MATCH REPORT: Huddersfield Town 0 Sheffield United 1
Winning goal: Neill Collins scores his first goal for Blades and secures three vital points
THIS was no Valentine’s Day Massacre but Sheffield United issued a chilling statement of intent to the rest of their League One rivals with last night’s narrow but deserved win at the Galpharm Stadium.
Danny Wilson’s side had made the short journey to West Yorkshire looking to beat one of the division’s leading six teams for only the second time this season and assert their claims for automatic promotion in the process.
They achieved both of those objectives in gritty, gutsy style against a Huddersfield Town team which, despite losing further ground on their rivals, demonstrated enough to suggest it will contest a top two place at the end of the season.
Neill Collins, who excelled in tandem with Harry Maguire, scored the only goal of the evening when he headed home at the far post after his fellow centre-half had helped on Ryan Flynn’s corner.
But Steve Simonsen, much-maligned following a series of high-profile errors at the start of the campaign, emerged as one of the architects of this success by producing two fine blocks to deny Danny Ward and Oscar Gobern as their opponents looked to move through the gears.
With Maguire and Richard Cresswell both enjoying excellent opportunities to score, United could well have put the result beyond Town’s reach long before Simonsen’s reactions prevented Sean Morrison’s shot deflecting in off Collins at the death. United, resisting the temptation to include on-loan striker Will Hoskins in their starting 11, made only one change to the starting team which had beaten Wycombe Wanderers three days earlier.
Flynn, the player to profit from Lee Williamson’s injured calf muscle,
Town, by contrast, made four with goalkeeper Alex Smithies’ return denying Ian Bennett an appearance against his former club.
Smithies’ opposite number Simonsen was forced to whisk Jack Hunt’s centre off the head of Jordan Rhodes as Lee Clark’s men looked to take the initiative but it was United who landed the first telling blow when Collins nodded home from close range in the sixth minute.
The Scottish centre-half, being watched from the directors’ box by compatriot David Weir, admitted earlier this month that his failure to get off the mark since arriving at Bramall Lane in January last year had become a source of considerable frustration.
With Wilson acknowledging beforehand that United would “have to score” to stand a chance of taking something from the contest, Collins could not have picked a better time to open his account.
Had Ched Evans, usually so deadly in the opposition penalty area, not taken a fresh air shot 10 minutes later then Wilson’s men would surely have doubled their advantage.
With Clark’s touchline mannerisms threatening to become as agitated as Town’s defending, Ward attempted to settle his manager’s nerves with a rasping free-kick but Simonsen saved well.
Nevertheless, it was a reminder of the firepower the hosts’ possessed within their ranks and Simonsen was forced to produce an even better block to deny Gobern soon after.
However, with Kevin McDonald and Michael Doyle spraying passes to either flank, United continued to prove adept at picking holes in Town’s rearguard.
Matthew Lowton saw his appeal for a 28th minute penalty waved away by referee Kevin Friend after colliding with his marker while Stephen Quinn drilled wide following another poor clearance.
Despite his earlier mistake, Evans continued to find space in front of Town’s back four and it was his industry which created the chance for Cresswell, who later claimed he had been impeded only yards from goal, to head wide.
Cresswell returned the favour with a delightful 37th minute faint to send Evans scampering through as United launched another raid forward.
But when the former Leeds and Stoke City marksman attempted to apply the finishing touches to a move his ingenuity had been responsible for starting, Smithies spread himself well at the near post.
Rhodes struck the woodwork and Gobern inexplicably headed wide from a corner as Town grew in stature during the closing stages of the opening period but Evans redressed the balance immediately after by flashing a set-piece wide after Flynn had been hauled back on the edge of the area.
But, in the 64th minute, only Doyle’s goal line intervention prevented Sean Morrison from hauling Town level while Rhodes should have netted seconds later only to shoot straight at Simonsen.
Maguire and McDonald both tried their luck as the final whistle beckoned but Town were unable to engineer an equaliser.
TERRIERS: Smithies 7, Hunt 7, Naysmith 7, McCombe 6, Morrison 7, Roberts 6 (Cadamarteri 64) 6, Gobern 6 (Woods 46) 6, Robinson 6, Ward 7, Rhodes 7, Lee 7 (Novak 74) 6. Not used: Bennett, Higginbotham.
BLADES: Simonsen 8, Lowton 7, Maguire 8, Collins 7, Jean-Francois 7, Quinn 7, Doyle 7, McDonald 8, Flynn 7, Cresswell 7 (Porter 82), Evans 8 (Hoskins 90). Not used: Montgomery, Long, Williams.
