IT BROKE records, captivated audiences across the country and served up a cast-iron candidate for one of the most thrilling encounters ever seen at the County Ground – Town’s last clash with Sheffield United was one for the ages.

Just four days after Nathan Byrne’s last-gasp pot shot had handed Mark Cooper’s men a 2-1 advantage at Bramall Lane, Town and the Blades met with a place in the League One play-off final on the line.

Not even the most fanciful of fans could have predicted what was in store.

Over the next 90 minutes, plus a whopping nine minutes of added time, a maelstrom of goals followed.

The breathtaking 5-5 draw set a new record for the most goals scored in a play-off semi-final and was Town’s highest-scoring match at home since World War Two.

With just four minutes gone, Ben Gladwin set the tone as his sweetly-struck volley whizzed past United keeper Mark Howard. The midfielder was soon tapping into an unguarded net to make it 2-0 after Byrne chased down a seemingly-lost cause, nicked the ball off the toe of Bob Harris and knocked a cross into the path of Gladwin.

With less than 20 minutes gone, Town were in dreamland as striker Michael Smith shrugged off Kieron Freeman with ease before swivelling and firing a low effort past Howard.

But the drama was just beginning.

The Blades went straight on the counter-attack and hauled one back as Jamie Murphy’s strike deflected in off Nathan Thompson. Not long before the break, the visitors were back within touching distance as Chris Basham powered a header past keeper Wes Foderingham.

Supporters probably required more than the 15-minute break before the start of the second period to rescue their collective breath - but they would be offered no such solace.

Nerves were momentarily settled when Smith dispatched a spot-kick after Howard scythed down Jermaine Hylton but just a few minutes later, back came the Blades, with Harris’ exceptional delivery headed in by Steven Davies.

Rudely, crowds were forced to wait almost 20 minutes for another goal but Jon Obika provided a stylish apology as he finished off a counter-attack by jinking between two defenders and slotting home the hosts’ fifth.

But if anyone thought that would be that, they were dead wrong.

After Foderingham made a string of saves, Matty Done lashed home to make things nervous before the tension really reached fever pitch when Che Adams made it 5-5 on the night.

Despite having to endure an unbearably-tense extended period of added time, Cooper’s men held on to progress to the play-off final.

Three-and-a-half months later, the Blades are in town once again – what odds on another nail-biter?