Tommy Doyle hit a stoppage-time winner to send Sheffield United into the FA Cup semi-final as they got the better of fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers in a breathless encounter.
Rovers took the lead in the 21st minute through Ben Brereton Diaz’s penalty, awarded following a VAR check after Jack Robinson’s handball.
But the lead was short-lived as the Blades equalized eight minutes later with a big fortune, Max Lowe’s long-range shot deflecting off forward Sam Gallagher.
Sammie Szmodics put Rovers back in front on the hour before Oli McBurnie’s 81st-minute equalizer to stage a thrilling final, capped off by excellent long-range training from Manchester City midfielder on loan Doyle.
The victory means Sheffield United are in the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2014, when they ended up losing 5-3 to Hull.
While it was a euphoric finish for the Blades, it was heartbreaking for a Blackburn side looking to qualify for their first semi-final since 2007 – and make their first appearance at the new Wembley.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side had looked comfortable heading into the final 10 minutes but, when McBurnie’s leveler came on, the hosts seized the initiative and with the crowd behind them, made it a fantastic final that will go down in history long remembered by devotees of Bramall Lane. .
More soon.
