DICKIE BLOW STINGS CITY

AFTER puffs of white smoke above the Vatican, Rob Dickie's cardinal sin cost Bristol City dearly.

- by MIKE WALTERS

Dickie's second red card of the season against Sheffield United, for hauling down Wales striker Kieffer Moore in first-half added time, handed the Blades the keys to Wembley.

From the moment Harrison Burrows buried the resulting spot-kick, United seized their chance to enjoy the comfort zone, a rare luxury on the tightrope torture of football's £200m lottery.

Play-off semi-finals can often be cagey affairs but there were few inhibitions about the Blades' convincing display in this prizefight at Ashton Gate.

Only the third team to reach 90 points in the Championship without going up automatically, Chris Wilder's men were never going to come quietly.