Paul Heckingbottom's defiant Sheffield United message as he hints at Nottingham Forest approach

Paul Heckingbottom knows only too well why you should not read too much into a first leg defeat in the play-offs. He has been there before but still won the second leg away from home to advance into the final.

His message of 'it's only half-time' will resonate with Barnsley fans who remember their 2006 success over Huddersfield Town. Back then, Andy Ritchie's men trailed the Terriers 1-0 after the first leg at Oakwell and Reds' fans feared that their failure to take advantage of being at home first had cost them their grip on the tie.

Ritchie insisted in his press conference afterwards that they were only at the halfway stage and so it proved. Heckingbotom and his team-mates produced a stirring second leg performance to run out 3-1 winners and secure a place in the final at Cardiff. The current Blades boss also found the net with a crucial penalty in the shoot-out against Swansea as Barnsley earned promotion on spot-kicks.

That win at Huddersfield is not the only time he has enjoyed victory in the second leg away from home. Indeed, as a player and manager he has tasted that on three occasions.

And he will certainly head to the City Ground in better spirits than he would had Sander Berge not headed home a late goal to bring United right back into this one.

And he believes that could have a huge bearing on the outcome of Tuesday's match. He said: "Yeah, I think it does [keep it alive]. It's only half-time, there's still loads to go. What that goal has done is you can see the whole body language change of everyone, Forest more so than us.

"We're not happy we have come off the pitch having been beaten but it's certainly changed the mood among the fans and the mood among both camps definitely. Hopefully, that proves to be a