Deadbat
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Podcast links to come tomorrow and then report below….
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The Blades’ season will continue after a fantastic final day performance against Champions Fulham at the Lane saw them clinch a playoff spot. Fulham had been in imperious form after routing Luton on Monday night but Heckingbottom’s Blades were too strong for them as they dominated the game and completed the league double over the top side with a resounding 4-0 victory. Goals from Gibbs White, Ndiaye, Berge and Stevens saw United achieve a play-off spot with relative comfort in the end as rivals Boro were well beaten at Preston and meant Luton’s win was immaterial in the end. United now are set to face a duel with Forest over two legs in the quest for Wembley and a tie to decide a place in the Premier League.
Manager Heckingbottom named a side that was unchanged from the previous two games with Ndiaye, Gibbs White and Berge up front. Baldock was on the bench for Uremovic. Fulham fresh off a 7-0 win against Luton that sealed the title and saw them break various divisional and individual records, named a side with a smattering of changes with Gazzaniga named in goal and Hector, Seri and Chalobah named to start with Rodak, Adarabioyo, Cairney and Wilson not named in the squad.
The game began in front of a sold-out crowd and the home fans were well behind the Blades as the action got underway but the early going saw Fulham move it around nicely and their clever one touch stuff was forcing the Blades back. United had to be on their guard to make several interceptions and struggled to see much of the ball for the opening of the game. Slowly, the home side started to win some tackles and get amongst the technical opponents they faced and a few snapping tackles saw them move up the field and start to get into the game.
On 10 minutes, the Blades took the lead. The ball was moved around and Berge and then Osborn moved it back and Norwood whipped over a dangerous cross that saw GIBBS WHITE jump and flick goal wards and Gazzaniga seemed to misjudge it and the ball bounced in off the post. The relief and euphoria inside the ground was palpable. United settled after this and Gibbs White and Ndiaye started to link well and Fleck and Norwood now were seeing much more of the ball. The crowd was really ramping up the atmosphere as the Blades started to swarm all over Fulham and on 21 minutes, the lead was doubled. It came from a slip as Seri stumbled and Berge robbed him and fed Gibbs White and with a two on one, he played in NDIAYE who was in on goal and he coolly swept it home with his left foot into the corner and United were in dreamland.
The Blades were snapping at every tackle with Robinson and Egan coming onto every ball and winning everything and the home side were now looking very dangerous against a hesitant defence that was struggling with the movement of the Blades front men. Gibbs White and Ndiaye were playing some lovely one touch combination play and the home crowd were loving what they were seeing. It was not long after the third goal came. It came down the left-hand side and Gibbs White flicked on, Ndiaye moved it on again and BERGE swept home, maybe with the aid of a slight deflection. 3-0 and it seemed that the playoff place was all but sealed inside 25 minutes.
Onomah came on for Chalabah as a shell-shocked Fulham tried to change things in a game they had been blown away, in the same way that they had destroyed Luton in the week.
Fleck had been tenacious all game but got a yellow for being a touch over zealous for a foul on Tete but United were still swarming all over the league leaders and Gibbs White and then Ndiaye had goals disallowed after more clever build up saw the away side moved around with the fleet footed forwards for the Blades causing all sorts of problems. After starting well, Fulham looked shell shocked and had not been in the game but just before half time, Der Cordova Reid’s ball beat the offside trap and Carvalho was in on the angle but Foderingham made a point blank save to deny him. The corner came to nothing and the half time whistle came soon after and the Lane rose as one to salute a highly impressive first half where the Blades had dominated the best side in the league away. With Middlesbrough two down, it seemed like the afternoon that had threatened to be a nervous one, had ended up being one where the Blades were as it stands, in complete control.
