A game too far for Sheffield United as Hull City defeat hands Leeds United momentum in promotion race — Sheffield Star 24/1/25
By Danny Hall
A game too far for Sheffield United as Hull City defeat
hands Leeds United momentum in promotion race
Chris Wilder acknowledged that there would be a “dramatic
reaction” to Sheffield United’s heaviest defeat of the season after they were
beaten 3-0 by struggling Hull City tonight - but the Blades boss will not be
“beating up” his players as a result. In truth United have been running on
fumes for a while with their squad stretched and that caught up with them on a
night to forget at Bramall Lane.
Hull went ahead after just six minutes, when Matt Crooks
capitalised on some slack defending from Alfie Gilchrist and curled home,
before second-half strikes from Matty Jacob and Harrison Burrows’ own goal
sealed a memorable evening on the road for the Tigers. Defeat for the Blades
gives their promotion rivals Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland the chance to seize
the advantage over the weekend.
“There'll be a dramatic reaction to this,” Wilder admitted
afterwards. “I'm not trying to be the cleverest football manager on the planet
but maybe it's just caught up with us a little bit. I've got to say
congratulations to Ruben and his side. Getting the first goal was key and then
they defended very well. They were compact, they sat in and made it difficult
for us. But we never found that bit of rhythm and connection.
The first goal is a really poor one from our point of view.
It's on the edge of their box and then they counter and a fabulous finish gives
them the impetus and belief that it's going to be their night. We pushed an
made positive changes, but the second goal is the killer really. The third, I'm
OK with because we're trying to get the one to make it an interesting last 10
or 15 minutes. But they got it and from there, it was game, set and match.”
The outcome could have been dramatically different after an
incredibly tight offside call went United’s way in the second half, when Rhian
Brewster was flagged offside after he flicked on for fellow sub Tyrese Campbell
to lift home for what would have been 1-1. Replays showed that Brewster may
have just been played onside by Sean McLoughlin, with some question marks over
offside for Hull’s second goal too.
“I've been told it's pretty tight,” Wilder said of the
offside decision, “but it's not gone for us. You've got to accept the big
moments. Take nothing away from them, we had countless corners and maybe we
need to be a little bit more inventive. The quality wasn't great. We have to do
a lot of things right to get in those situations but they defended them very
well.
“We had a few half chances but they defended their box
brilliantly. There'll be a dramatic verdict on it, by everyone. But I've been
in it long enough to know that sometimes you have these nights. We'll get back
on the bike, I'm not going to beat the players up. That's 60 points from a
decent number of games and we're in and amongst it.”