Tom Cannon justifies Sheffield United belief with Burnley moment as Chris Wilder makes play-off promise
Tom Cannon justifies Blades' belief at Burnley amid boss' Sheffield United play-off promise
It took longer to arrive than anyone involved would have liked, but Tom Cannon’s first goal in Sheffield United colours can be the catalyst for the striker to show exactly why the Blades brought him to Bramall Lane earlier this year. The Republic of Ireland international went 12 games without scoring before making it a lucky 13 at Burnley on Monday evening.
That was only the seventh goal the Clarets had conceded on home soil this season and gave United some hope of inflicting their first Turf Moor defeat at the campaign, before a rash decision at the other end from Anel Ahmedhodzic presented Josh Brownhill to convert the winner from the penalty spot.
Defeat at Turf Moor officially condemned United to the play-offs but if Cannon can follow up his smart, narrow-angle finish high into the roof of James Trafford’s net by going on a run, then it will be a significant boost for the Blades ahead of the end-of-season shootout.
“It’s been difficult for Tom,” admitted boss Chris Wilder afterwards. “He came into the team in January, got injured against Middlesbrough and then Tyrese Campbell came into the team and got the Championship player of the month award. So, Tyrese has kept him out. But I thought he was right to put pace alongside Kieffer Moore, and hopefully Tom scoring will give him a boost to kick on.
“He was up against arguably the best player in the division [in Burnley’s Maxime Estève], so it was great for him. He’s going to be a good player for us. I don’t think he’s had many chances, and his injury came at an unfortunate time for him. Tyrese scored some goals and that form kept Tom out.
“That’s how it is, and that’s good for us. But ultimately I’m disappointed with the result. I’m not so sure that I’m looking through rose-tinted glasses, but I thought we did enough to get a result. We’ve just fallen a little bit short, but Tom scoring is a positive as is us showing that ability to fight and scrap against a team that’s gone 31 games unbeaten.”
Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United vow ahead of play-off campaign
While Leeds and Burnley will now go head-to-head for the Championship title, with both sides having the possibility of reaching 100 points with victory in their final two games, the Blades must now look to regain some positive momentum ahead of the play-offs after slipping to their fourth defeat in their last five games.
“Those two have been the best two teams,” a magnanimous Wilder admitted. “For two teams to possibly get 100 points and the title possibly going down to goal difference, it just shows you the quality. And then we’ve got to deal with the playoffs.
“We’ll end up being 20-odd points clear of some other teams that get in the play-offs. But we all know what the play-offs are like. All the slate gets wiped clean and we have to go and prove ourselves again. But there’s enough about us, in that changing room, to go and do that.”