Deadbat
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Sheffield United’s quest for a perfect week ended in failure after a late Crewe goal saw the Railwaymen win for the first ever time at Bramall Lane.
After Lauri Dalla Vale had given the Alex the lead in the first half; Jason Holt levelled matters and United fans expected the victory but the home side created little and at the death Ryan Colclough smashed home to send the visiting fans into raptures.
The performance on Tuesday had been excellent and United fans came into the game with a renewed confidence but just four days later the Blades were really poor and looked a long way off a side competing for promotion.
United began unchanged after a resounding win but started slowly and the ball possession and movement of Tuesday did not seem to be on show. Baxter had one shot blocked but Flynn and Murphy were struggling to get on the ball and the game began in a scrappy fashion.
United were slow and were giving the ball away and from such giveaways the first goal came. First Basham and then Coutts tossed away possession. Ikpeazu used good strength to force his way through and with no challenge found a through ball onto DALLA VALE who beat a square and slow backline. His finish was cool as he clipped it beyond Howard.
United tried to respond but more mistakes crept in.
Brayford gave the ball away and Crewe were in again but Ajose’s shot lacked power. He should have scored. Crewe then had another chance when Dalla Vale again got in and this time his shot was wide. It was poor from United with only a disallowed goal from Davies who was adjudged to have jumped into the keeper the only real attack they offered.
Brayford had a good chance but headed wide from a corner and then Davies’ cross cum shot went wide.
The half time whistle was not long coming after this and it was not a positive reaction from the crowd as the player trooped off.
At the break Flynn was replaced by Davies who went in a position down the right.
United at least showed some more attacking purpose and Murphy had one good run before running out of space. Another run from Murphy led to the leveller. He advanced and found HOLT who smartly controlled and finished under the keeper. It was a well made and taken goal and a rare moment of quality
Murphy then scuffed at the keeper when well placed before Davis for Crewe was not far off target. United were in the ascendancy but poor passing, crossing and control meant they were struggling to create many more chances.
Doyle and Done came on for Baxter and Davies and then from a corner Basham hit the post from a header in United’s best moment and chance apart from the goal.
Dalla Vale then nearly caught out Howard with a turn and shot before Davies at the other end crossed into the Kop for the third time!
As the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, Davies gave away a silly foul and from it a corner resulted. As the ball came over and was half cleared COLCLOUGH received the ball and hit a fierce shot that dipped and arrowed past Howard. It went in the goal fairly centrally and the keeper will have been disappointed to let it go in. The Crewe players celebrated wildly as they knew they were close to stealing an unlikely three points right on stoppage time.
In the additional time, Coutts fired over when he should have done better but soon after the expected boos rang around the Lane as United lost at home again for the fifth time this season and the third time in five games.
United – Summed up United really. He kept the same team but they looked a completely different team. Gone was the energy, high tempo pressing and forward football to be replaced by much of what we have seen most of the season.
Slow, methodical play with little penetration, little creativity and few chances of note. We did not deserve to lose the game but Crewe actually has as many if not more clear chances. They easily could have gone in at half time a couple up. Second half was a bit better but not by much. We got a goal and huffed and puffed but the passing, movement and touch of nearly every player was eye poppingly bad. Basic stuff was done badly time and time again. It seemed to spread across the side as passes went astray, balls sailed out of play and players were stumbling all over. Crewe were little better but the late goal kind of summed up the day. Defeats to Fleetwood and Crewe at the Lane are unacceptable. Yes we are in this division on merit but you really expect much better of SUFC than the dross we have been served up most weeks (Tuesday aside).
After watching today I was staggered that it was the same team as the other night but that sums up the inconsistency of the side but would add we have been closer to the ragamuffin side I saw today most of the season than against Scunthorpe which is worrying. I came away today thinking we have little to no chance of going up and concerned we will even scrape in the playoffs after watching that. I don’t fancy us to get anything much against Barnsley or Doncaster if we play anything like that.
People may say it is a one off game; forget it, get over it and move on but it isn’t? We have seen games similar to that much of the season. Today I felt took on a new low though as I saw a team of players that in short looked hopeless. Could not pass, tackle, shoot or do anything for much of the 90 minutes. It really was dire and one of the poorest SUFC performances I have seen in recent years and I have seen some bad ones. It lacked excitement, drive, passion and more than all that quality. Some of the players that have been seen as integral parts of any push to promotion or move into the division above (Brayford, Murphy, Basham etc) looked not even good enough for the middle of League One.
