Boro manager looks towards play-off semi-final second leg at Bramall Lane

Gary Smith says the pressure is on Sheffield United ahead of tonight’s (Monday) play-off second leg.

Stevenage head into the game having been unable to break down a defensive Blades team low on firepower and set on frustrating Smith’s men in the first leg, and Smith, who spent Saturday watching MK Dons v Huddersfield in the other League 1 semi-final, says Boro will give there all to get into the final at Wembley.

“I thought Sheffield came here with a gameplan and a good gameplan in the end, which was to frustrate some of our fluid play that maybe they’ve seen in the last four or five game,” Smith said after Friday night’s win.

“We’ve scored goals, and looked creative over the last month. It might have been because of the bodies they had missing, but ultimately we’re disappointed to not have made more clear-cut chances and to not have made the most of one or two openings or creative positions that we got in.

“There’s much, much more to come out of this group. The focus and the shape of the game will be different at Bramall Lane. The pressure’s now back on them to make something happen, and although they’ll feel as though they’re in the box-seat because they’re back at home we’ve scored two goals up there two weeks ago so there’s no fear for us.

“I’m sure they’ll want to win it in normal time up there, but now the emphasis is well and truly thrown back on them. We know how tough it’ll be, but we also know that we’re capable of getting a result there and however long this game will have to last we’ll take it to the very brink.

“If it means penalties, we’ll take it to that if we possibly can and we’ll do everything in our power to sneak through to the next round.”