What we learnt after Sheffield United concede 89th minute winner against Portsmouth
Four things we learnt after Sheffield United concede in the 89th minute to lose against Portsmouth
It was heartbreak for Sheffield United fans after their side conceded in the 89th minute to lose at Fratton Park against Portsmouth.
Ebou Adams broke United hearts in the dying moments after an unlikely fightback from Chris Wilder’s side, who went down to 10-men in the first half when Hamza Choudhury was given a soft second yellow card just after the home side had gone in front through a Zak Swanson cracker.
Adrian Segecic made it 2-0 for Pompey and that looked to be game over for the Blades.
However, Japhet Tanganga pulled one back and then Tom Cannon equalised to send travelling Blades into raptures but they ended up with nothing thanks to Adams’ late winner.
Here are four things we learnt after the ten-man Blades’ narrow defeat.
Chris Wilder showed his experience and knowledge of the game at half-time after going down to 10 men
The Blades gaffer’s half-time substitutions sparked a lot of questions among Unitedites, taking off top scorer Patrick Bamford and a fellow attacker in Ben Brereton Diaz and replacing them with midfielder Kalvin Phillips and defender Mark McGuinness.
However, United had to dig deep in the second half, and Wilder’s tactics almost came up trumps. Sheffield United almost held on for a draw, as they were largely under the cosh after Tom Cannon’s equaliser for the Blades.
Ebou Adams eventually made sure that Pompey’s relentlessness paid off.
United were slow out of the blocks
In the opening 25 minutes, Pompey were relentless in their attempt to break the deadlock. The Blades faced seven shots in that time but failed to hit a single one on target. The home side had 14 touches in United’s box, while the visitors only managed half as much.
The ten-man defence stood firm (for the most part)
United made 36 clearances throughout the 90 minutes, and showed a lot of strength in defence as they were under pressure for large parts of the game.
Despite conceding three on paper, considering the Blades played over 45 minutes with a man deficit, their defensive grit and determination deserved a point.
Tahith Chong put in another solid shift
The 26-year-old made life hell for his opposite in the first half, causing Pompey defender Jayden Meghoma all sorts of trouble in the first half. The winger showed bravery in his direct running and managed to create a couple of chances with his crosses. Even after Wilder’s tactical switch at half-time, which saw the natural attacker take up a wingback role. Although he found himself caught out on a few occasions, on an attacking front Chong did well.
Hamza Choudhury’s sending off was the difference
Although it looked like United were going to salvage a point after the red card shown to Hamza Choudhury, it completely changed the dynamic of the match. Until that point, the Bangladesh international put it in a solid shift defensively against 17-year-old Ryan Kavuma-McQueen. United showed that without losing a player, they would have caused Portsmouth a lot more problems.
Chris Wilder is now faced with a difficult decision on Saturday as to who starts at right-back, which could see Matt Doherty return to the side.