Sheffield United reminded themselves of one of their biggest strengths with Portsmouth victory
Sheffield United got the better of Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday, winning 1-0, thanks to a late goal from Andre Brooks.
Some victories feel more significant and more important than others.
Sheffield United’s dramatic 1-0 triumph over Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon can be filed under that category.
Just as it looked as though United were going to miss out on the chance to close the gap on the play-off places and take advantage of a watered down Championship schedule due to the FA Cup fourth round taking centre stage at the weekend, Andre Brooks found himself in the right place at the right time.
Connecting with Tyrese Campbell’s low centre, Brooks, on the stretch, turned the ball in, sparking pandemonium in the away end behind the goal. The winger’s fourth goal in his last five games clinched all three points, moving United up to 15th and to within six points of the final play-off spot.
Considering the Blades became the first team in Championship history to lose 11 of their first 14 matches as recently as November, the fact they are right in the thick of the play-off conversation with 14 games to go is testament to the progress manager Chris Wilder has overseen.
United have gradually reduced the gap on the final play-off berth in the last few weeks, but not until now have they been within as few as six points of sixth spot. It must be pointed out they still have plenty of traffic to navigate their way through, and the gap could increase to as many as eight points if Wrexham beat Bristol City tonight (Tuesday), but United are not giving up - and why should they?
After being edged out by title hopefuls Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane last Monday evening, losing 2-1, Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth had to be considered as an opportunity to get back to winning ways.
Although Portsmouth have been strong at Fratton Park of late, winning three of their previous five home league games prior to the Blades’ visit, they are hovering just above the bottom three for a reason.
Was United’s performance against John Mousinho’s side inch-perfect? No. Did they produce some of the best football they have played this season? No. Did it end with them scooping all three points? Yes. And that is all that matters at this stage.
United cannot underestimate value of Portsmouth triumph
As the days slowly begin to get that little bit longer, the importance of getting three points on the board ramps up. We are now more than halfway through February, meaning each game becomes just that little bit more important.
With Wilder hailing the character of his players, and not for the first time recently, after the victory against Pompey, United will now have their sights set on completing a Sheffield double this weekend.
Wednesday will make the short trip to Bramall Lane knowing a defeat will confirm their relegation to League One - a scenario no Owls supporter will want to experience - but United’s focus will be on much more than that.
With Wrexham playing twice before they next take to the field, the Red Dragons, in the event of them securing maximum points, will move 11 points clear of the Blades, meaning United’s play-off aspirations will become even tougher. However, they can only control their own destiny and trying to beat Wednesday.
Having beaten Portsmouth right at the death, the manner of that victory will have done wonders for confidence ahead of Sunday’s derby.
United have been excellent at home in recent months, and the clash with Wednesday, when you take away the derby element and strip all the emotion out of it, represents another good opportunity to get three points on the board.
The win at Portsmouth also marked a first away win of 2026 for the Blades, meaning that will have boosted confidence levels in itself. But it is victories of this manner, the cagey, slender 1-0 triumphs, that are often the most valuable and important come the end of the season.
There is no guarantee United will reach the play-offs, but there is a guarantee they will give everything they have possibly got. The character and commitment of this group of players was on display right up until the full-time whistle at Fratton Park - and those qualities cannot be underestimated.
Saturday’s victory could prove to be absolutely priceless ahead of another opportunity to increase confidence levels even more.