Deadbat
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It was back to winning ways at the Lane as the Blades somehow took three points from a game that the visitors dominated for much of the contest. Lowly Portsmouth, just like Hull, took the game to United and created a number of opportunities throughout the game but now have a record where they have not won at Bramall Lane since November 1955, 25 contests in all. United made them pay with goals from Hamer and substitute Rak Sakyi being enough to take three points, despite Ogilvie equalising for Pompey in the first half. The home side made were second best throughout though and it was worrying how easily the South Coast side breached their defence with only poor finishing and good goalkeeping stopping them from being out of sight, long before Brewster laid on the winner for fellow sub Rak Sakyi. Wilder rightly remarked that United had ‘got away with one’ at the end but will know if performances do not improve, it will be difficult for the Blades to remain in the top two as the race for automatic promotion starts to enter the final part of the season.
Wilder made two changes with Campbell and Hamer back in for Brewster and O’Hare. Portsmouth named two new signings Aouchiche and Gordon on the bench but named the same eleven that held Burnley a week ago with former Blades pre-season trialist Andre Dozzell starting in midfield.
The visitors started strongly and were winning most of the loose stuff and in turn looking dangerous going forward with Lang and Bishop causing the United defence problems with their mobility and pressing. They won an early free kick but Lang’s effort hit the wall before Bishop was in but Cooper had to deny him. The visitors continued to dominate as United could not get any kind of foothold in the game. Murphy was causing Clarke all sorts of problems and his low cross was flicked goalwards by Bishop but Ahmedhodzic made the block. United started to see more of the ball but the build up lacked pace or intensity and saw the ball moved between defence and attack but rarely did the home side look like progressing the ball into the final third. Only Hamer tried to make forward passes happen but his radar was off on two occasions.
There was a lovely tribute to Harvey Willgoose on 15 minutes, as a flag was moved around the Kop and the referee was able to stop the game to allow the players and coaching staff to join the fans and paying their respects. Once the game restarted, United did win a few corners, but it continued to be Pompey who looked more dangerous. Murphy again got the better of Clarke but his cross was cleared before another Murphy cross was somehow put over by Lang from almost on the line. It was an absolute sitter and Pompey were made to pay on 24 minutes. Brereton Diaz moved the ball on and found HAMER, who cut inside and the Pompey defence did not get close enough to him and the midfielder curled a lovely effort into the far corner. It had come completely against the run of play, so you could have no complaints when Pompey responded almost immediately. Once again it came down the Pompey left. This time Brereton Diaz, along with Clarke, failed to spot the two on one and Murphy got down the flank and sent a perfect cross for OGILVIE to get in front of the sleeping Ahmedhodzic to turn the ball home at the near post.
Pompey wanted more and won another free kick as Souza and Choudhury struggled to win the 50-50 balls and the quicker and hungrier opponents swarmed all over the Blades. The effort came in from Ritchie but was straight at Cooper. Murphy then came inside and hit a dipping effort which thudded off the bar. Pompey had created so many chances for a side that were struggling at the wrong end of the table and missed another sitter when Murphy once again skinned the hapless Clarke, before sending over a cross that Ogilvie skied, again almost from the goal line. It was an incredible miss but worryingly for United, not the first easy chance that should have been finished. United had created next to nothing outside of the goal but Clarke did have a header pushed behind before half time.
After he interval, fans would have hoped Wilder would have looked at the shape where we were getting run through down both sides, losing all the ball in the middle and not holding it at the top of the field and made changes to personnel or the system. However, the side came out with the same players and seemingly same lack of idea how to get any control of the game. For the first 15 minutes after the break, United could not even get out of their own half as Pompey somehow dominated even more! Pompey had the ball in the net as Bishop finished a Murphy free kick but was adjudged to be offside. Murphy then got in and Cooper had to make the save before more dithering from Clarke saw the ball played inside and was blocked. Murphy had another effort tipped over.
