Sheffield United 1-0 Sunderland: Tom Davies' late winner puts Blades in charge of Championship title race again
Sheffield United climbed back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship standings following a 1-0 victory against fellow promotion contenders Sunderland, who failed to convert a penalty in the first half at Bramall Lane.
Ex-Everton player Tom Davies netted the sole goal of the match, which concluded with both sides reduced to ten men following two red cards just before halftime.
The Blades achieved a new club milestone by securing their eighth consecutive home game without conceding a goal, and they won all eight of those matches.
While there was a lot of excitement in Steel City from the start, it was just before the half-hour mark that something significant took place. The dynamic young player, Tom Watson, made a strong run into the box but was unceremoniously tackled by Jack Robinson.
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Gavin Ward had no option but to award a penalty, but Michael Cooper managed to save Patrick Roberts' attempt. This turned out to be the only shot on goal in the first half, during which both teams had a player sent off.
Sunderland's Chris Mepham received a straight red card for preventing Tyrese Campbell from having a chance to score just outside the penalty area. Meanwhile, Blades defender Harry Souttar was issued a questionable second yellow card for an unnecessary tug on Wilson Isidor in the middle of the field.
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Similar to the first half, the second half was also lively, but there was a noticeable lack of scoring opportunities in both penalty areas. However, with 20 minutes remaining, Sunderland's goalkeeper Nathan Patterson had to step up, making impressive saves against shots from Vini Souza, Femi Seriki, and Campbell in a span of just over half a minute.
It looked like there was bound to be at least one goal in the match, and it finally happened in the 83rd minute. Davies, playing just his second game since March, made a confident run into the penalty area, skillfully seized the ball, moved it a bit to the right, and then struck it past Patterson.
Chris Wilder of Sheffield United:
Sunderland's Regis Le Bris:
