EFL play-offs Team of the Week: Sheffield United shine with four picks after Bristol City rout

The EFL play-off semi-finals are done and dusted, with just one game now standing between six sides and a shot at promotion.

All six teams had to dig deep to reach the final, with the semi-finals serving up a mix of drama, tension and quality.

From Sheffield United’s 6-0 aggregate thrashing of Bristol City to Leyton Orient’s penalty shootout victory over Stockport County and everything in between, fans had to go through every single emotion.

Sunderland reached the Championship play-off final thanks to a 120th-minute winner from Dan Ballard.

It is such a cruel way to end the season if you lose, but winning the play-offs is arguably more entertaining than automatic promotion.

Here, Charlie Elliott goes through his Team of the Week for the second legs.

Michael Cooper (Sheffield United)

The Blades ended up winning comfortably at home in their second leg, with a 3-0 win at Bramall Lane bringing the aggregate score to 6-0 and securing their place at Wembley.

It wasn’t plain sailing in the second game though, as Bristol City came out flying and really challenged to score the first goal of the game, which could have potentially led to a comeback.

Michael Cooper was equal to everything and made a few tidy stops to keep City’s score at zero, and once Kieffer Moore scored the first goal to make it 4-0, the tie was over.

Six saves are not to be scoffed at, and the keeper helped to avoid one of the all-time greatest comebacks.

Milan van Ewijk (Coventry City)

Coventry may have lost in heartbreaking fashion to Sunderland, with Dan Ballard’s 120th-minute header winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate for the Black Cats, but they were on top for much of the second leg and had a few good performers as a result.

Right-back Milan van Ewijk was one who stood out, bringing plenty of energy down his flank and continuously looking to make things happen, with countless dangerous deliveries into the box.

His effort paid off, as it was his cross that Ephron Mason-Clark finished to level the tie and give the Sky Blues the lead on the night.

The Dutchman was solid defensively as well and can be proud of how he played.

Dan Ballard (Sunderland)

As mentioned, Ballard sent the Stadium of Light into absolute bedlam with his winning goal, earning Sunderland a trip to Wembley.

For what his goal meant, and the limbs seen afterwards, his inclusion into this team was pretty straightforward.

A corner was floated in, and he headed it in (even if it came more off his shoulder), with the ball bouncing down off the bar and over the line.

Defensively, he was solid as well and kept the Black Cats in it, but his goal is obviously what he will remember this game for.

Macauley Gillesphey (Charlton Athletic)

Charlton Athletic proved that defence wins you ties, keeping two clean sheets in their late 1-0 aggregate win over Wycombe Wanderers.

Macauley Gillesphey and partner Lloyd Jones were both impassable at The Valley, not allowing Wanderers’ Richard Kone to get a sniff, an impressive accolade given that he has scored 21 goals this season.

The Addicks now await Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final.

Joe Lewis (AFC Wimbledon)

AFC Wimbledon dispatched Notts County comfortably, with two 1-0 wins that never really looked to be threatened.

Centre-back Joe Lewis won 14 duels across the second leg, keeping Charlie Whitaker and Mai Traore quiet.

He also got the assist for the only goal of the game, with his long and measured ball up the pitch looping over the defence for Josh Neufville to control and lob the keeper with a half-volley.

Harrison Burrows (Sheffield United)

What a left foot Harrison Burrows has, the man has an absolute wand.

A prototypical attacking full-back, the former Peterborough United man got himself a couple of assists in the Blades’ big win over Bristol City.

His first assist was a perfectly weighted corner that landed straight on Kieffer Moore’s head, which was perfectly aimed in the corridor of uncertainty that is so difficult to defend against.

He followed it up with another corner assist, this time a well-worked routine that saw him roll the ball to the edge of the box, before a deflected Gustavo Hamer shot evaded Max O’Leary in the City net.

Oliver Norwood (Stockport County)

Stockport took Leyton Orient all the way, eventually losing out on penalties at Edgeley Park.

Evergreen midfielder Oliver Norwood showed that he is still a quality player who should really be playing higher level than League One.

The most chances created, the most passes completed and the most duels won is just about all you can ask for from a midfielder.

He dictates play and glides around the pitch.

Although he has lost a bit of pace from his Premier League days, he is still a great player.

Vini Souza (Sheffield United)

Composed and assured in the middle, Vini Souza kept things ticking for United and brought the air of calm the game needed as they protected a big lead.

He snuffed out plenty of City attacks, kept the ball moving and generally helped his side to keep a lid on things at Bramall Lane, in the best possible way.

A play-off final against the Black Cats is the next task for the Brazilian defensive midfielder.

Enzo Le Fee (Sunderland)

A bit of a wildcard pick in this team, Enzo Le Fee had limited impact for stretches of the game against Coventry, not helped by being deployed out wide.

As soon as Romaine Mundle came on at the start of extra time and the Frenchman was shifted to his more natural central position, the game changed.

Le Fee picked the ball in pockets, made a nuisance of himself and gave his side an outlet when they were heavily under the cosh.

It was his corner that landed on Ballard’s head too.

Albert Adomah (Walsall)

Form is temporary, class is permanent – the same can be said for Walsall as much as Albert Adomah himself.

The Saddlers have made it to Wembley following one of the biggest ever capitulations in the regular season, seeing off a Chesterfield side who were in much better form.

They secured a 4-1 aggregate win with a 2-1 second leg win at the Bescot Stadium, Adomah getting both of the assists from off the bench.

A perfectly weighted cross landed on the head of Charlie Lakin to make it 1-0 on the night.

After a Spireites goal, Adomah looked to be holding the ball in the corner to waste time at the end of the game, before using some silky footwork to beat his man, bursting into the box and chipping a cross that Levi Amantchi headed home.

Kieffer Moore (Sheffield United)

Moore’s opener at Bramall Lane effectively sealed the Blades’ place at Wembley.

The Wales international silenced the Bristol City fans, who were directing plenty of negative chants his way given his connections with Wales and rivals Cardiff City, by scoring a header from point-blank range after a corner.

Typical of Moore, he also won plenty of battles and was a real focal point up top for United.

READ MORE: EFL play-offs Team of the Week: Charlie Kelman at the double despite controversial goal call