Burnley 1-0 Sheff Utd: It's a War of the Roses at Wembley, Lancashire against Yorkshire, the Bees claiming the semi-final scalp of fourth-placed Reading, and the Blades beating Preston, on their way
The Blades were but one win from automatic promotion to the Premier League, departing from it in 2007 in a mire of legal issues, while their opponents have not tasted top-flight football for 33 years
There is an open start to the game allowing Wade Elliot to burst through the Blades' midfield and, after the ball breaks back to him, sail his shot in to Paddy Kenny's net with the instep of his boot from 25 yards out
Burnley have used only 23 players so far in their promotion campaign, with this being 33-year-old Robbie Blake's 44th appearance in it, a run that has already seen the Blades beaten twice
The fluency of the game breaks down as Burnley suffer a handful of injuries, Joey Gudjohnsson replacing Chris McCann, but it is the Clarets who have the better of the half, the Blades yet to really test the opposition keeper
With Craig Beattie alone up front United fail to create many chances, managing two long-range efforts in the first hour, though Nick Montgomery is everywhere on the pitch, giving up nothing, not letting Burnley settle
United may have most of the possession but the Clarets begin to dominate the chances including Gudjohnsson, from three yards out with Kenny stranded, somehow hitting only the last-ditch block of Montgomery
Not to be outdone in the desperate defensive stakes, Kyle Walker inadvertently plays on Steven Thompson, who lays on a certain goal for Blake, only for Walker to slide in from nowhere and deflect the ball wide
Blake can not finish the game due to a hamstring problem but his midfield partner, 37-year-old Graham Alexander, is still enjoying his 61st start of the season
United throw on Jamie Ward but the young striker is sent off after eleven minutes, two yellow cards for deliberate handball, and not a sniff of a goal
After five minutes of injury time without threat to their lead, Burnley are up to the top tier of English football; the Angostura bitters will be flowing in the streets of Clitheroe, Rosegrove and Padiham tonight
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