Another tick in the box for Sheffield United as they avoid Oxford United banana skin to keep fairytale prospect alive
Another tick in the box for Sheffield United as they avoid Oxford United banana skin to keep fairytale prospect alive
Sheffield United placed another tick in the box tonight as they avoid a potential banana skin at home to Oxford United and cut the gap further between themselves and the play-off positions. A 3-1 victory in their game in hand sent them to within eight points of sixth-placed Wrexham.
The result would not have caused shockwaves when it flashed on the vidiprinter but in real life this was an evening that could easily have slipped United up if they weren’t at their best, which they weren’t for periods in the first half.
Bramall Lane was freezing cold, United supporters didn’t have much to feed off from the hardy bunch who made a second trip up from Oxford in the space of a month and a slow start didn’t get them going either.
And it looked like it could be one of those evenings when the away side went ahead, capitalising on a mistake from home goalkeeper Michael Cooper to score through Myles Peart-Harris. That allowed Matt Bloomfield’s side to sit in and try to frustrate United, who had to show their patience and character to get back into it.
Sydie Peck’s calm finish dragged them level five minutes before half-time, before fellow academy graduate Andre Brooks turned things around with his third goal in three games after good work from Tom Cannon.
Another tick in the box for Sheffield United as they avoid Oxford United banana skin to keep fairytale prospect alive
Sub Chieo Ogbene marked his return from injury with his first goal in United colours to make the points safe and leave the possibility of a late-season surge up the table tantalisingly possible.
“We had to be alert to the danger and aware of the consequences as well,” boss Chris Wilder said afterwards. “Especially when the opposition sit in. I’ve got no issue with that; we’re the home team and we had to break them down.
“A lot of people saw the game and the opportunities to break it up and kill the momentum. Especially when they get themselves in front. It was a disappointing goal from our point of view, although the boy, to be fair to him, was alive and first to the ball.
“I thought especially the second part of the first half, the last 20-25 minutes, we moved them around. We were patient in our build and had to be aware of the counter-attack as well. You have to be patient but you have to be effective as well.
“Goals two and three were great from our point of view and it's a big win. Games like Leicester and Middlesbrough and Coventry, with full houses and expectancy levels, really take care of themselves but these are the ones when it’s really important that you get the result. And we've managed to do that.”