Chris Wilder pinpointed Sheffield United’s “dominant” second-half performance after they beat Blackburn 2-0.
The Blades deservedly took the lead when Harrison Burrows lashed in his first goal for the club in the first half but they needed Tyrese Campbell’s second-half volley to make the result safe.
Wilder’s side have now won seven of their last 10 and when asked about the most pleasing aspect of the win, he said: “The second half really.
“We’re not two or three up and we didn’t deserve to be and Blackburn have had a couple of opportunities, more with us being loose around the middle of the park, giving away balls simply where we should have kept it a little bit more or made better decisions with the ball.
“The game wasn’t done. You’ve got to fight for everything, especially against a team that have won five out of six at home.
“They’re going to come for you but I thought we really quietened that noise by our dominant second-half performance.
“They’ve had one header, a shot that went wide from distance but apart from that, I can’t remember anything else. That’s the way the game goes. They are searching to get back into it, we have quality on the counter-attack.
“I’m not going to say it should have been this, that or the other. We’d have liked to have made it a little bit simpler for us in the last 10 minutes but we didn’t. But it wasn’t for the want of trying.”
United’s sloppiness in possession invited Blackburn forward and they would have punished the visitors had Ryan Hedges connected with Tyrhys Dolan’s cross.
But it was a different story after the break as United sliced through Rovers at will and either side of Campbell doubling the lead, they could have made the scoreline more emphatic.
They would have done so but for a brilliant Dominic Hyam goalline clearance and a save from Aynsley Pears both thwarting the impressive Kieffer Moore. Pears also twice denied Gus Hamer in the closing stages.
Blackburn have now lost four of their last six, including for the first time in the league at Ewood Park this season, and John Eustace felt his team “lost belief” after conceding the second.
He said: “Obviously disappointed to lose the game. We came up against a real top team with good individuals and it’s disappointing.
“I thought first half we held our own, got some really good opportunities without making the most in the final third. Second half, I think when they scored the second goal, we kind of lost belief, the players did on the pitch did a little bit, which was disappointing.
“I thought the first half, we competed very well. We won the ball back a lot and had a lot of opportunities on that turnover, we just lacked that bit of quality in the final third.
“It’s something we’ve got to keep working on. We’re getting into good opportunities without being clinical.
“Second half, I thought we started a little bit slow but then we did have a couple of opportunities. We got going and then obviously they went and scored. We tried to change a few things around and unfortunately it didn’t work today.”
Lucy Bronze refused to count Chelsea out of the Champions League after they went down 4-1 to holders Barcelona in the first leg of their semi-final in Spain.Ewa Pajor fired the hosts in front in the 35th minute at the Johan Cruyff Stadium and substitute Claudia Pina made it two with 20 minutes left.Sandy Baltimore pulled one back in the 74th minute, but Irene Paredes got Barcelona’s third wi...
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold says his late winner at Leicester, which put his side on the brink of the Premier League title, will live with him forever.Alexander-Arnold made a stunning return from injury as he climbed off the bench to score the decisive 76th-minute goal in the visitors’ 1-0 triumph at the King Power Stadium.It relegated Leicester and left the Reds needing just t...
Chelsea gave themselves plenty of work to do at Stamford Bridge after substitute Claudia Pina’s brace inspired holders Barcelona to a 4-1 victory in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in Spain.Ewa Pajor opened the scoring for the hosts in the 35th minute at the Johan Cruyff Stadium after Blues keeper Hannah Hampton had saved a ninth-minute penalty.Pina scored her first with 2...
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has his sights set on history after his side moved another step closer to a sixth treble in nine years.A 5-0 Hampden win over St Johnstone set up a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen on May 24.Rodgers and Jock Stein have both completed two trebles, while Martin O’Neill, Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou have one each, and Celtic won three trophies ...
Trent Alexander-Arnold put the Premier League title champagne on ice for Liverpool after scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win which confirmed Leicester’s relegation.Alexander-Arnold, making his comeback from injury, climbed off the bench to score the 76th-minute winner at the King Power and put his side on the brink of glory.The Reds will get their hands on a 20th top-flight title ...
Ruben Amorim admitted Manchester United “lack a lot” as their ongoing struggles in front of goal saw them return to earth with a bump in Sunday’s Premier League defeat at home to Wolves.Three days on from the dramatic 5-4 Europa League quarter-final comeback win against Lyon, the rotated Red Devils’ positive performance counted for nothing due to their futility in the final...
Mikel Arteta said he hopes Leif Davis’ “dangerous” red-card tackle on Bukayo Saka will not stop his star winger from playing in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain.Saka was withdrawn just 10 minutes into the second half of Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Ipswich and had an ice pack applied to his right ankle following Davis’ late challenge.Davis ...
Celtic hit four goals in 12 first-half minutes to sweep past St Johnstone and into the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final.The holders wreaked vengeance following defeat in Perth two weeks ago as they won 5-0 to set up a return trip to Hampden to face Aberdeen on May 24.With Celtic needing just one point from their last five matches to wrap up the William Hill Premiership title, the final is set to gi...
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Ipswich 0-4 Arsenal Man Utd 0-1 Wolves Hojlund vs Wolves Calafiori & Zinchenko now Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle lol It all makes sense now Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, originaltrollfootball, PL__OOC)...
Liverpool have turned their attention to new contract talks following agreements with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, sources have told Football Insider.Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O'Rourke revealed that the futures of Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota will be the next to be decided at Anfield.The star trio have al...
- 1 Four Tottenham stars could leave this summer
- 2 PL side eyeing summer move for Rashford
- 3 Man City in pole position to secure Morgan Gibbs
- 4 Pop icon with £580M net worth makes appearance at Stamford Bridge
- 5 Big Brother legend Chanelle Hayes flaunts weight loss in red bikini
- 6 Arteta makes exciting Arsenal transfer claim
- 7 Cole Palmer’s girlfriend Connie Grace dazzles in low-cut top and mini skirt
- 8 Newcastle continue to impress in absence of Eddie Howe with Crystal Palace rout
- 9 Ten-man Falkirk beaten by Raith as late goals keep title race alive
- 10 Annan boost survival hope by thrashing champions Arbroath