For the first time since May 2020, and after 11 matches of this current season. Sheffield United were once again victorious in top flight football. In a game more topsy turvy closing act than Se7en and Knives Out combined. The first half was Sunday league at best, before becoming a pulsating contest in the second. Oli Norwood stepped up in the 110th minute of 6 minutes of added time. Proving why he is THE man of the people on that pitch and secure us a first win of the season. Let's reflect back on a very memorable Saturday afternoon.
After a thrashing in North London. United reverted back to a familiar 3-5-2/5-3-2 formation after a brief dalliance with the Mike Bassett favourite 4-4-2. George Baldock started his first game since Everton at home as Cam Archer and Rhian Brewster led the line in absence of the injured Oli McBurnie. There was a familiar face in the Wolves starting line up as Tommy Doyle made his first start in Wolves gold on his return to Bramall Lane. Before we continue, let's be honest about the quality of football in that first period. It was turgid. Both teams seemed to be cancelled out in a battle to prove who could be the worst at professional football. United did nothing in the first period. Wolves showed a little bit more attacking 'nous' (those quotation marks are looser than a baby tooth) in the first period. Cunha forced Wes to make a fingertip save. And then in a passage of play that wouldn't look out of place in Graves Park, let alone Bramall Lane. Wolves bumbled their way near our six yard box through Hwang Hee-Chan. As United attempted challenges, the ball bobbled to Ait-Nouri and, rather than sweep home into an empty net with Wes all out at sea, the Wolves defender instead let the ball hit his shin and roll wide of the goal. It summed up a first half devoid of any quality and as the teams entered the tunnel as the rain began to sweep around the ground. You felt that today would not be the day United would be getting that first win of the season. How wrong we were... James McAtee seemed to take it upon himself to try and drag United towards a result in the second period after coming on for Brewster before the end of half. The rain was whipping around the ground as the atmosphere began to crackle a bit. United went close minutes after the restart through Archer who whipped a wicked effort over the outstretched arm of Jose Sa onto the roof of the Kop net. The half time break seemed to have given United a shot in the arm, as we controlled the opening exchanges of the second period. The crowd responded to the effort on the pitch and, for the first time this season, you felt a goal was coming for the boys in red and white. And when it came, what a goal it was. Latching onto a shinned pass from McAtee. Cam Archer preyed on a dishevelled Wolves backline to race through on goal with only Sa to beat. With defenders gaining on him. Cam did what very few players have done at United in the past 3-4 years and had a pop from distance to test the keeper. A fierce effort beat Sa... Hit the crossbar... And bounced over the goal line to give United a 1-0 lead! The Lane burst into raptures as Archer raced towards The Kop in celebration as United took the lead in a Premier League match for the first time since Everton at home! With 15 minutes left. Could United hold on and secure that elusive first win and that ever more elusive clean sheet? As it turns out, no. No we couldn't. Or, at least it looked that way at the time. With a minute of normal time remaining, Wolves would get an equaliser. A quick throw in from Wolves led to the ball bouncing around our area. The ball fell to Wolves record signing Bellegarde to turn an effort goalward. With a deflection off of a United defender and a palm from Foderingham. The ball nestled into the top corner as the away end went into histrionics as it looked like it would be another one of 'those' days for United. The six minutes were shown on the subs board and United went searching for a winner. But, this is Sheffield United. We don't do last minute winners. Not in the Premier League anyway, or at least not this season. But then, in the 109th minute of the game after a corner was half cleared, George Baldock was tripped in the box by Fabio Silva and the ref said... Penalty! Now... If you know anything about Oli Norwood (apart from his penchant for fish and chips that is and having kids). You'll know that he does struggle a bit with penalties. Ever since his debut against Hull in 2018, Norwood does have a tendency to miss a penalty. So when Oli stepped up to take the potential match winner in the 110th minute of a game that we needed to win in tough conditions. it's to say nerves were jangling a bit. But step up Oli did and... He only went and bloody scored it! A super penalty from our captain saw Sa go the wrong way and Norwood crack the ball off of the crossbar and into the net to send Bramall Lane into rapture. There would be no chance for a Wolves response as seconds after the restart, it was over. Sheffield United had done it. We were winners in the Premier League once again! This win was very special indeed. We might still end up getting relegated at the end of the season. Things might go wrong at some point between now and May. But for now, nothing was more euphoric than seeing that penalty hit the back of the net and get us that first three points of the season. In a campaign that has seen heartache after heartache, media attention and noise everywhere, in that moment when Norwood scored that penalty. Nothing else mattered. We were all together in that stadium and we were all happy. Moments like that are rare in football. You have to savour them when they come along because you don't know when you'll next get to experience that level of unfiltered joy. Saturday was special. here's hoping it's the first of many special days in the coming weeks and months. Until next time, UTB.
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AuthorHi my name is John and i will be giving my thoughts on the blades matches and all blades related news in this section Archives
November 2022
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