Deadbat
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The Blades recent improved results continued with a narrow victory just down the road as Ched Evans late goal saw off neighbours Chesterfield. In truth it was a horrible game of football with little football being played by either side. United had by far the greater chances but the performance was far from convincing as they struggled mightily to break down the bottom of the table side.
United were forced into two changes with David McAllister coming in for Nick Montgomery and Chris Porter for Richard Cresswell. United had Johnny Ertl back on the bench after a long injury lay off but there was no James Beattie in the 16. Indeed there was no striker on the bench at all. Out of form Chesterfield began with ex Owl Leon Clarke and also were able to name former Blade Jack Lester as a substitute after a lengthy period out of action.
Chesterfield were the first to show in the game and forced United back; winning a few early corners and throw ins deep in the Blades territory. Simonsen held one corner well and Collins headed another away. The wind was causing real problems as United saw the ball coming into their box often as a result of high, long balls swirling in the wind towards their defence. There was little football being played in the game and a bad challenge from Trotman saw him booked for clattering Porter. The United man had to go off injured for treatment and came back wearing a Terry Butcher style bandage. Odabeyi had a shot over the bar and the diminutive Johnson looked to get on the ball at every chance as Doyle and McAllister saw little of the ball. Chesterfield would have been pleased with their start but they had not really worked Simonsen despite having more of the game. United finally came out and played a flurry of football and Quinn’s cross was deflected wide with Porter waiting to pounce. Evans then hit a fierce shot which was beaten away by Fleming.
United had another chance from Williamson’s corner as Collins header was touched goalwards but a combination of Fleming and the post contrived to stop the ball going over the line. The ball bounced away but a mass scramble ensued and the ball ricocheted around but no red and white shirt could convert. Lowton then combined with Evans but the striker could not get his shot away. Just before the break both sides had good chances. A nice move saw the ball switched from left to right by Bowery and then Clarke. This saw Johnson unopposed but his low shot saved at his near post from Simonsen. The Chesterfield player would probably have felt he should have done better. Lowton made space with a nice jink inside and whipped in a delightful cross but it just evaded the sliding Porter.
Despite a poor performance where they had not really got on top of the game, the Blades actually had created the better chances and maybe should have been ahead on this statistic even if they had conceded possession too easily.
United kicked off the second half towards the 2,000 fans packed behind the goal. The Blades began well forcing an early corner after an Evans shot was blocked. At the other end Ford’s flicked shot was held by Simonsen. It seemed like Evans was the one most likely to make the breakthrough for the visitors and had a fierce shot pushed away by Fleming again.
United now seemed more likely but poor passing and decision making often broke down any kind of semblance of a move. The home side still looked threatening on the break and it nearly proved after a corner that Quinn completely miskicked. The Spireites broke thanks to the pace of Mendy who outstripped three Blades players with his searing pace but then wasted his work with a weak finish that Simonsen saved easily. Chesterfield then had a good effort when Clarke’s overhead kick hit the top of Simonsen’s bar but the action quickly went to the other end and Quinn’s flicked finish was disallowed for offside after Lowton’s shot. Williamson had been struggling and had to limp off being replaced by Flynn as Untied tried to make the breakthrough in a very poor game.
The wind was not abating and United now had it behind them but were often overplaying balls or clearances. Porter got caught offside twice and the substitute Flynn drifted inside after a good first touch bit his shot was tipped round the post by Fleming. McAllister then fired over and it did seem that despite a relatively even contest, the Blades were now looking far more likely win the game if a goal was to arrive. So it proved with just under ten minutes left. The ball was thrown out from Simonsen to Quinn who played the ball into EVANS. The striker had a lot to do but turned, twisted and made a yard of space on the angle before drilling a beautiful low shot right into the corner beyond the despairing dive of Fleming.
