Katie Taylor sent to the Lions

PERFORMANCE COACH GARY Keegan's old connections came in handy for the Lions as they prepared for their second Test win against the Wallabies. Keegan, who works closely with Andy Farrell with Ireland and now the Lions, goes a long way back with Irish boxing icon Katie Taylor. He was the high performance director of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association when Taylor began to make a name for herself as an amateur, helping to guide the early stages of her career. So earlier this week, as Farrell's Lions prepared for what they knew could be a decisive game against Australia in Melbourne, Keenan got onto his old friend. Taylor's video went down brilliantly with the Lions squad and proved prescient in terms of how the second Test unfolded. 'It was unbelievably poignant and powerful,' said Lions and Ireland number eight Jack Conan after the last-gasp 29-26 win over the Wallabies. 'It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but be ready to win by will. 'I think that was something that summed up today massively because we were not at our best at all.' Conan hails from Bray, where Taylor is also from, so the video was particularly special for him. 'Massively, huge,' said Conan. 'Someone to come from the town I'm from, I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world and to be such a superstar and be just incredibly humble and driven and knock it out of herself is something that we kind of leaned on as well, because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it today in spades. Advertisement 'They were unbelievable, they really were, but we just stuck in it for 80 minutes and just incredibly proud of the effort from the lads. Katie Taylor celebrates her recent win against Amanda Serrano. Gary Carr / INPHO Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO 'I know things didn't click and we weren't flowing properly, but we were getting off the line, trying to hit people, trying to make it count every chance we got. And I think we did that and that's why we got the result in the end.' It wasn't only Conan and the big group of Irish Lions who were impressed with Taylor's message. Her words hit the mark with the rest of the squad. 'Lads absolutely loved it because it meant a lot to me being from the same place and seeing her on the world stage, but I think everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy, it resonated with everyone,' said Conan. 'It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us, it was brilliant.' Conan was standing outside the Lions' dressing room with two cans of Guinness in his hands – 'Sorry, the cans are not good, lads' – as he got his head around winning a series with the Lions. He played all three Tests on the 2021 tour of South Africa but the Lions lost that one and there were no crowds due to the pandemic. This trip to Australia has been altogether different. He revealed that the Lions' training session on Thursday ahead of the second Test was 'pretty shocking' and felt that possibly fed into their up-and-down performance at the MCG, but all that mattered to him was that the tourists had won. Conan joked that as a Leinster man he usually comes out on the wrong side of dramatic finishes like the one in Melbourne, so he was thrilled that his long-time team-mate Hugo Keenan, who is nicknamed 'Barry,' was the man to seal the series. 'I was delighted for him… now in saying that, I would have liked it more if he gave me the ball on the edge and I scored the try,' said Conan. Conan with his daughter, Remi, and wife, Ali. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO 'No, delighted for Barry, I probably would have dropped it like the other one [in the first half]… no, that was knocked out of my hands, lads! 'I was shouting for it, but Barry goes and scores a try, so I've no complaints. If he bottled it there in that moment, I would have killed him and kicked the arse off him afterwards, but that was great.' Conan's wife and daughter have been in Australia to support him, while his twin sister and her husband also made it, along with a big group of Conan's friends. 'They're on a proper stag do, some craic,' said Conan. 'I met one of them earlier who flew in from Singapore and all the lads were already in the pub at half ten [in the morning] enjoying it and I was like, 'f*cking b*stards, I'd love to be there'. 'It's great doing the lap afterwards and seeing so many familiar faces.' His friends had an early start in the pub but Conan is now a Lions series winner. 'You can't take that away from us,' said Conan with clear joy before wandering off to find the rest of the Lions so his celebrations could continue.

Heroic Lionesses to hold open-top bus parade in huge homecoming party after lifting Euros trophy
Heroic Lionesses to hold open-top bus parade in huge homecoming party after lifting Euros trophy

The Irish Sun

time6 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Heroic Lionesses to hold open-top bus parade in huge homecoming party after lifting Euros trophy

THE heroic Lionesses will celebrate their Euros win with a homecoming party in just days after defending their title. The team, who beat Spain on penalties to London on Tuesday. 3 England secured victory in the final with a 3-1 win on penalties over Spain on Sunday night Credit: Reuters 3 Fans across the country went wild as the Lionesses became the first English side to win a major tournament on foreign soil Credit: Reuters 3 The team will parade on an open-top bus on Tuesday in central London - the Lionesses previously held a party in Trafalgar Square after their first Euros win in 2022 Credit: Dan Charity Starting at 12.10pm, the bus will drive past fans along The Mall before ending with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at around 12.30pm. England 's historic win saw them become the first English side to win a major tournament on foreign soil. It also saw them defend their 2022 Euros title, having beaten Germany 2-1 in the previous final at Wembley Stadium. The homecoming celebration on Tuesday will be broadcast live across the BBC , ITV and Sky between 12pm and 1pm for those who can't make the historic event. Read More on Lionesses Former Lioness right-back Portsmouth and the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. DJ CharStape will also perform live music before Championship winners trophy lift presentation. FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham said: "Our history-making Lionesses are Champions of Europe for the second successive time, and have become the first England Senior team in history to win a tournament overseas. "We are so proud of all of the players, Sarina and the support team who have all been part of this incredible achievement. Most read in Football "They have all worked unbelievably hard and we know the nation shares our pride ." Countless fans had Fans go wild as England beat Spain on penalties to win Women's Euro 2025 final Bullingham added: "The victory celebration in London on Tuesday will give England fans an opportunity to celebrate with the players, and be part of history. "We've had amazing support from our fans both in Switzerland and at home throughout the tournament, and we look forward to celebrating together and creating some lifelong memories." Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport "Now, we have the chance to cheer these heroes home at their homecoming parade. "The Lionesses didn't just set out to win the tournament, they wanted to change society." Sunday's final was full of twists and turns, with England falling behind in the 25th minute to a header from Mariona Caldentey. However, the Lionesses roared back with a header of their own from Alessia Russo in the 57th minute to equalise the game. The teams then tussled back and forth throughout the rest of normal and extra time before a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. Ultimately, two heroic saves from Chloe Kelly to fire home the winning penalty, securing victory for the Lionesses. The tournament had not been without its battles, with England having to twice come back from goal deficits in previous rounds to make their way to the final. Among major figures at the final were

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store