SHEFFIELD United manager Nigel Clough believes the loss of centre back John Brayford was a pivotal factor in his side’s failure to beat Swindon Town over two legs.

Brayford played just the first 45 minutes of the overall contest, being withdrawn at half time at Bramall Lane because of injury while the Blades were 1-0 to the good.

Town were able to turn that around to carry a 2-1 lead back to the County Ground and a lack of leadership at the back cost United in the return leg as Swindon made the most of some abject defending.

Clough reckons that had he had Brayford, who signed for United from Championship side Cardiff City for £1.5million in January, at his disposal for both games it would have been his side and not Mark Cooper’s who are on the way to Wembley.

“Whatever the result on Thursday night, to lose him was a bigger blow. I’d rather go in with a two-goal deficit with John Brayford in the team,” said Clough.

“With him in the team I don’t think we’d have conceded five goals tonight. I think we’d have scored five but I don’t think we’d have conceded five.”

Town swiftly capitalised on Brayford’s absence to romp into a three-goal lead after 18 minutes at the County Ground.

Although the Blades battled back and were level by the time the final whistle went, it was that slow start that ultimately proved costly.

Clough hailed his players’ response to that setback and reckons his side were the more adventurous of the two over the two legs.

“Courage is something we talked about before the game. To go 3-0 down and come back and still be in the game in the 90th minute is an incredible effort,” said Clough.

“I’d rather we didn’t go 3-0 down but it was bizarre right from early on.

“We had three chances and they had three but we scored one. It could have been 3-3 after 15 or 20 minutes. Their three chances have gone in, whereas Ryan Flynn headed one over the bar and Bob Harris missed one.

“We knew we had enough to create chances and to score goals. You look over the course of the two games, we conceded seven and scored six and could have had a lot more, we created more chances over the two games than them.

“We’ve failed on what we were hoping to do – promotion – but if you’re going to fail, fail having a go and we certainly did that.

“I don’t think we were the lesser side over the two games. Ultimately, you look back to Bramall Lane on Thursday and that’s what cost us.”