The United players celebrated in front of the away fans and they knew that it was probably the moment that would win the game such was the scarcity of quality in the game all afternoon. Chesterfield made a triple change with Westcarr, Lester and Morgan coming on for Obadeyi, Clarke and Johnson. United fans probably feared the worst with Lester’s introduction but none the less gave the Unitedite an excellent reception. Porter came off for the returning Ertl and United now had to dig in and make the required clearances/headers. In truth the home side never really looked like scoring and did not even make a chance in the final stages of the game. There was an additional 5 minutes of stoppage time adjudged to be played which was strange when only 1 had been played in the first half when there was an even longer stoppage (Porter)! However, Evans and Williams using up time in the corner saw out time expertly and Quinn nearly had a second when played in by Evans but his low first time clipped shot was turned around the post by the excellent Fleming. The final effort was an awful sliced shot from Morgan that went closer to the corner flag than the goal and the full time whistle came soon after. It had not been convincing but it was still a happy short journey home for the Blades amongst the 9,259 crowd.
United – It was quite a poor performance I felt. It was a game that just looked to be drifting to a 0-0 stalemate and United could not have really argued if that was the case. We had more chances than them and their keeper made some decent saves but we never really looked convincing. We gave the ball away constantly and in the first half in particular seemed to lose a lot of the battles and actually they had most of the ball. The first half hour we never really started and some of the passing and control was abysmal. It seemed like we look totally disinterested and the midfield duo of Doyle and McAllister were never in it. Quinn was awful and the front two were not holding the ball up. We did have a spell just before half time and created a few chances and actually these chances were still as good as anything if not better than anything Chesterfield did who only had one Johnson shot I can recall. I thought we would improve in the second half and we did in that we had more of the game and actually once again had more chances but it was a dire game. The wind meant it was swirling about and there very little passing nor quality. Evans looked the one who may score or create something out of both teams and that was of course the case. I was actually surprised when he scored as the game seemed certain to just be an inevitable score draw.
United have to do much better than that though. We were playing a terrible side that have been shipping 4’s and 5’s most weeks and struggled to create clear openings. We gave the ball away way too much and there was so much long ball and aimless punts it was frightening. The likes of Maguire, Doyle and Williams seemed unwilling to keep the ball on the deck. I thought Porter was woeful and Evans had no kind of partner all afternoon. I also thought that the midfield duo did not win enough balls but more than this their passing and composure was wretched. I was quite disappointed with McAllister who I thought would stand out. Doyle was his usual self with the only things of note he did was trying to get people into trouble. The only real positive outside of the win and the excellent goal is another clean sheet and the defence did ok (albeit against a powder puff attack). Collins, Simonsen and Lowton have improved in recent weeks and look steady again. Three clean sheets in a row are really positive but we have to now look at how we can do better to keep the football and create things. We really looked a poor side today and the result masks a lot of concerns. Against many other sides in the division today (and they are some bad ones) we probably would have lost.
Chesterfield – They were awful really. They huffed and puffed and won a few of the battles early on and I suppose did ok in the first half hour. However, a Johnson shot saved and a Clarke effort onto the bar was about it the entire game in terms of meaningful efforts on goal. They still coped with us easy enough and although Fleming made a few good saves they were saves you would expect him to make. They had little going forward with Clarke poor and the only real dangerman was the guy playing wide left (was it Mendy? Apologies if I have got that wrong) who gave Williams a difficult game. The little midfielder Johnson got on the ball and tried to keep it moving (which was more than we did) but they tossed away possession just as much as us; maybe even more and often could not even keep it on the pitch. The centre backs Ford and Trotman looked so slow and easy to turn but found their match for dearth of pace in Porter and Evans.
Granted the wind did not help either side but some of the control/passing was laughable (from both sides). I think they will struggle to stay up but then as today showed there is not much between the teams in the whole division and it really is a poor standard overall. Maybe Lester can come in and give them a lift in the next few weeks (he would walk into United’s team even though he is coming towards the end of the season). Despite his Wednesday connections Sheridan has done a good job there and it would be incredibly harsh to sack him; certainly before Xmas. He should get a chance to bring some more players in when the next window arrives and maybe then can have a real go but look to be sadly lacking in quality.
Simonsen 7/10 – Had very little to do really. He handled crosses and through balls well and was able to save what came at him but I can only recall one shot at his near post he got down well to save and then watching one onto his bar in the second half. The one gripe was his kicking which was awful all game. In the first half he basically did not seem to realise it was blowing right to left and continued to not adjust his kick; meaning the ball kept going out or swirled across to Quinn head height. I thought he may do better in the second half but his kicks sometimes still only just made halfway. Ironically though he made the goal with a throw out!!!
