Sheffield United 1 Stevenage 0: Porter on target as United head to Wembley

The striker scored five minutes from time against Stevenage to book a Wembley date with Huddersfield Town or Milton Keynes Dons on May 26.

Ignoring pleas from the PA announcer, home supporters stormed the pitch at the final whistle and mobbed their own players.

It was hardly the best idea – especially if one had been injured ahead of the next important game.

It was also evident that some were intent on inciting the away supporters when they surged to the opposite end of the ground.

Stewards and police kept things under control but the situation could easily have spilled out of control and taken the gloss off a major victory.

The Blades finally re-emerged from the dressing room 15 minutes later and embarked on a deserved lap of honour.

They have been one of the best three teams in League One this season and, arguably, might have gone up automatically but for the imprisonment of striker Ched Evans with three games to go

The Blades have won nothing yet, of course, but are desperate to join neighbours Sheffield Wednesday in securing promotion to the Championship.

Having held Stevenage to a goalless draw three nights earlier in the first leg, they had to wait until five minutes from time before Porter secured the victory.

Amazingly, Porter was the only senior striker still standing at Bramall Lane after Richard Cresswell was ruled out before kick-off with an eye infection.

Cresswell, who sat on the bench for the first leg protecting a shoulder injury, was expected to start last night.

His absence prompted manager Danny Wilson to stick with an unchanged side when, ideally, he might have preferred to bolster his attack in the home leg.

The Blades had lost three other strikers in the last few weeks – all for different reasons (Ched Evans, James Beattie, and Will Hoskins) – and the best remaining option was midfielder Stephen Quinn in a supporting role to Porter.

The Blades had played their last two league games in a new ‘retro style’ home shirt – a move aimed at boosting sales over the summer months.