Sheffield Wednesday paid the penalty in the ultimate way at Hillsborough on Wednesday evening as Huddersfield advanced to Wembley by winning a spot-kick shoot-out.
Having drawn the 1st-leg 0-0 another tight encounter was predicted and so it transpired. The match was more open and entertaining than the first leg but just as tense.
Wednesday’s best chance of the first half came when Bannan played a fine ball to send Fletcher clear but the striker turned down the opportunity to hit a shot with his right foot, instead turning back inside to look for Forestieri but he played the ball behind him and the chance was gone. Huddersfield almost struck first when Izzy Brown hit a low cross first time but his near post effort went just wide.
The second half started with a bang as the Owls hit the front on 51 minutes when Bannan’s cross was brilliantly headed home by Fletcher.
With Huddersfield’s recent problems in scoring against the Owls it looked like one goal might be enough but with 15 minutes to go Brown played a ball in behind Pudil and Town substitute Quaner took advantage, playing a low ball in towards Wells. The striker slid in with Tom Lees and the ball deflected off the Owls defender to roll agonisingly into the goal.
Wells then forced a fine save from Westwood as Wednesday began to look tired. Having held on for extra-time the home side seemed to get a new burst of energy with Rhodes having an effort deflected onto the bar and Forestieri having a goal-bound effort blocked to safety. The 2nd-half of extra-time yielded little in terms of good chances and so penalties, which seemed inevitable from the early stages of the tie, would decide it.
The Terriers scored first and Hutchinson saw the Owls first spot-kick saved by Ward. 6 consecutive penalties then found the back of the net giving Payne the chance to seal it for the visitors. Westwood was equal to his shot so Forestieri had the chance to level things up only to see Ward become the hero by making the decisive save.
Huddersfield will meet Reading in the final with the opportunity to reach the top flight for the first time in 45 years.