Sheffield United v Birmingham City: Leaders reminded the path towards promotion won't be easy to negotiate
“The best stadium, the best fans and the best atmosphere,” proclaimed Bramall Lane’s master of ceremonies, as this meeting with Birmingham City was about to get underway.
Sheffield United’s team is pretty dandy too, still sitting pretty at the summit of the Championship despite being held to a draw by the visitors from St Andrews. But the flow of the contest against John Eustace’s side, the fact they were able to turn it into an arm wrestle rather than a gentle stroll in the South Yorkshire sunshine, served as a reminder that, for all their undoubted potential, the path towards promotion will not be easy for a United team which saw Troy Deeney deny them a fifth consecutive victory and clean sheet after Oli McBurnie had scored for the fifth time in six outings.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” Heckingbottom conceded. “They’re a well disciplined outfit.”
Heckingbottom’s hunch that patience would be a virtue proved correct. City might have arrived in the lower reaches of the table but, now unbeaten in four, they are organised, committed and adept at stifling creativity. Eustace’s men know how to break up a game, the opposition’s game, too.
“I’m very proud of the performance,” he said. “To get a point against one of the best in the league.”
Despite their impressive results during its first 10 outings, United’s season has not been without difficulties. Forced to negotiate their way through a crippling injury crisis, which saw four left footed defenders miss the 11th, Heckingbottom’s solution to the problem caused by Anel Ahemdhodzic’s absence was to deploy an attacking midfielder - Reda Khadra - at wing-back. On loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, the German acquitted himself well, before making way for the returning Jayden Bogle. His afternoon did not get off to the most promising of starts; watching the ball roll under his boot as he attempted to control a routine pass. But Khadra, who recently told how his family were forced to “take flight” to escape the civil war in Lebanon, is made of stern stuff. Minutes later, he swept a delicious cross into John Ruddy’s area towards McBurnie which forced Auston Trusty to take evasive action.
Backed by a sold-out away following, City had their moments during the first-half. Jordan Graham was a pest. So was Scott Hogan, competing against the club he helped get promoted under Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder. But it was Tahith Chong who provided United with their biggest scare of the opening period, forcing John Egan to fling himself in front of his shot only seconds after a promising move involving Khadra had broken down at the other end of the pitch.
Heckingbottom had warned earlier in the week that City would pose a threat on the counter attack and that, in bright blue and white, was the evidence.
Sander Berge fired just wide for United as they continued to probe. But the hosts were unable to apply any concerted pressure until McBurnie’s instinctive finish just past the hour mark; the re-born centre-forward firing home when Oliver Norwood’s free-kick wasn’t cleared.
Unfortunately for the hosts, their usually watertight defence also sprung a leak soon after when Chong’s cross evaded everyone except Deeney, who inexplicably found himself unmarked on the edge of the six yard box.
Sheffield United: Foderingham, Basham, Egan ©, Norrington-Davies, Baldock, Khadra (Bogle 62), Norwood, Doyle (Brewster 62), Berge, McBurnie (Sharp 67), Ndiaye (McAtee 89). Not used: Davies, Arblaster, Gordon.
Birmingham City: Ruddy, Colin, Trusty, Bacuna (Mejbri 65), Deeney © (Bellingham 90), Hogan (Jutkiewicz 90), Graham, Chong (Hall 81), Longelo. Sanderson, Bielik. Not used: Etheridge, Leko, James.
Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).
Attendance: 29,927.
