Sheffield United score one but Middlesbrough get three on a chastening and controversial night
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After an-hour-and-a-half of breathless action, plus a slice of controversy, it was Middlesbrough who pummelled Sheffield United into submission; condemning them to their first defeat since the beginning of November. Paul Heckingbottom’s men, still second in the table, remain in a strong position to claim automatic promotion. But with efforts from Chuba Akpom and a Cameron Archer brace cancelling out Oli McBurnie’s opener, United’s lead over Michael Carrick’s third placed squad has now been cut to seven points. Enough, even though they have a game in hand over the visitors, to change the tenor of the conversation surrounding this season’s promotion race.
Heckingbottom was dismissed for protesting, with plenty of justification, that James McAtee had been fouled by Hayden Hackney during the build-up to Archer’s second. But it had already become a chastening night for United, long before referee Andre Marriner appeared to signal an advantage which didn’t really exist.
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Hide AdBoth entering the fixture in superb form, it was no surprise to see the two managers only make one change apiece. But the switch Carrick did choose, against opponents who recalled their leading scorer Oli McBurnie for the injured Billy Sharp, will have raised eyebrows. Paddy McNair, whose marshalling of Oliver Norwood helped propel his employers to victory when they met on Teesside at the beginning of last term, was dropped to the bench to create room for Dael Fry.
As it turned out, Carrick performed exactly the same trick, albeit with different personnel and in a more sophisticated way. Rather than dominating the space between United’s defence and midfield by using the Northern Irishman’s muscle, Akpom’s movement gave the visitors a foothold after McBurnie’s opener. Dropping deep into the pocket, the former Arsenal trainee did more than just produce the shot which laid the foundations for Middlesbrough’s comeback. He exploited their lack of athleticism in central areas too.
Fast starts have been a feature of United’s play under Heckingbottom and they made an explosive one here, with McBurnie firing them in front before anyone had a chance to break sweat. After the centre-forward headed home from Jack Robinson’s long-throw, Anel Ahmedhodzic’s attempts to get a touch distracting Zack Steffen, two more opportunities quickly followed. Carrick was probably still wondering how Akpom had ended up marking the Scotland international when first McAtee and then Iliman Ndiaye drew saves from Middlesbrough’s on-loan goalkeeper.
As you would expect of a group which was 21st in the rankings only four months ago, Middlesbrough gradually recovered and edged their way back into the contest. Marcus Forss should have done better when he blazed over the crossbar but, midway through the opening period, the Finn redeemed himself by creating Akpom’s equaliser. The finish, which delivered his 18th goal of the campaign, was clinical; cutting inside Max Lowe before sweeping home past Wes Foderinham. But United’s defending, just like Middlesbrough’s 19 minutes earlier, left much to be desired.
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Hide AdHaving lost the momentum, the hosts fell behind soon after the interval when Archer punished another lapse by firing into the roof of Foderingham’s net. With United growing increasingly ragged, he pounced again with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining and McAtee had been wrestled off the ball.