Forest seize first-leg advantage | 'Sheff Utd will be happier side'

Nottingham Forest took a significant step towards reaching the Championship play-off final as a dominant display helped them to a 2-1 semi-final first-leg win over Sheffield United.

Jack Colback took advantage of an ill-timed slip from Ben Osborn to fire Steve Cooper's men in front (10), before Blades captain John Egan was caught in possession by Joe Lolley, allowing Brennan Johnson to fire in an crucial, ice cold second (71).

But just as hope looked to be fading for United, they pulled one back in second-half stoppage time, as Sander Berge bundled the ball over the line, despite replays suggesting Jack Robinson handled the ball before doing the midfielder did so (90+1).

On Tuesday night at the City Ground, the teams will go to battle once more - in a game live on Sky Sports Football - for a place at Wembley on Sunday May 29.

As South Yorkshire basked in temperatures of over 20 degrees, there was a party atmosphere at Bramall Lane, as the journey to Wembley began for two of the giants of the second tier.

In his programme notes, Paul Heckingbottom called upon the Blades fans to "understand how important the role they have in what we are trying to achieve is" and they responded as expected, creating a deafening cauldron of noise that clearly spurred the players on to an encouraging start.

It was nearly rewarded early on, too, when Sander Berge was bundled to the deck as he attacked a free-kick, though referee Andre Marriner quickly indicated that he would be taking no further action. But within seconds, Forest took the lead.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, as Joe Worrall's speculative aerial ball found Sam Surridge, who squared for Philip Zinckernagel. Ben Osborn lost his footing, the Dane had a shot saved by Wes