SMASH AND BURN
Mcburnie coolly fires home the latest goal in Prem history to boost Blades’ survival battle
HAS a game so largely forgettable ever produced a more memorable finish than this bonkers one at Bramall Lane?
For most of this match two sides slugged it out in the wind and rain looking more like pub teams attempting to run off a hangover.
Maxwel Cornet had put the Hammers ahead in the first half with his first-ever goal for the club since joining them 18 months ago.
Ben Brereton Diaz equalised before half time on his Premier League debut – and should have put his side ahead midway through the second half. West Ham looked to be heading home with all three points after James Ward-prowse’s 79th-minute penalty appeared to have piled more pain on Sheffield United.
Then all hell broke loose in added time.
The Blades were reduced to 10 men when substitute Rhian Brewster was sent off for a high tackle on Emerson.
The Hammers followed suit when Vladimir Coufal was shown a second yellow card for a trip on James Mcatee to even up the numbers.
Then, moments later, Alphonse Areola flattened Oli Mcburnie to concede a penalty, which the Blades substitute duly converted in the 103rd minute, after Areola had been forced off with concussion and replaced by Lukasz Fabianski in goal.
It was the latest goal in Premier League history and enough to somehow earn the Blades a precious point from an astonishing climax, which left Irons boss David Moyes looking like he’d seen a ghost.
Football, eh? Bloody hell. The result deprived the Hammers of getting to within six points of the top four.
While the scenario still looks bleak for the Blades, who after 21 games now have just 10 points, which is two less than West Brom accumulated in 2005 before their miracle escape.
The visitors arrived in Sheffield keen to put their FA Cup nightmare at Bristol City behind them.
But despite offering up two goals, the first half was shocking.
Some of the defending at both ends was embarrassing, but so was the finishing.
The Hammers created the better chances, and finally took one of them on 28 minutes when Danny Ings’s shot deflected off Jack Robinson into the path of the unmarked Cornet, who lashed his effort past the helpless keeper, Wes
Foderingham. In the process of going behind, the Blades had also become the second-fastest team to concede 50 Premier League goals in a season, after Barnsley.
It must be something in the water around these parts.
But the Blades equalised on the stroke of half time through Brereton Diaz.
Areola had somehow kept out an initial effort from Will Osula from point-blank range.
But Brereton Diaz reacted first to the loose ball – and smashed it into the back of the net to make it 1-1.
It took until the 73rd minute for the second half to see a shot on target, when Ings tested Foderingham with a low drive. The rubbish on the pitch wasn’t confined to all the crisp packets and sweet wrappers.
But with 11 minutes remaining a moment of brilliance from Ings earned his side the chance to take the spoils.
He turned Robinson in the box with a sublime piece of skill, forcing Gustavo Hamer to bring him down (left).
Ward-prowse stepped up to convert the penalty in front of the delighted Hammers’ fans.
But the real drama was still to come.
And by the end of it all, it was the Blades left smiling and Moyes left seething.