Blades furious as late ‘leveller’ is ruled out
Sheffield United were left with an acute sense of injustice after they were denied a stoppage-time equaliser by the most marginal of offside decisions, the veracity of which was questioned by the very Middlesbrough players given the benefit of the doubt by the most eagle-eyed of assistant referees.
“I didn’t think it was offside at the time,” Adam Clayton, the midfielder confessed after helping his side to only a second league win this year. He added: “The referee gave it, and now we can hopefully kick on.”
The visitors looked to have claimed a share of the spoils their improved second-half display merited when Dael Fry, under pressure from Jack O’Connell, headed Mark Duffy’s freekick into his own net.
Celebrations in front of 2,000 travelling supporters were curtailed by the touch-and-go ruling against Chris Basham, rounding off a forgettable evening for the Blades defender, who was at fault for the contest’s only goal, scored by Rudy Gestede.
“I think everyone’s confused about the decision,” Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, said after seeing his side lose for the first time since January, their efforts to post a club record ninth consecutive victory thwarted.
He added: “The players, the fans and everyone back home feels we’ve been robbed of a point. You can’t get decisions like that wrong in my book, but the officials have. We deserved to get our just rewards but because of that decision, we haven’t.”
His opposite number, Garry Monk, was succinct in his appraisal of the pivotal 93rd-minute incident. “I’m told it’s the correct decision. For me, it wasn’t a foul in the first place for the free-kick.” Monk was able to showcase £35million-worth of summer signings for the first time at the Riverside, but it was a survivor of last season’s abysmal Premier League relegation campaign who underlined the gulf in class between the top two divisions in English football.
With one highly effective nod of the head, Gestede matched the single league goal he managed in half a season among the elite following a £6million move from Aston Villa in January. The 28 year-old threatened in a way he had been unable to against more accomplished rearguards during the club’s brief, wretched return to the big time.
Gestede combined with another more established Middlesbrough name, Patrick Bamford, for the pivotal 20th-minute goal, the latter’s deft lofted ball into the area forcing a misplaced clearance from Basham and allowing the French-born Benin international to send a looping header over goalkeeper Jamal Blackman from a dozen yards. An upright prevented Gestede from adding to his tally before the interval, as he out-jumped the hapless Basham to a Cyrus Christie cross from the right.
The visitors were left to reflect on their inability to capitalise on a bright start, Leon Clarke delaying to allow Clayton to block his attempt from Kieron Freeman’s inviting cutback.
“It’s important to get that early win,” Monk added. “We set the standards that we want to keep.”