CAUTIONS: McDonald (40), Simonsen (57), Lee (58), Naysmith (64)
RED CARDS: None
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Comments
There are 24 comments to this article
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BM'S DADDY
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:03 PMmy lil bm at 22 i thought you had your boyfriend over at 8-30? youve not split up again becvause u pretend to go to games and say on here and it upsets rodreguiz so much hes walked out again, youll now be spending the nite with your sis to cheer yourself up no doubt. i have a feelin that after hes been with his sis hell be our bed sucling on his mamma as per usual, he loves sucking on his mamma, i say sonj your 45 give it a rest. but hes a mummies boy. toni curry you have been in 2nd before have you not? you are like all the rest of our bms bessie mates, you all got semis, but like i keep tellin my lil retarded boy, your in the 3rd tier of english football, dont go getting carried away. all this take about your club bein big just upsets my lil bumkin
Tony Curries shinpad
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:56 PMMeggers has totally lost the plot, if indeed he ever had one ;) Huddersfield are in disarray, MK are all over the place, Stevenage on the charge. Fabulous performance last night! An automatic promotion place is ours for the taking, keep it up DW'sR&WWs
UTO1s mummy
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:31 PMI was of course very upset when my UTO was crying hysterically after the matches last night and i just couldnt console him. BUT as his mummy what has upset me more was the fact that when i went in his room unannounced this evening i caught him looking at a mucky magazine. Nothing wrong with that for a normal 13 year old you would say.BUT im afraid the magazine was in fact one i hadnt heard of before. it was called TIGHT AND WRINKLED, and showed poses of male pensioners dressed in nothing apart from womens tights! Well you can imagine my horror and as punishment he will NOT be allowed to listen to the football on the radio on Saturday whilst wearing his shirt. He can throw a tantrum all he likes.Its not happening you rude filthy little boy!
UTO1
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:33 PMSwills AKA BM........ If you had the brains to read properly you'd see that I stated we played on a Tuesday where traditionally you get less away fans turning up BUT you only had 17,165 against Wycombe on a SATURDAY!!!! The last time the massive played on Tuesday was against Yeovil where 15,965 turned up!!! When we had them at our place we had 17,213 turn up!!! But yes you guessed it, well not you thicko but the others did..... it was a Saturday.... DOH!!!! Oh Dear Oh Dear Swills AKA BM you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you?
UTO1
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:31 PMWow only 19 posts on the massive's page where are you all now you've retaken second spot...... Oh yeah on our pages....... Don't know why you've been in second spot before only to lose it!!! Nice to see some old faces crawling out from under their stones...... Only sing when you're winning!!!!! UTO
BM'S DADDY
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:58 PMOur BM is just like his friends from the blades he to as been acting like theyve won the league. i keep tellin him, son youve only moved into 2nd place thats all. hes been in a right mood since sheffields minnows took that spot, saying its not fair that after him an all his friends have been saying what a great big rich club they are.. hes been whimpering every nite but now they have it back he actaully wet his bed last night and hes 45! i told him hes going to have to share tonight with his sis, that put a smile on his face. bless his lil cotton socks, my our BM loves his sis
soldierblade
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:54 PMwe have got to keep it up, keep it going and hope that the wendies do what they are best at against us and try and kick us off the park! Fingers crossed for a strong ref a week on sunday, we might need it against SWFC; aka Sheff Wimbledon FC!
manorblade
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:53 PMThe wheels could really come off for the porkers, Smegson crying about his players, Ched cost too much, condom machine, where will it stop? At the end of the day it's his team, his tactics and his man management. There's huge potential for a banana skin moment against chezzi with a loss there, low team confidence and the fans turning on him (already happening just read the pigs posts). Hopefully the porkers will be in disarray by the time we get to them. It's great to be a Blade!
Swillsborough-Dump
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 05:03 PMUTO1 has stated that the team in the 2nd automatic place i.e. The Blades, should attract 25000 into their ground. Does this apply to Wendy when they are in 2nd spot and only getting 16,185 V Stevenage? Oh Dear Oh Dear UTO1 you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you?
Sean56
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 03:33 PMWell done Super Blades - said before the game that Danny's footballing style is capable of beating any team in this division - home or away
mackemblade
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:24 PMAs they say 'one in the eye' for our porcine foe (or is one in each eye when considering our result as well ?) Guess 0v0 will change his user name to 0v1 now ?
Kilkenny Blade
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:16 PMObviously Lee Clark had a large budget and has paid the price but I don't understand sacking a manager just after the transfer window closes leaving the new man unable to strenghten beyond loans UTB
PaulSheffield
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 01:56 PM@3 Lance get a life nob
SheffieldEngland
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 01:50 PMI didn't realise losing to the blades was considered such an embarrassment that it meant you had to sack your manager!
Moose
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 01:47 PMSuch a comprehensive beating that Huddersfield have sacked their manager!
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