DEADLOCKED
Bruce frustrates Blades push for top two after fan throws coin on pitch
STeve Bruce vowed that Sheffield Wednesday would weed out the perpetrator after United’s Jack O’Connell appeared to have a coin thrown at him early in a goalless Steel City derby.
After Sheffield United failed to claim the win that would have sent them back into the Championship’s automatic promotion places — and thus inflict a first defeat on Bruce in his new job — both managers condemned the crowd incident during the opening exchanges at hillsborough.
Bruce said: ‘I have to say on the whole the two bunches of supporters were absolutely excellent. If someone has thrown a coin we will find them, if that’s the truth, and deal with it.’
United’s Chris Wilder — who grew up in the city as a United fan — added: ‘It’s gone pretty hostile, really. I don’t think anyone wants to see that. I’m disappointed it’s gone that way.’
On the field, United’s play lacked the creative spark to find the goal that would have returned them to the top two at Leeds’ expense. They were left to rue a failure by the match officials to spot Gary Madine being manhandled at a first-half corner by Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael hector, although Wilder refused to condemn Peter Bankes following a third consecutive goalless draw in this fixture.
‘he’s going to have lockjaw that referee the amount of times he had that whistle in his mouth. I felt for him because it was a tough gig and players went at it full tilt,’ said Wilder.
‘We needed to bring our A game to win and I don’t think we did.’
Injury-hit Wednesday might have snatched the win in the 65th minute when Rolando Aarons fashioned space down the left and John egan’s failure to cut out the cross saw Sam hutchinson emerge six yards out - only for United goalkeeper Dean henderson’s reflexes to maintain the deadlock.
Bruce said: ‘In terms of quality there was a lot to be desired. But the players have given me everything they’ve got. We went toe to toe with a team at the top of the division.’
Madine, whose chequered past includes a five-month spell in prison while on the books at hillsborough, came close to emulating the feat of Alan Quinn in scoring for both sides of the divide in Sheffield derbies within seven minutes of the start.
But, after arriving at the back post to meet a deep delivery from Oliver Norwood, his name was kept out of this fixture’s folklore by Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.