Crewe were a poor side and another one there for the taking but we barely made the keeper make a save all afternoon.
After Lauri Dalla Vale had given the Alex the lead in the first half; Jason Holt levelled matters and United fans expected the victory but the home side created little and at the death Ryan Colclough smashed home to send the visiting fans into raptures.
The performance on Tuesday had been excellent and United fans came into the game with a renewed confidence but just four days later the Blades were really poor and looked a long way off a side competing for promotion.
United began unchanged after a resounding win but started slowly and the ball possession and movement of Tuesday did not seem to be on show. Baxter had one shot blocked but Flynn and Murphy were struggling to get on the ball and the game began in a scrappy fashion.
United were slow and were giving the ball away and from such giveaways the first goal came. First Basham and then Coutts tossed away possession. Ikpeazu used good strength to force his way through and with no challenge found a through ball onto DALLA VALE who beat a square and slow backline. His finish was cool as he clipped it beyond Howard.
United tried to respond but more mistakes crept in.
Brayford gave the ball away and Crewe were in again but Ajose’s shot lacked power. He should have scored. Crewe then had another chance when Dalla Vale again got in and this time his shot was wide. It was poor from United with only a disallowed goal from Davies who was adjudged to have jumped into the keeper the only real attack they offered.
Brayford had a good chance but headed wide from a corner and then Davies’ cross cum shot went wide.
The half time whistle was not long coming after this and it was not a positive reaction from the crowd as the player trooped off.
At the break Flynn was replaced by Davies who went in a position down the right.
United at least showed some more attacking purpose and Murphy had one good run before running out of space. Another run from Murphy led to the leveller. He advanced and found HOLT who smartly controlled and finished under the keeper. It was a well made and taken goal and a rare moment of quality
Murphy then scuffed at the keeper when well placed before Davis for Crewe was not far off target. United were in the ascendancy but poor passing, crossing and control meant they were struggling to create many more chances.
Doyle and Done came on for Baxter and Davies and then from a corner Basham hit the post from a header in United’s best moment and chance apart from the goal.
Dalla Vale then nearly caught out Howard with a turn and shot before Davies at the other end crossed into the Kop for the third time!
As the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, Davies gave away a silly foul and from it a corner resulted. As the ball came over and was half cleared COLCLOUGH received the ball and hit a fierce shot that dipped and arrowed past Howard. It went in the goal fairly centrally and the keeper will have been disappointed to let it go in. The Crewe players celebrated wildly as they knew they were close to stealing an unlikely three points right on stoppage time.
In the additional time, Coutts fired over when he should have done better but soon after the expected boos rang around the Lane as United lost at home again for the fifth time this season and the third time in five games.
United – Summed up United really. He kept the same team but they looked a completely different team. Gone was the energy, high tempo pressing and forward football to be replaced by much of what we have seen most of the season.
Slow, methodical play with little penetration, little creativity and few chances of note. We did not deserve to lose the game but Crewe actually has as many if not more clear chances. They easily could have gone in at half time a couple up. Second half was a bit better but not by much. We got a goal and huffed and puffed but the passing, movement and touch of nearly every player was eye poppingly bad. Basic stuff was done badly time and time again. It seemed to spread across the side as passes went astray, balls sailed out of play and players were stumbling all over. Crewe were little better but the late goal kind of summed up the day. Defeats to Fleetwood and Crewe at the Lane are unacceptable. Yes we are in this division on merit but you really expect much better of SUFC than the dross we have been served up most weeks (Tuesday aside).
After watching today I was staggered that it was the same team as the other night but that sums up the inconsistency of the side but would add we have been closer to the ragamuffin side I saw today most of the season than against Scunthorpe which is worrying. I came away today thinking we have little to no chance of going up and concerned we will even scrape in the playoffs after watching that. I don’t fancy us to get anything much against Barnsley or Doncaster if we play anything like that.
People may say it is a one off game; forget it, get over it and move on but it isn’t? We have seen games similar to that much of the season. Today I felt took on a new low though as I saw a team of players that in short looked hopeless. Could not pass, tackle, shoot or do anything for much of the 90 minutes. It really was dire and one of the poorest SUFC performances I have seen in recent years and I have seen some bad ones. It lacked excitement, drive, passion and more than all that quality. Some of the players that have been seen as integral parts of any push to promotion or move into the division above (Brayford, Murphy, Basham etc) looked not even good enough for the middle of League One.
Crewe were a poor side and another one there for the taking but we barely made the keeper make a save all afternoon.
