Sheff Utd 0 Sunderland 1 - the story of the game
the onrushing Lys Mousset by a matter of inches.
Luke Freeman and Chris Maguire then traded relatively unthreatening efforts from distance, the Black Cats increasingly comfortable and frustrating their opponents with a good defensive shape.
They forged a good opening when Maguire raced free down the right, but Powe’s touch was just too heavy on the edge of the area and the home defence were able to clear
Influential early on, Burge was seeing less and less of the ball and though he had to turn away a Mousset effort on the stroke of the interval, Sunderland went into the break with a worthy lead.
Their momentum was checkd by a frustrating injury to Elliot Embleton, Denver Hume his replacement on the left wing.
In an unfamiliar role, the young midfielder has been composed in possession and disciplined off it.
Hume started brightly and almost produced an assist when his low cross found O’Nien in the box. The midfielder took a touch before firing just wide on his weaker foot.
Chris Wilder had seen enough and hauled off his two strikes, bringing on Leon Clarke and Oli McBurnie.
The home side increasingly took control of possession but struggled to open the Black Cats up, who were being forced deeper but defending resolutely.
They picked their moments to break and though O’Nien’s acrobatic volley eventually drifted out for a throw in, he had picked up a good position in the box to gather Maguire’s cross.
Sheffield United continued
Burge; McLaughlin, Flanagan, Lynch, De Bock, O’Nien, McGeouch, Power, Embleton (Hume, 45), Maguire (Dobson, 90), Wyke
Subs: Grigg, Leadbitter, Taylor, Connelly, Patterson
Moore; Freeman, Stearman, Jagielka, Bryan (Fleck, 70) , Osborn; Besic, Morrison, Freeman; Mousset (McBurnie, 56), Robinson (Clarke, 56)
Subs: Stevens, Fleck, Basham, Norwood, Verrips Bookings: Fleck, 77
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