The remarkably one-sided nature of the game was clear to all to see as United tactics remained unclear. However, Pompey continued to win most of the loose stuff with the two centre halves for the Blades being dominated aerially and all the first and second balls landing with a blue shirt. Wilder had seen enough and made a triple change with Rak Sakyi, Brewster and McCallum on for Campbell, Choudhury and Burrows. United finally mounted an attack after over 15 minutes of the second half but Clarke’s driven effort went away from the far post.
The chances continued though for the visitors. Ahmedhodzic and Clarke made errors that saw Pompey retrieve balls and get in and from one such passage of play, Murphy’s smart overhead kick put Bishop in but he fired over with the goal at his mercy. Bishop then had a shot blocked from Robinson. Aouchiche came on for Ritchie on 72 minutes.
The visitors will have wondered how they had not been out of sight but their finishing had lacked the clinical edge that was required and were made to pay when out of nowhere, the Blades broke to take the lead. Brewster had been lively since he entered the field and he did well down the left and sent over a superb cross that RAK SAKYI finished smartly at the far post in front of the Kop end. The celebrations seemed to be as much in relief as delight and after this the game became more open as Pompey were now chasing. United broke but Cannon selfishly went alone and fired badly over with players over.
Peck and Brewster had given United some energy and the former was excellent as twice he came out with the ball and drove forward. However, the midfielder was booked as a melee ensued after his tackle, where he won the ball was judged to be over zealous. Matthews and Gordon replaced Shaughnessy and Dozzell and Holding came on for Cannon as the game entered the final 10 minutes. Clarke and Ahmedhodzic were also booked with the loanee wildly bringing down Murphy and the Bosnian carded after another grapple followed by a complaint lodged to the referee, that the official judged was over aggressive. Pompey sent the free kick in but United were able to clear but it was all a bit desperate stuff with the game now stretched. United had 5 at the back with Holding in the centre and the defender nearly made a mess of a back pass that Cooper had to retrieve.
The game entered 5 extra minutes and Pompey continued to knock the ball forward in a hope of getting the point, that would have been the least they deserved but the Blades cleared the ball to stop any further chances and the last opportunity came for the home side. With Portsmouth men forward, United broke and Brewster was slipped in. The striker took a touch and went one on one on Schmid but his effort smashed against the bar and rebounded back into play. However, the visitors could not get the ball into the Blades box and the referee brought an end to proceedings. Most of the Pompey players slumped to the floor as their fans gave them a rapturous ovation for their efforts, despite the loss whilst the Blades players clapped their fans, who were leaving the ground wondering how they had taken all three points from a game they had been second best throughout.
Wilder made two changes with Campbell and Hamer back in for Brewster and O’Hare. Portsmouth named two new signings Aouchiche and Gordon on the bench but named the same eleven that held Burnley a week ago with former Blades pre-season trialist Andre Dozzell starting in midfield.
The visitors started strongly and were winning most of the loose stuff and in turn looking dangerous going forward with Lang and Bishop causing the United defence problems with their mobility and pressing. They won an early free kick but Lang’s effort hit the wall before Bishop was in but Cooper had to deny him. The visitors continued to dominate as United could not get any kind of foothold in the game. Murphy was causing Clarke all sorts of problems and his low cross was flicked goalwards by Bishop but Ahmedhodzic made the block. United started to see more of the ball but the build up lacked pace or intensity and saw the ball moved between defence and attack but rarely did the home side look like progressing the ball into the final third. Only Hamer tried to make forward passes happen but his radar was off on two occasions.
There was a lovely tribute to Harvey Willgoose on 15 minutes, as a flag was moved around the Kop and the referee was able to stop the game to allow the players and coaching staff to join the fans and paying their respects. Once the game restarted, United did win a few corners, but it continued to be Pompey who looked more dangerous. Murphy again got the better of Clarke but his cross was cleared before another Murphy cross was somehow put over by Lang from almost on the line. It was an absolute sitter and Pompey were made to pay on 24 minutes. Brereton Diaz moved the ball on and found HAMER, who cut inside and the Pompey defence did not get close enough to him and the midfielder curled a lovely effort into the far corner. It had come completely against the run of play, so you could have no complaints when Pompey responded almost immediately. Once again it came down the Pompey left. This time Brereton Diaz, along with Clarke, failed to spot the two on one and Murphy got down the flank and sent a perfect cross for OGILVIE to get in front of the sleeping Ahmedhodzic to turn the ball home at the near post.
