Sharp stab of pain for Mcclaren
STEVE MCCLAREN was raging last night after seeing his Queens Park Rangers crash to a second defeat on the trot in controversial fashion.
The Hoops were crushed after Billy Sharp’s leveller, then a 19-minute cameo from free summer signing David Mcgoldrick – including what looked like a dodgy penalty – handed Sheffield United a vital first win of their campaign.
At the final whistle Blades fans celebrated wildly as they sang songs in honour of their fiery boss Chris Wilder.
But in addition to hailing the gaffer ‘as one of their own’, they could easily have been tipping their hat to the match officials.
For after Sharp cancelled out Ebere Eze’s stunning opener for QPR – despite looking offside – the visitors won it through Mcgoldrick’s hotly-disputed 65th-minute effort from the spot.
The ex-ipswich hitman had only been on the pitch a few seconds when he was apparently pushed in the area.
He then buried it with his first touch – before hobbling off with a dead leg.
Mcclaren was less than impressed with events – indeed he was fuming at the way both United goals stood.
The former England manager slammed: “Two decisions have cost us.
“For their first goal Sharp is offside – it’s hard to understand how they’ve missed it.
“And I have looked at the replay of the penalty and nobody touches Mcgoldrick.
“The result is hard to take but the performance is not. We asked the boys to be brave and they were.”
United were rock-bottom before kick-off and seemed to be heading for a third straight loss when man of the match Eze secured a deserved breakthrough.
Pace, power, and a vicious shot are the forward’s key qualities – as he showed by finishing off a sweeping move with a blistering first-half finish.
And he nearly doubled the lead 10 minutes later, but drove the ball inches wide.
Just before half-time, though, United were level With Mark Duffy and Kieron Freeman combining to provide skipper Sharp with a tap-in.
Then came the two moments that turned the match in the Blades favour.
First, Wilder replaced Sharp with Mcgoldrick, whose immediate impact was to win the penalty – after going down under Jake Bidwell’s shove.
And up stepped the ex-ipswich man to send Matt Ingram the wrong way – and the travelling fans into ecstasy.
Victory relieved much of the early season pressure on Sheffield United manager Wilder, who later rapped: “There’d been a bit of noise because of the two opening defeats.
“But this win – my first in London – is a great boost. “We showed we have the desire. As for David to score that penalty only 60 seconds after coming on, that takes
courage.”