Blades keep moving on up after Carter-Vickers opens senior account
CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS earned his spurs on debut with Sheffield United’s winner in a Championship victory at bottom of the table Bolton.
The on-loan Tottenham youngster fired home after 33 minutes at the Macron Stadium as Chris Wilder’s side completed a fourth successive league win, to move up to third in the standings.
Phil Parkinson’s Trotters have now lost five of their seven games since earning the second automatic promotion place behind the Blades last season and have failed to score in three successive outings.
Bolton beat the Blades twice at the Macron Stadium last season but the visitors have adapted much better to life in the second tier.
The hosts were more than a match for the Blades before the visitors took the lead 12 minutes from half-time.
Gary Madine, booed at every opportunity by United fans for his previous Wednesday connections and later yellow carded, fired a long-range effort at Jamal Blackman.
And captain Jem Karacan headed over before an injury to Will Buckley saw Filipe Morais introduced as a 30th-minute substitute.
Three minutes later USA Under-23 international Carter Vickers was allowed the freedom of the penalty area to swivel and smash a right-foot shot high into the net for what was his first senior goal.
Bolton responded positively and Adam Armstrong’s goalbound shot deflected for a corner off Jake Wright’s head.
But Carter-Vickers should have doubled his and United’s goal tally just before half-time. Instead, Ben Alnwick made a fine stop from the 19-year-old’s drive from 12 yards out.
Josh Cullen joined Bolton team-mate Morais in referee Stuart Attwell’s notebook at the start of the second half, while United could have made the game safe after 56 minutes only for Daniel Lafferty’s effort from a tight angle to be cleared off the line by David Wheater.
Wanderers enjoyed plenty of possession in the final half-hour but relied heavily on set-pieces, United comfortably holding on for a thoroughly deserved three points.