Lowton 7.5/10 – Thought he had a really solid game against his home town club. He has improved a lot in the last few weeks and got back to some of his standards he set last season. Defended well and played with a composure and nice poise about him. Made some intelligent covering interceptions and stuck to his task against a fast winger. Going forward he looked one of our main threats, having a few shots and also putting in a few great crosses. Good to see his improvement.
Williams 5/10 – He was really poor today and if a goal was going to come for Chesterfield it was probably down his side. Mendy gave him a bit of a torrid time and beat him quite a lot for pace and skill. He seemed to make some really bad decisions as he dithered waiting for the ball to bounce rather than attacking it or refusing to use his right foot and often going in a circle just to use his left foot.
Maguire 6/10 – He was mostly decent but at times seemed to be at full stretch and got lucky on a few occasions when he just got his boot to the ball. He got away with a few really poor clearances straight into the air or to a Chesterfield player but at least he stuck to his task and made sure he did not make a mistake. Won a few good headers/tackles near the end after we had scored.
Collins 8/10 – Thought he was our best player. He did not put a foot wrong all game and actually cruised through the game. Won headers, made interceptions and used ball better than most. Showed real calmness to play the ball back to Simonsen under pressure or just see off any through balls or possible chances. Really improved a lot this year.
Doyle 5/10 – Seemed more interested in getting Chesterfield players booked/sent off than playing the game. When he did have the ball he at times kept it nice and simple but than at other booted it our or played some aimless balls to no one in particular. It is hard to see what he does offer as he is not really a combative, harassing type player but does not have the technique to keep the ball. He is a nothing sort of player really but at the moment in such awful games and against really poor teams, Wilson seems to think he is what we need. I suppose we are getting results and keeping clean sheets so he is vindicated.
McAllister 5/10 – Liked the look of him v Bristol City at the end of last season. Looked a clever footballer who got forward and had a good shot. Surprised he has not been given more of a chance but today he was largely ineffective in a dreadful game. He barely got on the ball and when he did his passing was mixed. He did not get into the box at all and also defensively seemed slow to react and lost a number of loose balls/50-50’s. He does not look like he is much better than what we already have but I suppose it is hard when you have been out of the game for so long. Needs to improve though as he was facing really poor opposition and did not stand out.
Williamson 6.5/10 – Thought he looked one of our better players for much of the game; showing good control and actually being one of the few players who passed the ball and tried to keep it. Linked up well and defended when he had to. Felt sorry for him as he did at least try and play football. Unfortunately he can never stay fit and went down injured in the first half. He then came back on but in the second half he went down again and had to come off looking in quite a bit of pain. A good player but never stays fit and never seems to play a full 90 minutes let alone a series of games in a row.
Quinn 5.5/10 – Another poor performance on the whole. Began by going to the ground two or three times unnecessarily and drew the ire of the Chesterfield fans for the rest of the game. He not only annoyed them but us Blades with some shocking decision with the ball and generally was poor. Amongst this he showed one or two nice touches and a few clever balls but it was all too little.
Evans 7/10 – Up and down game. Showed some flashes where he looked really dangerous with a few good shots on goal but also was too slow to make decisions at time or get his shot away. At times put a real shift in such as when he chased down the centre back to fashion a chance at the by-line in the second half but then other times seemed to be ambling around or was arguing with teammates; Quinn. He seemed as frustrated as us fans and when he got barely a half chance, he twisted, turned and made a yard before hitting a great shot into the corner. It was maybe the only quality moment of the entire game.
Porter 3/10 – Utterly dreadful. One of the worst centre forwards I have ever seen in a red and white shirt. Awful first touch, slow, runs the wrong way, always offside and seemingly unable to have any kind of understanding with any of his teammates. Got a kick and came off with a bandage on but seemed to get worse after this! He would surely have been taken off a long time before he did if we had any options on the bench but he remained plodding around aimlessly. Surely Philliskirk and Tonne cannot be any worse? Hopefully Beattie gets fit and he won’t be near the match day squad let along the first team.
Subs
Flynn – Once again looked lively when he came on. Showed a few nice touches and had a run and shot that was turned round the post. He does give us something a bit different and has good close control and technique. Looks like Williamson injury curse has continued and maybe Flynn will get a run now.
