Blades Season Review: 2015/16 - September - Part 2

Last updated : 29 May 2016 By @blades_mad1889

A trip to Valley Parade looked set to end in yet another defeat in front of the Sky Camera's, woeful defending had allowed Meredith to take the lead and shortly after the break Devante Cole (son of Andy) doubled the Bantams lead. Through luck rather than courage United hit back and within the space of five minutes the scores were level and that was how it ended; 2-2.

Striker Michael Higdon was allowed to leave Bramall Lane, joining Oldham Athletic on loan for three months and a Lane Legend returned to Bramall Lane. Brian Deane took up a coaching role, joining the club for a fourth time before his former club Doncaster Rovers visited the Lane. The game ended in a 3-1 victory with Billy Sharp scoring the pick of the goals.

United ended the month with a positive 0-0 draw at league leaders Burton Albion with neither side willing to commit to any real chances on goal.

 

Picture: Sheffield United's Kieran Wallace (left) and Burton Albion's Nasser El Khayati battle for the ball.

Bradford City 2-2 Sheffield United
Sunday, 20th September 2015 - League One

Sheffield United fought back to share the points with a 2-2 draw in a stirring Yorkshire derby in front of a bumper 19,317 crowd at Valley Parade. Bradford dominated the first 30 minutes and deservedly went ahead in the 33rd minute through left-back James Meredith. Winger Paul Anderson swung the ball into the goalmouth from the left and Devante Cole managed to flick the ball into the path of Meredith, who lobbed it over Mark Howard as the Blades goalkeeper dived at his feet. The goal gave the Bantams a 1-0 half-time lead and they went further in front after 47 minutes through Cole, for his third goal in four matches.

Cole managed to get goal-side of David Edgar after chasing a long through ball from Gary Liddle and the Blades defender had the misfortune to see his attempted clearance rebound off the Bradford striker and into the net. The visitors pulled a goal back after 66 minutes when a long throw from substitute Craig Alcock found Chris Basham, whose header looped over the head of Bradford debutant goalkeeper Brad Jones and four minutes later leading scorer Billy Sharp scored the equaliser, his fifth goal in five matches.

The Bradford defence failed to cut out a long ball into the box from substitute Jose Baxter and, although Jones saved Sharp's first shot he could not stop the rebound. Bradford, who are unbeaten in five matches, nearly snatched the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time when James Hanson saw his header cleared off the line by the head of Baxter. It proved to be the last incident of the match.

Sheffield United 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Saturday, 26th September 2015 - League One

Chris Basham gave United the lead before Cameron Stewart equalised for Doncaster, only for Conor Sammon and Billy Sharp to secure the win at Bramall Lane after Gary MacKenzie was dismissed. United took the lead in the 17th minute, with Basham firing home from inside the area from Craig Alcock's cross. Doncaster struck back, though, Stewart's 25-yard free kick curling to the left of goalkeeper Mark Howard and into the net.

The Blades retook the lead in the 35th minute when Alcock again whipped a ball in from the right-hand side for Sammon to score at the back post. It soon got worse for the visitors as MacKenzie was given a red card after his high foot caught Alcock following a Doncaster corner. The hosts had a penalty shout in the second half when Che Adams received a yellow card for simulation but Sharp secured the three points in the 79th minute anyway after rounding Thorsten Stuckmann and firing into an empty net.

Burton Albion 0-0 Sheffield United
Tuesday, 29th September 2015 - League One

Table-topping Burton's three-game winning streak came to an end courtesy of a goalless draw with Sheffield United at the Pirelli Stadium. The result left Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side a point clear at the top of Sky Bet League One after second-placed Walsall beat Scunthorpe. Neither goal was seriously threatened in a stifling first half. United goalkeeper Mark Howard was tested only by Nasser El Khayati's 20-yard shot in the 26th minute, while Burton stopper Jon McLaughlin was happy to watch Chris Basham glance a header wide of the far post.

The visitors produced a spell of probing pressure after the break, with Billy Sharp's shot unluckily skidding over the crossbar, off the head of Burton skipper John Mousinho. The hosts hit back with the move of the game - only for El Khayati to fire narrowly over from 12 yards. Sharp, looking to add to this six-goal tally, was denied by the legs of McLaughlin and also had a shot deflected wide. Mousinho might have snatched the decisive goal nine minutes from the end but fired over from El Khayati's corner. McLaughlin got down well to push wide a low shot from United substitute Martyn Woolford to ensure the game ended goalless.