The day after losing their first match of the pre-season, Sheffield United sent a Reserves XI to the Impact Arena to take on Blue Square Premier side Alfreton Town.

The travelling side was made up of a mixture of the youth side that served the club so well last year, a few from the development squad and Aussie trialist Jimmy Oates.

A high tempo start had both sides sharing good chances. Blades keeper Long saved well with his legs from an early Alfreton break, McAllister had a shot saved by the outstretched Alfreton stopper Lowson and a scramble in the United box thankfully ended in the Alfreton striker falling over as he shaped to shoot in what looked like a dangerous opportunity for the hosts.

Typical of the frantic game that was ensuing, the deadlock was to be broken with a sucker punch. A Blades corner created a couple of chances, with the visitors hitting the woodwork and having an effort cleared off the line. It was to be the clearance that created the opening, with Alfreton breaking down the other end of the field and stabbing a shot past Long. The tidy Alfreton side gained in confidence and weren’t a million miles away from adding a second with an audacious attempt at a scissor kick whistling wide.

Erik Tonne went close with a couple of long range efforts, but the Blades went into half time 1-0 down despite their energetic efforts.

It was around 5 minutes into the second half when the Blades finally got on the score sheet, Erik Tønne with a well taken effort from just outside the right corner of the penalty area.

The young Blades side ended the night in frustration with Paul Clayton heading home from close range as United failed to deal with an Alfreton corner.

In fairness despite playing against a well organised, impressive Alfreton team, the Blades could consider themselves unlucky to lose with a number of chances to equalise not converted. The most memorable of these was Danny Philliskirk’s expert control and shot from a high thru-ball. The ex-Chelsea man plucked the ball out of the air and in the same move fired past the Town goalkeeper only to see his effort bounce back off the crossbar.

Alfreton Town 2 – 1 Sheffield United

Alfreton Town: Lowson, Law, Franklin, Streete, Young, Wilson, Brown, Moult, Clayton, Broughton, Hall.
Subs: Hawes, Mullan, Senior, Mackin, Arnold, Jarman, Franks, Hudson, Turner

Sheffield United: Long, Brown, Oates, Barry, Harriott, Murray, Philliskirk, McAllister, Pomares, Coneely, Tonne.
Subs: Willis, Chapell, Gregory, Whitehouse

Attendance: 501

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