The second half saw United continue to win all the loose balls and look so determined to ensure Fulham would not have any possession where it mattered. In turn they went forward with purpose and the fourth goal came only 4 minutes after the break. It was a lovely move and maybe the best goal of the game as Osborn, Fleck and then Berge moved it across before the Norwegian slid it across to STEVENS who calmly side footed into the net, in a goal reminiscent of some of his strikes in the promotion season of 2018-19. The Kop rose to acclaim another fantastic goal and surely the strike that sealed the deal.
United continued to move the ball around well with Berge being instrumental in many of the dangerous moves and Gibbs White’s creativity and work rate continued to be a joy to watch for the capacity crowd. Fulham had not looked like coming back and every time they tried to move it around, United were able to nick it off their toes and go on the attack. Ndiaye had put a great work rate in but his issues with cramp continued and he had to come off for Osula just after the hour mark. Muniz came on for Mitrovic which maybe suggested the white flag from the Champions as the division’s leading striker got a standing ovation from all four sides who recognised the efforts of the leading scorer in the Championship.
Osula drew a booking for Hector after good work down the left before Egan was denied a fifth after a deep free kick was headed across by the skipper but saved by Gazzaniga. The game settled down for a spell with fewer chances and the home side were happy to take the sting out of the game. It became a bit more stop start before Stevens was booked and then Robinson also pulled down his man as United tried to stop Fulham having any kind of foothold in the game. Osula and Gibbs White had a two on one but the youngster took too long and the chance went awry as the crowd looked for more. Gibbs White then fired over as the Fulham defence backed off.
Reed came on for Seri and then Hourihane replaced Fleck as we entered the final 15 minutes of the contest. Fulham had a rare chance when Kebano got down the left and hit a shot that seemed to deflect off Basham and hit the post and go behind. Fulham had a free kick that was blocked before Jebbison came on for the outstanding Gibbs White. The visitors did at least have a spell but Foderingham pushed away a header to deny them even a late goal. United had chances on the break to get more chances but in the end opted to move it around. A late Hourihane free kick was blocked by the wall in stoppage time but both teams had been ready for full time long before it came such was the comprehensive margin of victory for the Blades. With results coming in it emerged United would have to face Forest in the two-legged play offs a week today.
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The Blades’ season will continue after a fantastic final day performance against Champions Fulham at the Lane saw them clinch a playoff spot. Fulham had been in imperious form after routing Luton on Monday night but Heckingbottom’s Blades were too strong for them as they dominated the game and completed the league double over the top side with a resounding 4-0 victory. Goals from Gibbs White, Ndiaye, Berge and Stevens saw United achieve a play-off spot with relative comfort in the end as rivals Boro were well beaten at Preston and meant Luton’s win was immaterial in the end. United now are set to face a duel with Forest over two legs in the quest for Wembley and a tie to decide a place in the Premier League.
Manager Heckingbottom named a side that was unchanged from the previous two games with Ndiaye, Gibbs White and Berge up front. Baldock was on the bench for Uremovic. Fulham fresh off a 7-0 win against Luton that sealed the title and saw them break various divisional and individual records, named a side with a smattering of changes with Gazzaniga named in goal and Hector, Seri and Chalobah named to start with Rodak, Adarabioyo, Cairney and Wilson not named in the squad.
The game began in front of a sold-out crowd and the home fans were well behind the Blades as the action got underway but the early going saw Fulham move it around nicely and their clever one touch stuff was forcing the Blades back. United had to be on their guard to make several interceptions and struggled to see much of the ball for the opening of the game. Slowly, the home side started to win some tackles and get amongst the technical opponents they faced and a few snapping tackles saw them move up the field and start to get into the game.
On 10 minutes, the Blades took the lead. The ball was moved around and Berge and then Osborn moved it back and Norwood whipped over a dangerous cross that saw GIBBS WHITE jump and flick goal wards and Gazzaniga seemed to misjudge it and the ball bounced in off the post. The relief and euphoria inside the ground was palpable. United settled after this and Gibbs White and Ndiaye started to link well and Fleck and Norwood now were seeing much more of the ball. The crowd was really ramping up the atmosphere as the Blades started to swarm all over Fulham and on 21 minutes, the lead was doubled. It came from a slip as Seri stumbled and Berge robbed him and fed Gibbs White and with a two on one, he played in NDIAYE who was in on goal and he coolly swept it home with his left foot into the corner and United were in dreamland.