Ertl – Came on right near the end for Porter and was put just in front of the back four but cannot remember him having a kick.
Officials – He reffed it ok and I thought kept things flowing relatively well. He booked Trotman for a dangerous kick high at Porter
Crowd/Atmosphere/Stadium – I have heard Chesterfield fans raving about it and I suppose after going to the decaying Saltergate; anything would be an improvement but I was not impressed. It is clean, nice and modern but it is another lego style ground that has little atmosphere (any noise escapes in the corners), no real character and it was quite small too. It is a perfect size for Chesterfield (maybe too big) but the ground has no innovative features at all and is rather bland. Maybe I am being too harsh but I would actually rather go to an old place like Saltergate; even if it is falling down. The ground was not even full with quite a few sections of seats empty. The United fans filled the away section and made a bit of noise early but then it was very quiet with most of the noise coming as a result of the frustration with the performance. Of course there was singing/noise late after the goal but for the most part United fans seemed stunned by the performance and also the dreadful game they were watching in front of them. It was as quiet as some home games. The Chesterfield fans made a bit of noise but for a local Derby it was all a bit flat. The game was so dreadful it was hard to get excited I suppose.
It was easy to get to for most Blades. For me for being the right side of Sheffield and the ground being the Sheffield side of Chesterfield. Took me only 20 minutes from my door to the ground! The surrounding area is of course Whittington and is pretty unspectacular with a few pubs/takeaways and car dealerships. There was a power cut on a section of Station and Sheffield Road which meant many of the chip shops and pubs were struggling. Happened on the worst possible day is many of the places of course would have thought it was going to be one of their busiest days of the year! Fortunately the hand pulls in the Derby Tup pub were unaffected and we had a pleasant hour or so pre game. Got to say the police presence seemed utterly ridiculous. There seemed to be the whole of North Derbyshire Police on duty! IT was total overkill I felt. Also the pubs had around 10-15 bouncers on every door and seemed to make it as hard as possible for many United fans to get in when most would not have caused any trouble (the Donkey Derby was not even full but they still did not let United fans in). It does seem some of the local clubs like Barnsley and Chesterfield really overreact when United/Wednesday come to them and to see helicopters/police vans/dogs everywhere for a crowd of less than 10,000 was bizarre. What would these teams do if ever they got crowds approaching 20,000+?
United were forced into two changes with David McAllister coming in for Nick Montgomery and Chris Porter for Richard Cresswell. United had Johnny Ertl back on the bench after a long injury lay off but there was no James Beattie in the 16. Indeed there was no striker on the bench at all. Out of form Chesterfield began with ex Owl Leon Clarke and also were able to name former Blade Jack Lester as a substitute after a lengthy period out of action.
Chesterfield were the first to show in the game and forced United back; winning a few early corners and throw ins deep in the Blades territory. Simonsen held one corner well and Collins headed another away. The wind was causing real problems as United saw the ball coming into their box often as a result of high, long balls swirling in the wind towards their defence. There was little football being played in the game and a bad challenge from Trotman saw him booked for clattering Porter. The United man had to go off injured for treatment and came back wearing a Terry Butcher style bandage. Odabeyi had a shot over the bar and the diminutive Johnson looked to get on the ball at every chance as Doyle and McAllister saw little of the ball. Chesterfield would have been pleased with their start but they had not really worked Simonsen despite having more of the game. United finally came out and played a flurry of football and Quinn’s cross was deflected wide with Porter waiting to pounce. Evans then hit a fierce shot which was beaten away by Fleming.
United had another chance from Williamson’s corner as Collins header was touched goalwards but a combination of Fleming and the post contrived to stop the ball going over the line. The ball bounced away but a mass scramble ensued and the ball ricocheted around but no red and white shirt could convert. Lowton then combined with Evans but the striker could not get his shot away. Just before the break both sides had good chances. A nice move saw the ball switched from left to right by Bowery and then Clarke. This saw Johnson unopposed but his low shot saved at his near post from Simonsen. The Chesterfield player would probably have felt he should have done better. Lowton made space with a nice jink inside and whipped in a delightful cross but it just evaded the sliding Porter.
Despite a poor performance where they had not really got on top of the game, the Blades actually had created the better chances and maybe should have been ahead on this statistic even if they had conceded possession too easily.
