FACING JOY 0R HEARTACHE?
Yorkshire play-off contestants have experienced both sides of the coin
AFTER signing off from League One, Sheffield United’s players are leaving for Las Vegas later this week – having already hit the jackpot in a magnificent campaign.
Gloss on a truly special season was provided on Sunday as the Blades reached 100 points after their 30th league win of 2016-17, a 3-2 triumph over Chesterfield – their seventh straight success.
Having been officially presented with the League One trophy amid jubilant scenes after the game, the party is set to continue.
Daniel Lafferty, whose late goal helped the Blades achieve their century milestone, quipped: “The target now is probably 100 beers in Vegas. To try and survive Vegas for four days on Thursday, that is probably the next goal.
“To be fair, as the gaffer tells us all the time, ‘enjoy it’. These times do not come around often, so you have to.
“Sunday was an outstanding way to finish. If you go back to when we got automatic promotion, the gaffer said there is a new goal and that was to get 100 points.
“Obviously, it meant we had to win all of them and, to be fair, we have done that pretty comfortably with the exception, probably, of the last one.
“Some of the stats we have produced this season have been exceptional. They are a credit to the players, the staff and everybody connected with the club.
“We have been consistently the best team and I do not think anybody in the league could argue with that.
“We have scored the most goals in England, out of all the divisions, and we have set a club record for the number of wins.
“Other people have stumbled and we have just kept on going and stayed focused. We have been relentless. Now, we can just enjoy it all for a bit.”
Lafferty had the honour of scoring the final goal of an unforgettable campaign for United, but despite another Champagne day, it did not stop the Blades players from receiving a few harsh words at half-time from manager Chris Wilder.
Lafferty, whose goal put United in party mood again by the final whistle, added: “We were far from our best. We did not do things we have done all season.
“We were a little bit sloppy. But, at half-time, the gaffer came in and gave us an absolute rollicking. Those are the standards we have set.
“To get the final goal of the season was nice, but, to be fair, it is not about individuals. It is about the group as a whole because we could not have done this without each other.”