Pompey wanted more and won another free kick as Souza and Choudhury struggled to win the 50-50 balls and the quicker and hungrier opponents swarmed all over the Blades. The effort came in from Ritchie but was straight at Cooper. Murphy then came inside and hit a dipping effort which thudded off the bar. Pompey had created so many chances for a side that were struggling at the wrong end of the table and missed another sitter when Murphy once again skinned the hapless Clarke, before sending over a cross that Ogilvie skied, again almost from the goal line. It was an incredible miss but worryingly for United, not the first easy chance that should have been finished. United had created next to nothing outside of the goal but Clarke did have a header pushed behind before half time.
After he interval, fans would have hoped Wilder would have looked at the shape where we were getting run through down both sides, losing all the ball in the middle and not holding it at the top of the field and made changes to personnel or the system. However, the side came out with the same players and seemingly same lack of idea how to get any control of the game. For the first 15 minutes after the break, United could not even get out of their own half as Pompey somehow dominated even more! Pompey had the ball in the net as Bishop finished a Murphy free kick but was adjudged to be offside. Murphy then got in and Cooper had to make the save before more dithering from Clarke saw the ball played inside and was blocked. Murphy had another effort tipped over.
The remarkably one-sided nature of the game was clear to all to see as United tactics remained unclear. However, Pompey continued to win most of the loose stuff with the two centre halves for the Blades being dominated aerially and all the first and second balls landing with a blue shirt. Wilder had seen enough and made a triple change with Rak Sakyi, Brewster and McCallum on for Campbell, Choudhury and Burrows. United finally mounted an attack after over 15 minutes of the second half but Clarke’s driven effort went away from the far post.
The chances continued though for the visitors. Ahmedhodzic and Clarke made errors that saw Pompey retrieve balls and get in and from one such passage of play, Murphy’s smart overhead kick put Bishop in but he fired over with the goal at his mercy. Bishop then had a shot blocked from Robinson. Aouchiche came on for Ritchie on 72 minutes.
The visitors will have wondered how they had not been out of sight but their finishing had lacked the clinical edge that was required and were made to pay when out of nowhere, the Blades broke to take the lead. Brewster had been lively since he entered the field and he did well down the left and sent over a superb cross that RAK SAKYI finished smartly at the far post in front of the Kop end. The celebrations seemed to be as much in relief as delight and after this the game became more open as Pompey were now chasing. United broke but Cannon selfishly went alone and fired badly over with players over.
Peck and Brewster had given United some energy and the former was excellent as twice he came out with the ball and drove forward. However, the midfielder was booked as a melee ensued after his tackle, where he won the ball was judged to be over zealous. Matthews and Gordon replaced Shaughnessy and Dozzell and Holding came on for Cannon as the game entered the final 10 minutes. Clarke and Ahmedhodzic were also booked with the loanee wildly bringing down Murphy and the Bosnian carded after another grapple followed by a complaint lodged to the referee, that the official judged was over aggressive. Pompey sent the free kick in but United were able to clear but it was all a bit desperate stuff with the game now stretched. United had 5 at the back with Holding in the centre and the defender nearly made a mess of a back pass that Cooper had to retrieve.
The game entered 5 extra minutes and Pompey continued to knock the ball forward in a hope of getting the point, that would have been the least they deserved but the Blades cleared the ball to stop any further chances and the last opportunity came for the home side. With Portsmouth men forward, United broke and Brewster was slipped in. The striker took a touch and went one on one on Schmid but his effort smashed against the bar and rebounded back into play. However, the visitors could not get the ball into the Blades box and the referee brought an end to proceedings. Most of the Pompey players slumped to the floor as their fans gave them a rapturous ovation for their efforts, despite the loss whilst the Blades players clapped their fans, who were leaving the ground wondering how they had taken all three points from a game they had been second best throughout.
