Sheffield United squandered the chance to put some more pressure on the teams around them in the race for the top six as they were pegged back by struggling West Bromwich Albion at Bramall Lane.
Both teams struggled to establish any sort of control in a first 45 minutes completely devoid of any real quality, save for an Andre Brooks effort that fizzed past the post. But United broke the deadlock when George Campbell turned Gus Hamer’s cross into his own net.
United had chances to go on and put the game to bed but they couldn’t and then paid the price seven minutes from time when Campbell redeemed himself by smashing in a long-range equaliser.
Here’s how we rated the Blades’ players on an afternoon of frustration at Bramall Lane...
1. Adam Davies 6
A rare Lane start for Davies after the Cooper injury blow but he kept the Blades in it at a crucial time with a smart save to deny Price, after he had been sent through on goal. Both he and Davies had an eternity to see who would blink first and Davies won that battle with a strong save to push away the effort. Later earned as big a cheer with sime decisive goalkeeping to bravely grab the ball and risk a clattering as it fell through the air near the burly Dike, and then did superbly at his near post to prevent a mishit cross from Price creeping in. He had little chance of preventing the equaliser, either, as Campbell smashed in from long range | UGC Photo: UGC
2. Ki-Jana Hoever 5
The on-loan Wolves man kept his place from last weekend's win at QPR, and deservedly so after a good display in the capital. But this was not one of those and if ever there was a metaphor for the standard of the first-half especially it came from Hoever, who got control of the ball from a cleared United corner about 40 yards from the opposition goal and decided to spank a pass back to Davies. But he shanked it terribly and it flew out for a corner, from which Albion could have broken the deadlock before the chance was fired over. It also felt like he was too comfortable going backwards to Davies when there was a chance to go forward and boss Wilder seemed to be making a similar point at times in the second half. But there were some decent moments as well and some good defending at the back stick up against Bostock won United a free-kick and Hoever a hug of appreciation from his goalkeeper. | UGC Photo: UGC
3. Japhet Tanganga 6
A commanding display from the United captain, who had an inauspicious start to the game when he went up for a header with Dike and took a whack to the head after winning that battle. He had some early treatment but was able to carry on and it didn't look to affect him at all as he won everything in the air and most things on the floor as well, before he was left asking questions of those in front of him as Campbell dragged the visitors level with a long-range strike | UGC Photo: UGC
4. Tyler Bindon 6
Apart from the chance for Price down the right channel, Tanganga and Bindon once again protected Davies superbly and managed to get something on just about everything that came into the box from Albion - even if his clearing header only fell as far as Campbell to smash Albion level inside the last 10 minutes | UGC Photo: UGC