Sheffield are winners, at last
Last-placed Sheffield United ended the longest winless run to start a Premier League season by beating 10-man Newcastle 1-0 thanks to a 73rd-minute penalty by Billy Sharp yesterday.
The hosts finally collected a victory — in their 18thgameof the campaign — after a mental lapse from Newcastle captain Federico Fernandez, who swotted the ball away with his hand as he battled for the ball with Sharp in the area.
Sharp, whohad entered as a 59thminute substitute, sent goalkeeper
Karl Darlow the wrongwayfrom the spot for only his team’s ninth goal of the season.
With Newcastle already aman downfollowing the 45th-minute sending-off of winger Ryan Fraser, Sheffield United had no problems seeing out the win.
Noteam in the history of the Premier League, whose inaugural season was in 1992, had failed to win any of the first 17 games.
Sheffield United’s last victory in the league wasmore than six months ago, a 3-0 win against Chelsea on July 11, though they did win in thefa Cup on Sunday against third-tier Bristol Rovers.
Sheffield United moved onto five points, leaving Chris Wilder’s team nine from safety approaching the halfway point of the season.
Newcastle were obliging opponents for Sheffield United to end their winless streak, with the visitors overrun even before Fraser was sent off for collecting a second yellow card — three minutes after his first — for a late tackle on David Mcgoldrick.
The only nervousmoment for the homeside came in the sixth and final minute of second-half stoppage time, when wing back Jayden Bogle headed a back-pass past his goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, and only narrowly past the post. — AP