United kicked off the second half towards the 2,000 fans packed behind the goal. The Blades began well forcing an early corner after an Evans shot was blocked. At the other end Ford’s flicked shot was held by Simonsen. It seemed like Evans was the one most likely to make the breakthrough for the visitors and had a fierce shot pushed away by Fleming again.
United now seemed more likely but poor passing and decision making often broke down any kind of semblance of a move. The home side still looked threatening on the break and it nearly proved after a corner that Quinn completely miskicked. The Spireites broke thanks to the pace of Mendy who outstripped three Blades players with his searing pace but then wasted his work with a weak finish that Simonsen saved easily. Chesterfield then had a good effort when Clarke’s overhead kick hit the top of Simonsen’s bar but the action quickly went to the other end and Quinn’s flicked finish was disallowed for offside after Lowton’s shot. Williamson had been struggling and had to limp off being replaced by Flynn as Untied tried to make the breakthrough in a very poor game.
The wind was not abating and United now had it behind them but were often overplaying balls or clearances. Porter got caught offside twice and the substitute Flynn drifted inside after a good first touch bit his shot was tipped round the post by Fleming. McAllister then fired over and it did seem that despite a relatively even contest, the Blades were now looking far more likely win the game if a goal was to arrive. So it proved with just under ten minutes left. The ball was thrown out from Simonsen to Quinn who played the ball into EVANS. The striker had a lot to do but turned, twisted and made a yard of space on the angle before drilling a beautiful low shot right into the corner beyond the despairing dive of Fleming.
The United players celebrated in front of the away fans and they knew that it was probably the moment that would win the game such was the scarcity of quality in the game all afternoon. Chesterfield made a triple change with Westcarr, Lester and Morgan coming on for Obadeyi, Clarke and Johnson. United fans probably feared the worst with Lester’s introduction but none the less gave the Unitedite an excellent reception. Porter came off for the returning Ertl and United now had to dig in and make the required clearances/headers. In truth the home side never really looked like scoring and did not even make a chance in the final stages of the game. There was an additional 5 minutes of stoppage time adjudged to be played which was strange when only 1 had been played in the first half when there was an even longer stoppage (Porter)! However, Evans and Williams using up time in the corner saw out time expertly and Quinn nearly had a second when played in by Evans but his low first time clipped shot was turned around the post by the excellent Fleming. The final effort was an awful sliced shot from Morgan that went closer to the corner flag than the goal and the full time whistle came soon after. It had not been convincing but it was still a happy short journey home for the Blades amongst the 9,259 crowd.
United – It was quite a poor performance I felt. It was a game that just looked to be drifting to a 0-0 stalemate and United could not have really argued if that was the case. We had more chances than them and their keeper made some decent saves but we never really looked convincing. We gave the ball away constantly and in the first half in particular seemed to lose a lot of the battles and actually they had most of the ball. The first half hour we never really started and some of the passing and control was abysmal. It seemed like we look totally disinterested and the midfield duo of Doyle and McAllister were never in it. Quinn was awful and the front two were not holding the ball up. We did have a spell just before half time and created a few chances and actually these chances were still as good as anything if not better than anything Chesterfield did who only had one Johnson shot I can recall. I thought we would improve in the second half and we did in that we had more of the game and actually once again had more chances but it was a dire game. The wind meant it was swirling about and there very little passing nor quality. Evans looked the one who may score or create something out of both teams and that was of course the case. I was actually surprised when he scored as the game seemed certain to just be an inevitable score draw.
United have to do much better than that though. We were playing a terrible side that have been shipping 4’s and 5’s most weeks and struggled to create clear openings. We gave the ball away way too much and there was so much long ball and aimless punts it was frightening. The likes of Maguire, Doyle and Williams seemed unwilling to keep the ball on the deck. I thought Porter was woeful and Evans had no kind of partner all afternoon. I also thought that the midfield duo did not win enough balls but more than this their passing and composure was wretched. I was quite disappointed with McAllister who I thought would stand out. Doyle was his usual self with the only things of note he did was trying to get people into trouble. The only real positive outside of the win and the excellent goal is another clean sheet and the defence did ok (albeit against a powder puff attack). Collins, Simonsen and Lowton have improved in recent weeks and look steady again. Three clean sheets in a row are really positive but we have to now look at how we can do better to keep the football and create things. We really looked a poor side today and the result masks a lot of concerns. Against many other sides in the division today (and they are some bad ones) we probably would have lost.
