Neil MacFarlane previews Brentford U21s' PDL play-off semi-final v Sheffield United | OneFootball

Brentford Under-21s travel to Sheffield United Under-21s in the Professional Development League semi-final on Monday 12 May (1pm kick-off BST) at Eco-Power Stadium.

The clash will be played at the home of Doncaster Rovers as Bramall Lane is the stage for the Championship play-off semi-final second leg on the same day.

Fresh off the back of a Premier League Cup semi-final win away at Southampton, the young Bees will be hoping to make a second final as they clash with the Blades.

“It's been a long and hard season which has been outstanding in many aspects. ” head coach Neil MacFarlane said.

“The amount of games that we've played, they've shown the fitness levels that we've really pushed them to.

"They've also shown their quality and mindset to be consistent in their performances and we just want to finish the season as strongly as possible.

"I've got a massive trust and belief in the group. They've been working so hard on the training ground and remained humble in their preparation. It'll be a really good game to look forward to on Monday.

"To make the play-offs in our first season in the PDL is great credit to the players."

Last time out

Brentford secured their place in the semi-final with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Barnsley U21s.

The Bees needed three points to confirm a spot, as Millwall U21s had played before them to apply pressure on the final game of the PDL regular season.

They stood up to the test terrifically; Paris Maghoma's goal was sandwiched between two excellent finishes from Romelle Donovan to ensure that MacFarlane's side finished second in the southern section.

The last time the two sides faced each other was on the first day of the PDL campaign, where the Blades came out as 6-0 victors in Yorkshire.

MacFarlane stressed how far his side have come since that day.

“We always reflect and always want to keep improving. As normal within the B team it takes a little while to settle down and the opening game was a part of that,” he said.

“We learnt a lot from it and it's important that we notice the progression of the team which has been month by month.

"They're a very good team, but when we perform the way we have been, so are we."

About Sheffield United

Sheffield United U21s finished top of the northern side of the PDL, with a five-point cushion above second-placed Burnley U21s who face Bournemouth U21s in the other semi-final.

Two of their five defeats came in their final two fixtures, losing away to both Fleetwood Town U21s (3-1) and Swansea City U21s (5-0).

There will be a battle in both boxes, as both sides boast prolific strikers: Brentford's Iwan Morgan sits third in the top scorer charts for the PDL with 17 goals, having scored seven in his last seven games.

Blades striker Jevan Beattie sits one place and one goal below him, on 16 goals in 10 appearances.

Match coverage

There will be updates from the game against Sheffield United on social media, as well as a match report on the club's official website and app.