Blades become latest victims of Bradford’s shoot-out superiority: Sheffield United 1 Bradford City 1

The Bantams’ latest shoot-out success put paid to Sheffield United in exactly the same way that Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town had bitten the dust in the previous two rounds.

Phil Parkinson’s men are now in the northern area semi-final of the competition – just two hurdles away from Wembley.

Winger Chris Mitchell scored the decisive spot-kick after goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin saved from Blades substitute Erik Tonne.

The game had finished 1-1 in normal time with Bradford captain Michael Flynn equalising after Matt Phillips had given the Blades the lead.

Blades manager Danny Wilson made four changes with Ched Evans, Chris Porter, Kevin McDonald and Elian Parrino replacing Richard Cresswell, Stephen Quinn, Nick Montgomery and Matt Lowton.

Defender Simon Ramsden returned to the Bantams side after a nine-month injury absence.

Ramsden replaced Liam Moore and was one of five changes made by manager Phil Parkinson.

Former Blades goalkeeper Matt Duke dropped to the bench and Jon McLaughlin made his first start of the season.

Wingers Jack Compton and Chris Mitchell replaced Michael Bryan and the suspended Kyel Reid, while Sheffield-born striker Ross Hannah was preferred to James Hanson.

It had been seven years since the last meeting between these two Yorkshire clubs and even longer (April 1988) since the Bantams last beat the Blades.

But having overcome Yorkshire rivals Wednesday and Huddersfield to get this far in the competition, the possibility of a memorable Trophy hat-trick was in the air.

The Bantams made a promising start, but spurned two gilt-edged opportunities to take the lead.

Striker Hannah sent a free header over the bar and Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen tipped over a close-range header from Craig Fagan.

The Blades would make the Bantams pay for their profligacy and Matt Phillips broke the deadlock on 27 minutes.

Phillips cut in from the left before hitting a cracking low drive from 25 yards that shaved the inside of the goalkeeper’s right hand post.

It was his sixth goal in six games since joining the Blades on loan from Blackpool and a fitting way to sign off before his return to Bloomfield Road.

A cheeky back-heel from Chris Porter might have doubled the lead but the ball rolled wide.

Bradford winger Compton was a real thorn in the side for Blades full-back Parrino who had not played first-team football all season until now.

Compton slipped past the Argentinian on several occasions and always delivered a telling cross.

On balance of play, there was nothing to choose between the sides in the first half so there was a sense of justice when Michael Flynn equalised five minutes before the break, showing his strength to shrug off challenges from McDonald and then Doyle in midfield beofore unleashing a powerful 25-yard drive that fizzed past Blades’s Simonsen.

By the start of the second half, the Bantams had clearly targetted Parrino as a weak link in the Blades side. It was no surprise when he was eventually substituted and replaced by regular right-back Lowton.

Although struggling at the wrong end of the League Two table, the Bantams had the upper-hand for long spells without finding the net.

Captain Flynn won his battles in the midfield area and pulled all the strings as the visitors looked to cause another upset.

The Bantams nearly took the lead at a corner but Simonsen blocked close-range stabs from both Luke Oliver and Marcel Seip.

The first sign of frustration among home supporters could be heard when Evans opted to beat a third defender in the penalty area instead of shooting.

The Welsh international striker has certainly grown in confidence this season, brushing aside his off-the-field problems with the law, but arrogance would be a foolish next step to take.

A small section of Blades supporters cheered when Evans was substituted to underline that point

McLaughlin was the less busy of the two goalkeepers last night but made a good low save to deny Phillips midway through the second half.

The final stages of normal time became a game of Cat and Mouse with defences firmly on top. Bradford substitute Jamie Devitt shot over the bar and Phillips was inches away from scoring a winner for the Blades but failed to meet Lowton’s far post cross.

Harry Maguire produced an exceptional display at the back for the Blades and used his sizeable frame to block a number of shots.

Yet in the final second of the game, Bradford goalkeeper McLaughlin pulled off a brilliant save to deny Billy Clarke from close range to take the game to penalties.

The first two kicks by Porter and Flynn were saved. Neil Collins, Phillips, Lowton, and Michael Doyle scored for the Blades before Maguire’s poor attempt was comfortably saved by McLaughlin.

For Bradford, Fagan, Ritchie Jones, Devitt, and Seip found the net before Luke O’Brien hit the post. Ramsden made it 5-5 before Tonne blew his spot kick and Mitchell hit the winner.

The attendance of only 5,692 again illustrated public apathy towards this competition at a time when the demands on the purse are forever on the rise.

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Sheffield United: Simonsen; Parrino (Lowton 54), Maguire, Collins, Williams; Clarke, McDonald, Doyle, Phillips; Porter, Evans (Tonne 65). Unused substitutes: Flynn, Harriott, Long.

Bradford City: McLaughlin; Ramsden, Oliver, Seip, O’Brien; Mitchell, Flynn, Jones, Compton (Hanson 80); Fagan, Hannah (Devitt 68). Unused substitutes: Williams, Wells, Duke.

Referee: M Haywood (West Yorkshire)