Sheffield United v Scunthorpe United

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Football League Championship

Sheffield United :
Simonsen, Mosworthy, Taylor, Bartley, Connolly, Montgomery, Yeates (Little 59), Harper (Camara 53) (Williamson 78), Quinn, Henderson, Cresswell.
Subs not used:
Bennett, Stewart, Seip, Lowton.

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Williams, Mirfin (Canavan 34), Raynes, A.Wright, Togwell, McCann (O'Connor 60), Thompson, Woolford, McDermott (Forte 74), Hayes.
Subs not used:
Lillis, McNulty, J.Wright, May.

SULSESC REPORT

by Sheffield Star at Bramall Lane

SHEFFIELD United have proven particularly adept at fighting rearguard actions in recent weeks.

But, against a Scunthorpe side now almost certain to avoid the ignominy of relegation, the injuries and suspensions that have allowed Kevin Blackwell's side to showcase their battling qualities also combined to expose a lack of creativity and cohesion within the ranks.

Needing a victory to retain any realistic chance of sneaking into the play-offs for the second season in succession, United enjoyed by far the greater share of both territory and possession.

But the result required to crank up the pressure on sixth-placed Leicester failed to materialise as, not for the first time, Bramall Lane's hopes of staging Premier League football next term went up in a puff of claret and blue smoke.

"It's not over," Blackwell said. "You can never say never but what I will concede is that it makes things very difficult.

"I think we've got to win every single one of our remaining games now.

"With everything we've had to put up with lately I actually think the lads and the staff have done remarkably well to be where they are. They've done a terrific job and I want to thank them for that.

"We'll keep pushing on and see where it takes us. But we know it's going to be tough."

The shortage of craft and ingenuity that cost United dear was, as Blackwell argued, inevitable given the turnover in personnel they have endured of late.

But, as he acknowledged afterwards, a series of missed opportunities meant they can not be entirely absolved of responsibility for a defeat greeted with howls of derision by sections of the home support.

"If you don't take your chances then you can't expect to win," Blackwell admitted after watching United fall four places and seven points behind Nigel Pearson's side. "We didn't take ours and then gave Scunthorpe the very thing we didn't want to which was something to hang on to."

When the member of staff charged with broadcasting the pre-match roll call across Bramall Lane's tannoy system claims to have made more introductions than "match dot com", it is impossible to ignore the most debilitating problem United have faced this season.

Four of the loanees, including home debutant Steve Simonsen, signed to plug the holes in a paper-thin squad started yesterday's meeting against visitors who had made the short journey from Lincolnshire still battling to avoid relegation despite having won both of their previous two games.

But while striker Darius Henderson's return ensured Richard Cresswell, whose slavish running had helped secure what had seemed an improbable draw at high-flying

Cardiff in midweek, enjoyed some much-needed support in attack, it was another member of the old guard, Stephen Quinn, who posed Scunthorpe most questions during the opening skirmishes.

Grant McCann and Garry Thompson both tested Simonsen's reflexes but Joe Murphy, widely regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in the Football League, was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers.

Had David Mirfin, who later departed with a calf strain, not scrambled Paul Connolly's effort off the line and Mark Yeates inexplicably headed over from close-range then United would have enjoyed a healthy advantage by the time Paul Hayes edged Scunthorpe into a 45th-minute lead.

Donal McDermott rounded Nyron Nosworthy on the flank and the former Barnsley attacker punished the hosts' profligacy by steering the resulting centre beyond Simonsen.

The introductions of Henri Camara and Glen Little soon after the interval was designed to inject some urgency and invention into a contest which, at times, had unfolded at pedestrian pace.

Yeates' final contribution before being withdrawn as part of the reshuffle was to force Murphy into a smart save with a rasping free-kick while Kyle Bartley tried but failed to connect with Little's cross.

Hayes' low drive, palmed around the foot of the post by Simonsen, served to remind United that Scunthorpe still remained a danger on the counter-attack.

Henderson thought he had equalised only for the crossbar to intervene while the sight of Camara departing with a re-occurrence of the groin strain which prevented him from travelling to Wales just 25 minutes after coming on as a substitute succinctly summed up United's luck.

"For Scunthorpe to beat anyone in this division is one hell of an achievement," their manager, Nigel Adkins, said. "And this is certainly an achievement.

"I'm not setting any points totals to stay up but momentum is important and we've got that. The lads showed spirit and the ability to back it up with. The one thing we've got is a team."

How Blackwell must wish he could say the same.