Mark McGee, manager of Wolves was banking on all three points to help steer themselves towards the play-off zone, but defeat at Bramall Lane has given the Molineux club little hope. The league had been restructured to accommodating the Premier League moving to 20 teams in the top flight.
This meant that only one team would gain automatic promotion, followed by one from the next four teams below to draw-battle in the familiar play-off system.
They Old Gold had previously lost their last match at Stoke, the Potters had ended a run three straight victories but, having failed at Victoria Park and at the Lane wouldn’t win another game all season.
United on the other hand were buzzing and this victory against Wolves formed part of a magnificent five game winning streak which, under manager Howard Kendall had lifted them from 19th in the table to 12th and looking very comfortable in their battle against relegation.
Andy Thompson had netted from the spot for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, but United had already claimed an assailable lead. The goal came when Dougie Hodgson was all fingers and thumbs with Steve Bull who had him in his back pocket for most of the game; as he twist and turned the Aussie defender sent Bull crashing to the ground and left referee, Mr. Rushton with little opportunity but to award a penalty.
Yet, it had taken the visitors 28 minutes until they unleashed there first shot of the match and by that time United had already broken the net. Gareth Taylor scored his first goal in a red and white shirt, following his £1,000,000 move from Crystal Palace a month earlier. Having been picked out by the experienced David White, he unleashed a right footed blast into the roof of the net.
There second goal of the day again involved Taylor and White, who were causing much trouble for the Wanderers. The pair linked together on the right wing. It was White, an acquisition from Leeds who started and ended the move with Andy Walker’s dummy freeing up space inside the area, the well worked move was finished off with Taylor threading back the ball and White duly knocked home between Mike Stowell and the post.
Bull tried to get his side into the game and came agonizingly close with his effort, Don Goodman found Bull wanting in the box, with his back to goal he spun and watched in horror as his effort smacked hard against the post. Gary Ablett, who was in fine form, showed great composure to clear away the resulting danger.
However, there only outstanding chance of the second half came from Darren Ferguson who blazed his effort over the bar.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Tracey, Ward, Nilsen, Cowans, Hodgson, Ablett, White, Hutchinson, Taylor, Walker, Patterson. Subs: Beard, Whitehouse.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: Stowell, Thompson, Frogatt, Young, De Wolf, Richards, Corica, Goodman, Bull, Atkins, Ferguson. Subs: Rankine, Smith, Williams.
ATT: 16,658