BLADES INJURY BLOW

CHRIS WILDER trod carefully but the message from the Sheffield United manager could not have been clearer.

The departure of key man Paul Coutts on a stretcher and in agony with a badly broken leg was caused by a mis- timed tackle from Marvin Sordell.

‘ It wasn’t malicious,’ Wilder said after seeing his team go top of the Championship for the second time this season. ‘It makes no odds if it’s honest or malicious — it’s not a great challenge.

‘The biggest thing is we’ve lost a very good player for a lengthy time. We’re feeling a bit flat.’ The injury overshadowed a match in which United looked to be in control from the moment Billy Sharp opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

Unexpectedly, Matty Palmer’s 25-yard curler gave Burton brief hope.

Instead Sharp, who won the penalty after going down under a shoulder charge from Kyle McFadzean, made it eight for the season with a breakaway. Leon Clarke finished off the scoring near the end.

‘It’s a great achievement to be top,’ added Wilder. ‘We lost a talented and popular player tonight and that knocked us back.’

Burton have forgotten how to win at home and have conceded 16 goals in the last five matches here. ‘ The glaring difference between us was the confidence,’ said Nigel Clough. ‘We gave away soft goals again.’

Those soft goals benefited BBC’s Children in Need — Burton’s players pledged £ 10 for every goal conceded and £5 for every goal scored.