Chesterfield – They were awful really. They huffed and puffed and won a few of the battles early on and I suppose did ok in the first half hour. However, a Johnson shot saved and a Clarke effort onto the bar was about it the entire game in terms of meaningful efforts on goal. They still coped with us easy enough and although Fleming made a few good saves they were saves you would expect him to make. They had little going forward with Clarke poor and the only real dangerman was the guy playing wide left (was it Mendy? Apologies if I have got that wrong) who gave Williams a difficult game. The little midfielder Johnson got on the ball and tried to keep it moving (which was more than we did) but they tossed away possession just as much as us; maybe even more and often could not even keep it on the pitch. The centre backs Ford and Trotman looked so slow and easy to turn but found their match for dearth of pace in Porter and Evans.
Granted the wind did not help either side but some of the control/passing was laughable (from both sides). I think they will struggle to stay up but then as today showed there is not much between the teams in the whole division and it really is a poor standard overall. Maybe Lester can come in and give them a lift in the next few weeks (he would walk into United’s team even though he is coming towards the end of the season). Despite his Wednesday connections Sheridan has done a good job there and it would be incredibly harsh to sack him; certainly before Xmas. He should get a chance to bring some more players in when the next window arrives and maybe then can have a real go but look to be sadly lacking in quality.
Simonsen 7/10 – Had very little to do really. He handled crosses and through balls well and was able to save what came at him but I can only recall one shot at his near post he got down well to save and then watching one onto his bar in the second half. The one gripe was his kicking which was awful all game. In the first half he basically did not seem to realise it was blowing right to left and continued to not adjust his kick; meaning the ball kept going out or swirled across to Quinn head height. I thought he may do better in the second half but his kicks sometimes still only just made halfway. Ironically though he made the goal with a throw out!!!
Lowton 7.5/10 – Thought he had a really solid game against his home town club. He has improved a lot in the last few weeks and got back to some of his standards he set last season. Defended well and played with a composure and nice poise about him. Made some intelligent covering interceptions and stuck to his task against a fast winger. Going forward he looked one of our main threats, having a few shots and also putting in a few great crosses. Good to see his improvement.
Williams 5/10 – He was really poor today and if a goal was going to come for Chesterfield it was probably down his side. Mendy gave him a bit of a torrid time and beat him quite a lot for pace and skill. He seemed to make some really bad decisions as he dithered waiting for the ball to bounce rather than attacking it or refusing to use his right foot and often going in a circle just to use his left foot.
Maguire 6/10 – He was mostly decent but at times seemed to be at full stretch and got lucky on a few occasions when he just got his boot to the ball. He got away with a few really poor clearances straight into the air or to a Chesterfield player but at least he stuck to his task and made sure he did not make a mistake. Won a few good headers/tackles near the end after we had scored.
Collins 8/10 – Thought he was our best player. He did not put a foot wrong all game and actually cruised through the game. Won headers, made interceptions and used ball better than most. Showed real calmness to play the ball back to Simonsen under pressure or just see off any through balls or possible chances. Really improved a lot this year.
Doyle 5/10 – Seemed more interested in getting Chesterfield players booked/sent off than playing the game. When he did have the ball he at times kept it nice and simple but than at other booted it our or played some aimless balls to no one in particular. It is hard to see what he does offer as he is not really a combative, harassing type player but does not have the technique to keep the ball. He is a nothing sort of player really but at the moment in such awful games and against really poor teams, Wilson seems to think he is what we need. I suppose we are getting results and keeping clean sheets so he is vindicated.
McAllister 5/10 – Liked the look of him v Bristol City at the end of last season. Looked a clever footballer who got forward and had a good shot. Surprised he has not been given more of a chance but today he was largely ineffective in a dreadful game. He barely got on the ball and when he did his passing was mixed. He did not get into the box at all and also defensively seemed slow to react and lost a number of loose balls/50-50’s. He does not look like he is much better than what we already have but I suppose it is hard when you have been out of the game for so long. Needs to improve though as he was facing really poor opposition and did not stand out.
