In a drab game between two evenly-matched teams for the most part, United went closest to breaking the deadlock when they twice hit the woodwork before suffering just before the end of the game, when Chris Basham fouled Victor Gyokeres and former Blades target Martyn Waghorn stepped up to score the winner from the penalty spot.
United suffered another injury blow earlier in the game when Rhys Norrington-Davies was stretchered off and have now taken just two points from a possible 15 since returning from the international break, losing their grip on the automatic promotion places ahead of this weekend’s visit of promotion rivals Norwich City.
Here’s how we rated United’s players on the whistle at the CBS Arena...
9. Ben Osborn 5
Retained his place from Saturday but switched to his more natural position of midfield - at least for 10 minutes or so, until Norrington-Davies' injury. Was wiped out by Dabo in a challenge that should have seen the City man pick up a second booking but inexplicably, he didn't Photo: Catherine Ivill
10. Iliman Ndiaye 6
Never stopped trying to fashion a moment of magic and ran his blood to water in an attempt to do so. But too often when he did pick the ball up in a potentially-dangerous area, he looked up and his nearest teammate was 20 or 30 yards away Photo: Darren Staples
11. Oli McBurnie 5
Cut a frustrated figure as crosses went over him or were blocked just short, and the half-chances he did have when the ball fell his way just wouldn't go in. Thought he had found the breakthrough late on but his long-range shot hit the base of a post and rebounded wide Photo: Darren Staples
12. Subs: James McAtee 5
Showed some promising moments but also some frustrating ones, including a second-half move when he was played in a promising position but appeared to run the ball out of play. Then a top bit of skill saw him nutmeg his man before a dangerous cross was blocked Photo: Tim Goode