Hand it to hero Samba

CONGOlese keeper Brice samba was the penalty shoot-out hero with three crucial saves as Nottingham Forest booked their place in the Premiership play-off final with Huddersfield.

It sparked ecstatic scenes at the City Ground as jubilant fans invaded the pitch in anticipation of a trip to Wembley on May 29.

scot John Fleck took the game to extra-time after scoring for sheffield united with 15 minutes left in a dramatic semi-final second leg. But after the extra 30 minutes remained goalless, the stage was set for samba to make superb blocks from Oli Norwood and Conor Houlihane in a nerveshredding shoot-out.

Forest’s takers held their nerve until Joe lolley blasted one over Wes Foderingham’s bar, but samba then made the critical save from Morgan Gibbs-White.

After the first leg was won 2-1 by Forest, Brennan Johnson looked to have wrapped it up for them last night with a 19th-minute opener.

But Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades staged a remarkable comeback, Gibbs-White getting them back in the game shortly after the interval before Fleck then made his dramatic intervention.

Then came the dreaded penalties, with steve Cooper’s men emerging triumphant ahead of a date with Huddersfield who disposed of luton on Monday.