Huddersfield Town claimed the final spot in next season’s Championship by winning the play-off final at Wembley thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over Sheffield United.
Huddersfield will not care a jot but for the neutrals the final will not live long in the memory of those that witnessed it as both teams did little to test the goalkeepers in the opening 90 minutes. Thankfully both sides showed more positivity in extra-time with Huddersfield going close from successive set-pieces while at the other end, Stephen Quinn, probably the game’s standout player was denied by the Huddersfield keeper after an incisive solo run.
Penalties seemed inevitable but few could predict the drama that they were to produce. As if to mirror the quality of the match, both sides saw their first spot kicks saved, Miller and Williamson exchanging tame efforts. Johnson then side-footed a weak effort wide and Collins scored to give United the initiative. Alan Lee’s kick for the Terriers was saved by Simonsen but Lowton saw his effort saved as well. Clarke levelled matter but United still had a penalty in hand. Taylor, brought on as a substitute late on specifically to take a penalty stepped up but struck the post. Arfield and Porter then exchanged goals to leave the scores level at just 2-2 after 5 each.
The players taking penalties in sudden death showed an assurance that was lacking in many of the early spot-kicks and so after 10 kicks each it came down to the goal keepers. Alex Smithies beat Simonsen despite a valiant effort from Simonsen and the keepers then swapped places. The Blades stopper fired his effort over the bar to hand Huddersfield a spot in the second tier of English football next season, joining automatically promoted sides Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.