DING-DING EGAN’S IN
Hull sunk as defender keeps Sheffield flying
JOHN EGAN was happy to take the London bus gags after bringing his long goal drought to an end.
The big defender hadn’t scored for 14 months – but bagged two in 11 minutes to make it five games unbeaten for the resurgent Blades.
Delighted boss Slavisa Jokanovic said: “I’m happy for John – he took his goals well. We’re heading in the right direction but there’s still a lot of hard work ahead.
“We’ve got a good group of players but we can’t be satisfied, we have to keep striving for better.”
Egan’s previous goal for the Blades came in a
1-0 win over Wolves last
July.
The 28-year-old put that right with powerful headers after losing marker Mallik Wilks from carbon copy Conor Hourihane corners to seal victory after a first-half opener from Billy Sharp – who also had a penalty saved.
The Blades failed to score in their first four matches – but made it 11 goals in the last three.
Sharp (above) marked his 300th game for the club by rising at the far post to head home a 17th-minute centre from Wolves loanee Morgan Gibbs-white.
It was the 35-year-old’s first away goal in the league since the opening day Premier League draw at Bournemouth two seasons ago.
It took the Tigers half an hour to muster a decent shot, with Richie Smallwood’s longrange effort saved at the second attempt by Robin Olsen.
On-loan Manchester United defender Di’shon Bernard should have done better when heading wide from a George Moncur corner.
Sharp looked offside as he burst into the box to be brought down by Jacob Greaves a minute before the break. The striker picked himself up but his spotkick was saved by Matt Ingram.
It was plain sailing for the Blades after Egan broke his duck in the 50th minute – but the
Tigers had the consolation of stemming their barren spell.
Ex-united striker Tyler Smith was a handful after coming off the bench late on, and teed-up his side’s first goal for 10-and-a-quarter hours with a pacy run and cross for Keane Lewis-potter to slide the ball in with 15 minutes left.
Hull are without a win since the opening day, and boss Grant Mccann said: “We came up against a very good team but that’s three or four games we’ve lost from set-plays this season and that’s a real kick in the teeth.”
HULL CITY: Ingram 5; Coyle 4, Bernard 4, Greaves 3, Elder 4; Smallwood 4, Smith 5 (Cannon 46, 4); Lewispotter 6, Moncur 5 (Smith 70, 6), Wilks 5; Magennis 5 (Honeyman 46, 5).
Unused Subs: Emmanuel, Baxter, Longman, Mcloughlin.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Olsen 7; Baldock 7, Egan 9, Davies 8 (Basham 85, 6), Norrington-davies 8; Gibbswhite 8, Hourihane 8 (Guedioura 65, 6), Fleck 8, Osborn 8; Brewster 7, Sharp 8 (Mcburnie 76, 5).
Unused Subs: Norwood, Foderingham,
Bogle, Ndiaye.
MAN OF THE MATCH:
John Egan. Two goals to go with an impressive display at the back.