RAZOR SHARP Billy equals league record
Sheffield United are now unbeaten in each of the last 43 league games in which Billy Sharp has netted for the Blades (W36 D7), since losing to Coventry City in April 2016 in League One. BILLY SHARP equalled Rickie Lambert’s record as the leading English league scorer this century with 219 goals.
Blades skipper Sharp punished Blackburn with a brilliant brace in a bitter Roses battle.
Both sides were down to 10 men when Sharp went to work to take his season’s goal haul to sweet 16.
The striker, who scored both when United won 2-0 at Blackburn in October, said: “My dad told me a few weeks ago that I was close to the record and I could do it around Christmas time.
“I played with Lambs at Southampton and he was a goal machine. Hopefully he is enjoying his beers too much to think about coming out of retirement.
“I’m very proud to have equalled the record, but hopefully I can keep on scoring for United.’’
Blades boss Chris Wilder ( below) said: “It’s brilliant for Billy – you don’t back against him. Blackburn will be glad to see the end of him.
“But I think there’s much more to come from Billy in the second half of the season.’’
Referee Anthony Taylor had already incurred the wrath of the home fans before he sent off defender Chris Basham in the 51st minute for a second bookable offence after he was adjudged to have handled Char l ie Mulgrew’s freekick.
But Taylor evened the score when he showed Blackburn’s Richie Smallwood a red card for a reckless 71stminute challenge on Sharp, who broke the deadlock two minutes later.
And he doubled the damage on 77 minutes before strike partner David McGoldrick added a third eight minutes from time.
Rovers counterpart Tony Mowbray, who had goalkeeping coach Ben Benson booked, reckoned Taylor “mismanaged’’ the match.
Mowbray said: “Sadly, I think the officials had the biggest impact. The referee mismanaged the game. He came from the Premier League and thought he was going into the Championship to have a nice, easy day.”
Rovers skipper Mul g rew and United’s Enda Stevens both struck th e woodwork, but the game changed after the Blackwood’s red card and Sharp pounced to fire in from McGoldrick’s assist.
His second came after a swift counter-attack before McGoldrick chested in John Fleck’s cross.