4/10 man's moment sums up Sheffield United's display v Oxford United as key stars struggle: player ratings

Sheffield United surrendered their grip on top spot in the Championship this afternoon as they went down 1-0 at struggling Oxford United. The Blades had travelled south in pole position for promotion back to the Premier League but fall to second, a point behind new leaders Burnley and one ahead of third placed Leeds.

The Blades kicked off at the Kassam in the knowledge that victory would open up a four-point gap between them and third-placed Leeds United after they could only draw away at Luton Town earlier in the day, while Burnley won at Coventry. But they never really got going from an attacking sense, despite home ‘keeper Jamie Cumming making two smart saves in the first half to deny Harrison Burrows and then Tyrese Campbell.

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Oxford were not shy to launch the ball into the United box through the long throw of former Owl Will Vaulks and it was from one such situation that the game was decided, when United lost two defensive headers in a row and Siriki Dembele took advantage of the space he had been afforded at the back post to finish past Michael Cooper.

The goal didn’t inspire a great deal more from the Blades, although Sydie Peck looked to keep driving them forward and sent a low effort just wide of Cumming’s right-hand post. United threw on all their attacking options from the bench but it wasn’t enough as they slipped to a rather untimely defeat.

Here’s how we rated the Blades ...

Michael Cooper 5

Exposed for the goal and otherwise had little to do. Troubled at times by the barrage of long throws that came into the United box but those in front of him protected their goalkeeper well for the most part - until they didn’t.

Femi Seriki 5

Briefly got the travelling fans off their seats when he was given the chance to stretch his legs down the right but Oxford defended diligently and managed to repel his crossing attempts more often than not. Defensively he had his ropey moments, slipping at a key time and potentially dropping his side in it and failing to deal with a ball into the box for the opening goal

Anel Ahmedhodzic 5

May have had his heart in his mouth a little around the hour mark when a Seriki slip threatened to let Harris clear, before Ahmedhodzic came across and felled him. The home side were baying for a red but referee Linington probably made the right call with just a yellow.

Earlier, neither he nor Seriki could do enough to win the second header in the build-up to Oxford’s opening goal and Dembele was subsequently left all alone at the back post, to take a touch and then finish far too easily past an exposed Cooper

Jack Robinson 5

Midway through the half, with United toiling a little and keeping possession a little too safely for some fans’ liking in the away end, Robinson seemed to respond to the murmurs of discontent with a word or two in the direction of the travelling supporters.

It wasn’t entirely unwarranted but in mitigation they would argue that they hadn’t been given a great deal to hang on to by the players on the pitch. Robinson and Ahmedhodzic had the most and second-most touches in the United side, which rather suggests that United’s play was more passive than Unitedites, and boss Wilder, will have come to expect. Booked in the dying moments for fouling Matos

Harrison Burrows 5

Forced the first save of the game from either goalkeeper midway through the first half when he exchanged passes with Hamer and was sent clear in the area, but his well-struck effort was pushed away by Cumming in the home net.

Got forward when he could but Hamer’s tendancy to float inside from his role on the left sometimes left Burrows isolated out there and with no other real option than to turn back

Sydie Peck 6

Looked visibly frustrated with himself as he surrendered possession uncharacteristically cheaply in the first half to turn the ball over, but almost made amends towards the end of the first half when he created a bit of space for himself with some quick feet before forcing a save from Cumming at his near post.

As the game wore on it was Peck who seemed to look to take it upon himself to try and drive United forward and make things happen, taking some rather rough treatment from Vaulks and Brannagan in the process. Flashed a shot just wide from range after sensing no other option, with Cumming beaten. Made way later on for Cannon but was United’s leading light, for my money

Hamza Choudhury 4

Deservedly kept his place in midfield despite Souza being back available, the Brazilian only named on the bench on his comeback from injury, but there may be a few more question marks about who should start in midfield going forward. One early second-half moment summed up United’s afternoon to that point when he ballooned a simple pass miles over the head of Burrows and out of play for a throw-in.

There was no real surprise when he made way just before the hour mark, for Souza, and the way he booted a water bottle in frustration as he made his way back to the dugout summed up the wider feeling from a United persuasion

Ben Brereton Diaz 4

Got into some good positions when United put together some nice passages of play amongst the early chaos but too often his touch let him down when a little bit more composure would have created a more dangerous situation for the visitors. Couldn’t get into the action at all throughout, having the fewest touches of any outfield player at the time he made way alongside Choudhury, also to no-one’s great surprise

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Rhian Brewster 5

Went into the game looking for his third goal in as many games but in the end most of his work was in his own penalty area, as he headed away more than his fair share of missiles launched into the Blades box by former Wednesday man Vaulks. Brewster did have the Blades' first chance in this one as Peck played him through, but his shot was deflected behind for a corner

Gus Hamer 5

An unwelcome quiet performance from the Blades’ most creative force, who they have come to rely on in recent times for a bit of spark going forward but which was so obviously lacking here. He made some real uncharacteristic misplaced passes but looked for a second like he may have got one in the money after the break, before Cumming got to the ball just before Campbell.

United had a late chance to potentially snatch an equaliser when they won an 89th-minute corner but Hamer ballooned it over Cumming’s crossbar, much to the annoyance of Robinson at the back post and of a few thousand travelling Blades behind him

Tyrese Campbell 5

Also kicked off in good scoring form and was close to his fifth goal in six games when he wriggled free and found a yard of space in the box, smashing a shot hard and low towards the bottom corner of Cumming’s goal but seeing the Oxford stopper stick out a foot and somehow deflect it behind to keep the scores level.

Other than that he was forced to feed off mostly scraps as United struggled to get any real cohesion in their play and his last touch of the ball was a toe-ended chance which Cumming gathered, before he was replaced by Moore

Subs: Vini Souza

Came on for Choudhury on his return from injury

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Replaced the ineffective Brereton Diaz down the right and had a great late chance after Ahmedhodzic flicked on Robinson’s long throw, but he couldn’t sort out his feet in time and the opportunity went begging

Also used: Moore, O’Hare, Cannon