The Blades were snapping at every tackle with Robinson and Egan coming onto every ball and winning everything and the home side were now looking very dangerous against a hesitant defence that was struggling with the movement of the Blades front men. Gibbs White and Ndiaye were playing some lovely one touch combination play and the home crowd were loving what they were seeing. It was not long after the third goal came. It came down the left-hand side and Gibbs White flicked on, Ndiaye moved it on again and BERGE swept home, maybe with the aid of a slight deflection. 3-0 and it seemed that the playoff place was all but sealed inside 25 minutes.
Onomah came on for Chalabah as a shell-shocked Fulham tried to change things in a game they had been blown away, in the same way that they had destroyed Luton in the week.
Fleck had been tenacious all game but got a yellow for being a touch over zealous for a foul on Tete but United were still swarming all over the league leaders and Gibbs White and then Ndiaye had goals disallowed after more clever build up saw the away side moved around with the fleet footed forwards for the Blades causing all sorts of problems. After starting well, Fulham looked shell shocked and had not been in the game but just before half time, Der Cordova Reid’s ball beat the offside trap and Carvalho was in on the angle but Foderingham made a point blank save to deny him. The corner came to nothing and the half time whistle came soon after and the Lane rose as one to salute a highly impressive first half where the Blades had dominated the best side in the league away. With Middlesbrough two down, it seemed like the afternoon that had threatened to be a nervous one, had ended up being one where the Blades were as it stands, in complete control.
The second half saw United continue to win all the loose balls and look so determined to ensure Fulham would not have any possession where it mattered. In turn they went forward with purpose and the fourth goal came only 4 minutes after the break. It was a lovely move and maybe the best goal of the game as Osborn, Fleck and then Berge moved it across before the Norwegian slid it across to STEVENS who calmly side footed into the net, in a goal reminiscent of some of his strikes in the promotion season of 2018-19. The Kop rose to acclaim another fantastic goal and surely the strike that sealed the deal.
United continued to move the ball around well with Berge being instrumental in many of the dangerous moves and Gibbs White’s creativity and work rate continued to be a joy to watch for the capacity crowd. Fulham had not looked like coming back and every time they tried to move it around, United were able to nick it off their toes and go on the attack. Ndiaye had put a great work rate in but his issues with cramp continued and he had to come off for Osula just after the hour mark. Muniz came on for Mitrovic which maybe suggested the white flag from the Champions as the division’s leading striker got a standing ovation from all four sides who recognised the efforts of the leading scorer in the Championship.
Osula drew a booking for Hector after good work down the left before Egan was denied a fifth after a deep free kick was headed across by the skipper but saved by Gazzaniga. The game settled down for a spell with fewer chances and the home side were happy to take the sting out of the game. It became a bit more stop start before Stevens was booked and then Robinson also pulled down his man as United tried to stop Fulham having any kind of foothold in the game. Osula and Gibbs White had a two on one but the youngster took too long and the chance went awry as the crowd looked for more. Gibbs White then fired over as the Fulham defence backed off.
Reed came on for Seri and then Hourihane replaced Fleck as we entered the final 15 minutes of the contest. Fulham had a rare chance when Kebano got down the left and hit a shot that seemed to deflect off Basham and hit the post and go behind. Fulham had a free kick that was blocked before Jebbison came on for the outstanding Gibbs White. The visitors did at least have a spell but Foderingham pushed away a header to deny them even a late goal. United had chances on the break to get more chances but in the end opted to move it around. A late Hourihane free kick was blocked by the wall in stoppage time but both teams had been ready for full time long before it came such was the comprehensive margin of victory for the Blades. With results coming in it emerged United would have to face Forest in the two-legged play offs a week today.
