Blades close in

sHEFFIELD UNITED kept automatic promotion firmly in their sights by forcing a narrow win over rivals Middlesbrough.

substitute richard stearman’s thumping header and Daniel Ayala’s sending-off combined to leave Boro clinging to sixth place on goal difference after a first league defeat in seven games.

Boss Tony Pulis claimed stearman had muscled in illegally.

‘ It was beyond belief that the goal stood,’ said the Boro boss, who also questioned the free-kick that produced the goal.

But United manager Chris Wilder countered: ‘I think Tony would have been even more disappointed if that had been disallowed for him.’ Wilder launched into the second half with three strikers after Gary Madine was thrown on from the bench. But it was defender stearman ( above) who forced the breakthrough, powering in a header from oliver Norwood’s delivery. Ayala then saw red just three minutes later when a lunge on Kieran Dowell earned him a second yellow card in the space of seven minutes.