We should have been more comfortable at the end, but who cares – that was a hell of a fun game to be in the stands for. Maddison continued from his antics at the Lane to throw himself on the ground at the faintest touch, and that ultimately set the tone for us giving them an overdose of their own medicine 2nd half to the cheers of “take your time, take your time, Sheff United”. It also continued after the game, with Sharp doing a full Klinsmann dive in front of the Norwich fans as the subs got stick while they were warming down.
As for the game, for the most part our swagger was back. I thought Evans had a really good game. Leonard was steady (and took over the deeper role Evans had when Lundstram came on). Stearman excellent at the back alongside an iffy Basham. Fleck the outstanding player on the pitch. Wilson encouraging, with a great finish. Donaldson calm up front. Mixed bag for Clarke, but won a couple of great free-kicks in injury time.
Quick ratings
Moore 7/10 – think the goal was a tough one for him to get at. Alert when needed.
Baldock & Stevens 7/10 – a bit less wasteful today. Think Stevens was the one that hit the post early in the 2nd half.
Stearman 8/10 – excellent
JOC 7.5/10 – solid
Basham 6/10 – not bad surging forward, but defensively had a few dodgy moments. One cracking tackle 2nd half.
Evans 8/10 – really liked the look of him.
Leonard 7/10 – quietly effective. Liked the fact that he and Evans aren’t afraid to shoot.
Fleck 9/10 – MOTM. Really excellent game.
Wilson 7.5/10 – looked bright, used the ball well, great finish.
Clarke 6/10 – touch was poor at times, and didn’t seize on the chances he had. Some excellent winning of free-kicks at the death.
Subs
Donaldson 7.5/10 – calm as you like with the finish. Scared their defence from the moment he came on.
Lundstram 7/10 – some important touches when he came on.
My god they were bad at the back. We saw more of the pressing high up the pitch, forced them into numerous errors.
Great game that. We’re back!