Williamson 6.5/10 – Thought he looked one of our better players for much of the game; showing good control and actually being one of the few players who passed the ball and tried to keep it. Linked up well and defended when he had to. Felt sorry for him as he did at least try and play football. Unfortunately he can never stay fit and went down injured in the first half. He then came back on but in the second half he went down again and had to come off looking in quite a bit of pain. A good player but never stays fit and never seems to play a full 90 minutes let alone a series of games in a row.
Quinn 5.5/10 – Another poor performance on the whole. Began by going to the ground two or three times unnecessarily and drew the ire of the Chesterfield fans for the rest of the game. He not only annoyed them but us Blades with some shocking decision with the ball and generally was poor. Amongst this he showed one or two nice touches and a few clever balls but it was all too little.
Evans 7/10 – Up and down game. Showed some flashes where he looked really dangerous with a few good shots on goal but also was too slow to make decisions at time or get his shot away. At times put a real shift in such as when he chased down the centre back to fashion a chance at the by-line in the second half but then other times seemed to be ambling around or was arguing with teammates; Quinn. He seemed as frustrated as us fans and when he got barely a half chance, he twisted, turned and made a yard before hitting a great shot into the corner. It was maybe the only quality moment of the entire game.
Porter 3/10 – Utterly dreadful. One of the worst centre forwards I have ever seen in a red and white shirt. Awful first touch, slow, runs the wrong way, always offside and seemingly unable to have any kind of understanding with any of his teammates. Got a kick and came off with a bandage on but seemed to get worse after this! He would surely have been taken off a long time before he did if we had any options on the bench but he remained plodding around aimlessly. Surely Philliskirk and Tonne cannot be any worse? Hopefully Beattie gets fit and he won’t be near the match day squad let along the first team.
Subs
Flynn – Once again looked lively when he came on. Showed a few nice touches and had a run and shot that was turned round the post. He does give us something a bit different and has good close control and technique. Looks like Williamson injury curse has continued and maybe Flynn will get a run now.
Ertl – Came on right near the end for Porter and was put just in front of the back four but cannot remember him having a kick.
Officials – He reffed it ok and I thought kept things flowing relatively well. He booked Trotman for a dangerous kick high at Porter
Crowd/Atmosphere/Stadium – I have heard Chesterfield fans raving about it and I suppose after going to the decaying Saltergate; anything would be an improvement but I was not impressed. It is clean, nice and modern but it is another lego style ground that has little atmosphere (any noise escapes in the corners), no real character and it was quite small too. It is a perfect size for Chesterfield (maybe too big) but the ground has no innovative features at all and is rather bland. Maybe I am being too harsh but I would actually rather go to an old place like Saltergate; even if it is falling down. The ground was not even full with quite a few sections of seats empty. The United fans filled the away section and made a bit of noise early but then it was very quiet with most of the noise coming as a result of the frustration with the performance. Of course there was singing/noise late after the goal but for the most part United fans seemed stunned by the performance and also the dreadful game they were watching in front of them. It was as quiet as some home games. The Chesterfield fans made a bit of noise but for a local Derby it was all a bit flat. The game was so dreadful it was hard to get excited I suppose.
It was easy to get to for most Blades. For me for being the right side of Sheffield and the ground being the Sheffield side of Chesterfield. Took me only 20 minutes from my door to the ground! The surrounding area is of course Whittington and is pretty unspectacular with a few pubs/takeaways and car dealerships. There was a power cut on a section of Station and Sheffield Road which meant many of the chip shops and pubs were struggling. Happened on the worst possible day is many of the places of course would have thought it was going to be one of their busiest days of the year! Fortunately the hand pulls in the Derby Tup pub were unaffected and we had a pleasant hour or so pre game. Got to say the police presence seemed utterly ridiculous. There seemed to be the whole of North Derbyshire Police on duty! IT was total overkill I felt. Also the pubs had around 10-15 bouncers on every door and seemed to make it as hard as possible for many United fans to get in when most would not have caused any trouble (the Donkey Derby was not even full but they still did not let United fans in). It does seem some of the local clubs like Barnsley and Chesterfield really overreact when United/Wednesday come to them and to see helicopters/police vans/dogs everywhere for a crowd of less than 10,000 was bizarre. What would these teams do if ever they got crowds approaching 20,000+?
