Derby County fell short of the Championship play-offs after Sheffield United left a packed Pride Park stunned with a fightback victory on a dramatic final day.

The eighth-placed Rams had to win and hope results elsewhere went their way for them to leap two spots and gatecrash the top six.

Sam Szmodics gave Derby the ideal start with a tap-in finish following the chaos of a corner that the Blades failed to clear.

And until a defensive mistake from Joe Ward gifted Tom Cannon the chance to level in the 62nd minute, the Rams looked on track to continue their Premier League promotion push.

Sydie Peck then edged the Blades ahead with a long-range finish to deflate the hosts, although Hull City's win against Norwich meant that, ultimately, even a Rams victory would not have been enough to snatch the last of the play-off spots.

Defeat consigned the Rams to an eighth-placed finish, four points adrift of the Tigers, while victory ensured the Blades ended up 13th, a respectable finish after their awful start to the season.

While Szmodics squandered a huge chance inside the first 90 seconds when sent clear on goal on a must-win afternoon in the East Midlands, the Republic of Ireland international wasted no time in making amends when he popped up unchecked at the back post to open the scoring in the fifth minute.

He came up with a poked finish from point-blank range after darting in to meet a deflected Jaydon Banel shot.

While the Rams – spurred on by Szmodics, the ever-energetic Banel and industrious David Ozoh in the middle of the park - looked the most threatening for much of the first half, the Blades improved after their sluggish start.

Although a direct free-kick from Gustavo Hamer that demanded a diving save from Jacob Widell Zetterstrom was the only real chance United created in search of a first-half leveller.

Blades goalkeeper Adam Davies was tested early in the second half by a curled free-kick from Ward, whose misplaced pass at the other end just after the hour mark cost the Rams dearly.

The ball only found Hamer, who moved it on to Patrick Bamford in the box where he teed Cannon up to slot home into an unguarded net.

Peck landed the hammer blow on Derby soon after, with his dipping shot finding the bottom corner.

Sondre Langas went on to loop a header onto the roof of the net as the hosts searched for a way back into the game and play-off picture, but in the end they had Zetterstrom to thank for keeping the scoreline down as the Sweden international denied Danny Ings.