Sheffield United's Billy Sharp attacked by Nottingham Forest fan after penalty shootout

Nottingham Forest are through to the 2021/22 Championship play-off final, where they will play Huddersfield Town.

Steve Cooper’s side were made to work as hard as possible to get the chance at promotion to the Premier League, though.

Sheffield United pushed them all the way at the City Ground on Tuesday evening, with goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and John Fleck after Brennan Johnson’s opener taking the semi-final tie to extra-time.

The teams couldn’t be separated after an additional half hour of play, so it went to penalties – with Forest eventually prevailing thanks to three saves by the heroic Brice Samba.

It was a bona fide play-off classic, although the match was tarnished somewhat by the actions of one ‘fan’.

After Forest secured their place in the final, there was a pitch invasion by the home supporters and one of them attacked Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp – who wasn’t even in the playing squad – by the touchline.

The person in question charged into the striker while he was simply minding his own business and sent him tumbling to the floor.

It was an unprovoked and violent attack, one that was also the very definition of cowardly.

Billy Sharp attacked by a Nottingham Forest fan:pic.twitter.com/HRU0acI29Z

Forest fan headbutts Sheffield United’s billy sharp pic.twitter.com/vQ98GP4YNu

wow billy sharp pic.twitter.com/8bfdtGTred

Disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful. That’s head on head contact, which could have resulted in very serious injury for Sharp.

Forest need to quickly identify the ‘fan’ in question and ban them from the stadium for life.

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom commented on the incident: “It’s assault. We’ve seen one of our players attacked. He’s shook up, bleeding, angry. It’ll be dealt