WILDER CAN’T CATCH A BREAK AS 10-MAN BLADES ARE DENIED AT THE DEATH

WITH a strip like a red sock left in with the whites, it’s a shame to see Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United looking so washed out in the Premier League. Fourteen games in, still no wins. The side who captured imaginations last season — and introduced ‘overlapping centre backs’ to the football dictionary — cannot catch a break. They were agonisingly close to their first win of the season, despite playing the majority of this match with 10 men. Oliver Burke missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the 85th minute, then Danny Welbeck (left) popped up in the 87th to deny them the three points. Wilder was justified in calling it a spirited performance. They weren’t the prettiest in pink but they showed fight after John Lundstram’s first-half red card. Yet Wilder knows only wins will get him out of this mess. ‘When you get that close, you’re disappointed not to see the game out,’ said Wilder, whose substitute Jayden Bogle had given the Blades a second-half lead. ‘It was an eventful debut for Jayden. He’s come out of the Championship, he’s going to get tested more and more. His contribution was big for us.’ Goals have been scarce for Brighton, who may target a striker in January. ‘If that type of player is there, we’ll do our best,’ boss Graham Potter said. With Brighton in Tier 2, the fans were in fine voice but were almost silenced in the 34th minute. David McGoldrick hit a low free-kick which seemed destined for the bottom-right corner. The 33-year-old even started to celebrate, only for Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to get a fingertip to the ball and push it around a post. But Sheffield United were left up against it when Lundstram was shown a straight red card for his

challenge on Joel Veltman. Referee Peter Bankes initially produced yellow, but VAR Michael Oliver advised Bankes to visit the monitor. There he saw the recklessness of Lundstram, who could have snapped Veltman’s ankle, and decided to increase the punishment. Wilder’s side dug deep to avoid another defeat and switched to 4-4-1, leaving £23.5million club-record signing Rhian Brewster up top. Yet Wilder felt it wasn’t working. In the 52nd minute, he replaced Brewster with defender Bogle. That turned out to be a clever move. Soon after, the Blades had the lead. McGoldrick picked out Bogle in the area and his shot beat Sanchez via a deflection off Adam Webster. Sheffield United could have gone 2-0 up through Burke moments later, but he found the stand rather than the goal. They were made to pay for that. In the 87th minute, Chris Basham tried to head clear a cross, but only assisted Welbeck, who chested the ball down and beat Aaron Ramsdale. Brighton should have scored a stoppage-time winner, but last-gasp defending and the woodwork saved the visitors. First Welbeck’s header was cleared off the line by John Egan. Then Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s headed rebound from two yards out bounced off the bar. Potter and Wilder (right) were both desperate for three points, given their positions towards the bottom of the table. One apiece had to do.

BRIGHTON (3-4-2-1): Sanchez 6; White 6 (Zeqiri 72min, 6), Dunk 6, Webster 6; Veltman 5 (Jahanbakhsh 46, 6), Bissouma 6, Lallana 5.5, March 6; Trossard 5.5, Maupay 5.5 (Welbeck 66, 7); Connolly 5.5. Subs not used: Steele, Mac Allister, Gross, Alzate, Burn, Molumby. Scorer: Welbeck 87. Booked: Dunk. Manager: Graham Potter 6. SHEFFIELD UNITED (5-3-2): Ramsdale 6; Baldock 6, Basham 6, Egan 6.5, Robinson 6, Stevens 6.5; Lundstram 5, Ampadu 6, Fleck 6 (Burke 33, 6); Brewster 5.5 ( BOGLE 54, 7), McGoldrick 6 (Osborn 70, 6). Subs not used: Verrips, Sharp, Mousset, Lowe, Jagielka, Norwood. Scorer: Bogle 63. Booked: McGoldrick, Ramsdale, Basham, Burke, Osborn. Sent off: Lundstram 40. Manager: Chris Wilder 6.5. Referee: Peter Bankes 6.