DOYLE LIFTS THE BLADES
TOMMY DOYLE netted a controversial winner as Sheffield United took a big stride towards the Premier League.
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray was unable to do a favour for thirdplaced Middlesbrough, where he is a club legend as the Blades weathered a flurry of home attacks to seal a comeback win and solidify their position in second place.
The Black Cats were fuming after referee Matthew Donohue awarded the winner.
Doyle struck an inswinging free-kick which crept in at the far post. But two Blades players were in offside positions in front of keeper Anthony Patterson and one, Sander Berge, swung a leg and appeared to make slight contact.
Edouard Michut had opened the scoring with his first goal for Sunderland against the run of play after half an hour.
Abdoullah Ba drew in four United defenders and slid a clever ball through to the unmarked Michut, who had drifted away from Sander Berge.
The 20-year-old, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain for the season, fired his shot across goal and into the net.
Sunderland have a deal to buy Michut, valued at £2.2million, if they stay in the Championship. The fee will double if they win promotion. That is still good value, with Fulham also watching his progress.
The Blades had won only two and lost four of their last six league games as the gap with Boro in third closed. But they were level when Manchester City loanee James McAtee was sent in on goal by George Baldock and curled in a beautiful left-foot effort. Patterson saved well from IIiman N’Diaye after the break. Sunderland, beaten 5-1 by Stoke last time at the Stadium of Light, were better.
Trai Hume was set up by Patrick Roberts for a shot but it was stopped by Blades keeper Wes Foderingham, and Jack Clarke also forced a save moments before Roberts hit the post.
SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1): Patterson 7; Hume 7, Batth 7, Ballard 7, O’Nien 6 (Ekwah 87); Neil 6, Michut 7 (Gooch 72); Roberts 7, Ba 6 (Lihadji 72), Clarke 7; Gelhardt 6 (Pritchard 72). Goal: Michut 30. SHEFFIELD UNITED (3-5-2): Foderingham 7; Ahmedhodzic 6, Egan 7, Robinson 7; Baldock 7 (Bogle 77), Doyle 7 (Norwood 77), Berge 7, McAtee 7 (Fleck 77), Lowe 6; Ndiaye 7 (Sharp 90), Jebbison 6 (McBurnie 70). Goals: McAtee 45, Doyle 61.