Sharp Blades claim honours on derby day
SHEFFIELD United gave their boss Chris Wilder the perfect 50th birthday present as they emphatically dismissed rivals Sheffield Wednesday 4-2 at Hillsborough.
Wilder, a lifelong Blade, reached his notable landmark on Saturday and it is a weekend he will remember forever as United won the first Steel City derby since 2012 in style.
They were 2-0 up inside 15 minutes through John Fleck and Leon Clarke before Wednesday rallied to level thanks to Gary Hooper and Lucas Joao.
But the Blades were not going to be denied a deserved three points and Mark Duffy’s fine effort and Clarke’s second – against his former club – gave the red half of Sheffield a first win at Hillsborough since 2006,. to push the club up to fourth in the Championship.
The status quo was maintained at the top as Leeds, Cardiff and Wolves all won.
Leeds remain at the head of the pack on goal difference, but the trio are locked on 20 points.
United got the better of Ipswich 3-2 at a sold-out Elland Road.
The Whites responded to a first defeat of the season away to Millwall last week, although this was not as comfortable a win as they would have liked.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga put them ahead (13) but David McGoldrick replied with a free header (30).
Kalvin Phillips hit back within two minutes, then Pablo Hernandez’s corner was dropped in by Bartosz Bialkowski, but Joe Garner set up a tense finish.
Cardiff were 2-1 winners at Sunderland.
Craig Bryson put Neil Warnock’s men ahead with his first goal for the club, before Lynden Gooch levelled from the spot with what was just Sunderland’s eighth goal at home in 2017.
But the restless natives were sent home with more to ponder as Joe Ralls won it for City with a second penalty of the game.
Cardiff and Leeds meet in Wales tomorrow night.
Wolves clung on to the pair thanks to a last-minute winner at home to Barnsley.
Bright Enobakhare opened things up for Wolves with just 10 minutes left, only for Adam Jackson’s stoppage-time volley to level.
But there was still time for Alfred N’Diaye to win it for the home side.
Hull thought they were set fair for a first away win in 23 attempts as Fraizer Campbell put them 1-0 up at Reading, only for Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to deny them in the 87th minute.
Brentford got their first win of the season at the ninth time of asking, beating Bolton 3-0 and leaving their opponents still searching for that elusive first three points.
Yoann Barbet (38), Nico Yennaris (62) and Ollie Watkins (84) did the damage.