BLADES OF GLORY
Steel City derby was as hot as a furnace as rampant United silenced the bouncing home crowd in two incredible minutes
FOR 107 seconds, the ground shook.
Four goals had been shared, Wednesday’s Lucas Joao overturning a two-goal Blades’ lead.
The top tier of the South Stand actually physically bounced with the comeback celebration.
That was in the 66th minute. By the 68th, there was silence.
Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United, spiky and resilient as they come, scored again. And again.
Breathless in its intensity and hugely entertaining, welcome back, after five years, to the Steel City Derby. Two former giants being pitted against each other again in the Championship, and serving up a belter.
Substitute Mark Duffy came up with the devastating winning blow for United.
Man of the match Leon Clarke, a former Sheffield Wednesday player, added a flourish with United’s fourth, and his second of the game, and it was all over.
Remarkably, United hero Clarke now has six goals in his last five games against his former club.
He led the celebrations in front of the United faithful well after the final whistle, as the home fans shuffled home.
The 141st Sheffield derby, the first since February 2012, was worth the wait. All noise, passion, intensity. Wednesday contributing with their fight-back, but United with the relentless belief born of last season’s winning campaign up to fourth.
Renewing rivalries after United’s six years in League One, it took just two minutes for the promoted side to take the lead.
Midfielder John Fleck signed a new four-year deal this week and celebrated with a brilliantly worked free-kick.
Busy striker David Brooks was bundled over on the edge of the box by Tom Lees and, after faking to tee-up Paul Coutts, he back-heeled.
Fleck went to keeper Kieren Westwood’s right and buried it low into the corner.
United boss Wilder (below), celebrating his 50th birthday on Saturday, was soon celebrating a second goal.
The Owls were rocking at the back, caught on the break by United’s swift balls forward, and too flimsy in the challenge.
They got a warning when Brooks slipped in behind but was snuffed out.
But next time it was Clarke who was put in the clear, brushing away Joost van Aken’s challenge and sliding past Westwood.
The matchday programme was adorned with a special artwork to mark 150 years of Wednesday, and manager Carlos Carvalhal (right) needed a brave fightback to make a game of it.
It took 44 minutes for Hillsborough to see a sign of hope and Gary Hooper provided it. An aimless clearance from Jamal Blackman was seized, allowing Ross Wallace to cross. Hooper hooked in at the front post to trigger a lusty cheer and renewed hope.
Wilder was a ballboy at a Steel derby when he was 12. As a United player, he never got to play in one, as then-boss Dave Bassett loaned him, or left him out.
But he had his players fired up – and the second half was about staying solid and composed. However, their intensity dropped and Wednesday sensed blood.
They levelled in the 66th minute when sub Joao slotted home. It was a crisp finish after excellent work from Adam Reach down the left.
Relief around Hillsborough came with a mighty roar. It was short-lived. Sub Duffy, a pest, wound his way along the touchline and, from a tight angle, crashed into the top corner. Ten minutes later it was all over. A fourth for United, and deserved too.
Clarke, a bustling handful strong enough to occupy two defenders, did just that.
His maurauding presence caused Tom Lees to mess up a headed clearance and Clarke surged through to poke home.
A derby as hot as the furnaces that gave the game its name.