Sheffield United's play-off dominance will evoke joyous Hull City memories | OneFootball

The Tigers enjoyed their own play-off semi-final demolition job back in 2008

The glory, drama and tension associated with the Championship play-offs has continued to be on show this season. However, for those of a Hull City persuasion, Sheffield United's progress over Bristol City will have drawn up similarities to one of the club's two post-season campaigns at this level.

In recent seasons, current owner Acun Ilicali has made it no secret that the East Yorkshire side are longing to end their current exile from the Premier League, having been relegated back in 2016/17, with the closest the club have come to doing so being a seventh-place finish in 2023/24.

However, turn the clock back to the 2007/08 season, and whilst the ambition remained the same under Phil Brown and then-chairman, Paul Duffen, the landscape in HU3 was in complete contrast, with Hull the biggest city in Europe to have never hosted a top-flight game, with some of City's greatest ever sides in the 1910s, 1960s and mid 1980s all falling short.

But, after gaining back-to-back promotions from League Two to the Championship shortly after moving into the-then KC Stadium in December 2002, the foundations were in place for an eventual shot at glory, and three games in May 2008 proved the ultimate culmination of such plans.

Hull City saw off Watford emphatically in the 2008 play-off semi-finals

Despite missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season, the mood heading into City's second-ever post-season campaign was one of immense positivity, having suffered just five defeats in 21 games which saw Brown's side surge up to third place, with the run including statement victories over champions West Brom at the Hawthorns, as well as seeing off play-off rivals Watford and Crystal Palace in HU3.

Aidy Boothroyd's side, meanwhile, were inside the top two for 30 of the 46 regular-season matchdays, but the side relegated from the Premier League in 2006/07 fell off a cliff, winning just one of their final 14 games and only just securing a play-off spot.

All the confidence in the build-up lied with Hull, and it proved to be the case in two memorable encounters for those of a black and amber persuasion.

Hullensian veterans and supporters Nick Barmby and Dean Windass fired the Tigers into a 2-0 lead inside the first 23 minutes at Vicarage Road after Danny Shittu saw an early goal ruled out, with long-standing goalkeeper Boaz Myhill also producing a spectacular save to prevent an audacious Mat Sadler volley from reducing the deficit heading into the second leg.

Reflecting on it years later, Brown admitted: "Knew the second leg wasn't over.

"If we got the third goal it was be game over. If it became 2-1.... nerves play a big part in any game of football.

"Nerves play a part not just on the field, off the field; The fans would be rocking back on their heels and thinking, 'what's happening here?' 'Browny' didn't tell us this was going to happen, or we didn't plan for this to happen, all of that was happening in my head," the former boss explained.

The Hornets would reduce the arrears just 12 minutes into the contest as a neat interchange between Nathan Ellington and Darius Henderson led to the latter calmly slotting past Myhill before a lengthy period of fear ensued in the home quarters.

However, those nerves were put to bed as Barmby showcased his experienced and steely determination to force a looping Richard Garcia header over the line two minutes before the break, with the latter stages of the second period turning into a party atmosphere.

Substitute and club-record signing Caleb Folan nodded home an exquisite cross from Sam Ricketts 20 minutes from time to all-but end Watford's hopes of a comeback, before a solo goal from Garcia and deflected effort from Nathan Doyle put even further gloss on proceedings and saw the aggregate scoreline end up 6-1 to the Tigers, who headed to Wembley for the first time in their history and subsequently, the Premier League after Dean Windass' famous volley against the Robins.

The Tigers were one of four sides to have established a 5-goal margin over two legs in the history of the second-tier, and that joint-record would stand for 17 years before the Blades' recent success over Liam Manning's team, who reached the play-offs for the first time since their defeat against Hull in North London.

Harrison Burrows, Andre Brooks and Callum O'Hare established a 3-0 goal lead at Ashton Gate which also drew up somewhat outlandish claims of a stirring comeback from the West Country side, which Hull nearly fell victims of back in 2016 after establishing a three-goal advantage against Derby County at Pride Park in 2016.

The Rams flew out of the traps in the second leg to reduce the aggregate scoreline to 3-2 in the first half through Andi Weimann and an Andy Robertson own-goal, although Steve Bruce's side would edge their way into the final and defeat United's bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 thanks to a Mo Diame stunner.

However, Chris Wilder's side became record-breakers in second-tier history with another 3-0 success in the Steel City with goals from Kieffer Moore, Gus Hamer and O'Hare's second off the bench in as many games, and they now face a fifth trip to the new Wembley, having lost on all four previous visits which included a memorable FA Cup