The important points Sheffield United proved as they beat Swansea City, plus drop ball confusion

The Star’s James Shield identifies five things we learnt from a match which saw Paul Heckingbottom’s second-placed side retain their 10 point lead over third-placed Middlesbrough, who visit Bramall Lane on Wednesday.

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He should score more: The finish was exquisite, taking a moment to survey the scene in front of him and then firing the ball towards the one corner of the net where Andy Fisher had no chance of stopping it. Four days earlier, he had done exactly the same thing during an FA Cup tie against Wrexham - albeit using power rather than precision to hammer it home.

When he’s given the freedom to roam forward, Sander Berge frequently gets himself into goal scoring position. The Norway international has now claimed six goals so far this term. With shooting skills like this, he really should be looking to get a lot more.

Perceptions can change: I say this with no disrespect intended, because if he wasn’t an exceptionally talented footballer then he would never have turned professional. But at the beginning of the season, the sight of Jack Robinson’s name in the starting eleven would have given some supporters kittens.

Slowly but surely, the centre-half is rebuilding his reputation. He claimed United’s second against City and then hit the woodwork before Oli McBurnie netted against his former club late on.

But the most impressive thing of late about Robinson has been his all-round performances. He deserves his place on the team sheet. He’s displayed poise and, yes, bottle.

Confusion over re-starts: There were more dropped balls than a rainy day at Saracens during the second-half of the game. But when the referee kept awarding uncontested restarts to Fisher, some people raised eyebrows. The law states this happens when the “ball was in the penalty area…or the last touch of the ball was in the penalty area.” In other cases, it is dropped for “one player of the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player.”

Striking exactly the right tone: Speaking of McBurnie, the Scotland international showed it is possible to celebrate a goal against an old club without causing offence to its fans.

McBurnie spent four years at the Swansea.com Stadium and has frequently spoken of his respect for both the club and its fans. So, when he grabbed his 11th of the campaign to complete this 3-0 win, he darted away and smiled before being hugged by colleagues.

McBurnie didn’t rub the away supporters’ noses in it. But, rather than simply turning away as if nothing had happened, he also paid United’s followers the courtesy of looking delighted to have scored.

Actions speak louder than words: Heckingbottom and his coaching staff had clearly devised the right game plan beforehand. Indeed, the 45-year-old mentioned the need for composure during his pre-match media conference.

But knowing what to do and then actually going out there and doing it are two different things. United’s players demonstrated throughout this match they have the discipline to adhere to a strategy and also, after a less than impressive first quarter-of-an-hour, the nous to adapt it when required.

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