'Five minutes apart, that was a job well done' - Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder on FA Cup win

Chris Wilder was able to reflect on a “job well done” after watching Sheffield United beat Plymouth Argyle to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
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Despite bemoaning the careless five minutes which allowed Ryan Lowe’s side back into the game during the closing stages, the United manager expressed satisfaction with his players’ attitude and overall approach.

“The thing you always look for in these situations, well the things, is character and professionalism,” Wilder said, after watching Chris Basham and Billy Sharp put United in front before Panutche Camara reduced the deficit. “Apart from five minutes or so towards the end, when we gifted them something and all credit to them they took it, I thought we were on top.

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“Arguably, we should have stretched our lead but, again, they dug in and tried to make it difficult.

Chris Wilder: Simon Bellis/SportimageChris Wilder: Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Chris Wilder: Simon Bellis/Sportimage

“It was job done. That’s the most important thing. And now we move on.”

Basham, who played in the last meeting between these two clubs seven years ago, opened the scoring when he headed home at the far post just before the interval. Sharp, who provided the assist, then stretched United’s advantage following a superb through ball by Oliver Norwood - spotting a gap between two defenders and then calculating the best angle to send his captain darting through.

Argyle were handed a lifeline when first John Lundstram and then Basham were guilty of mistakes, before Aaron Ramsdale allowed Camara’s shot to slide beneath his body. Ramsdale could, and should, have done better. The same, however, goes for his team mates.

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With United bottom of the Premier League table and 12 points adrift of safety ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Manchester United, Wilder hopes advancing to the latter stages of the later stages of the competition will improve his team’s confidence.

“There’s no downside to winning a game of football,” he said. “No matter what game it is.”

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