A cut above for the Blades
half-time, much to the delight of Heckingbottom, who saw Wolves loanee Morgan Gibbs-White
(above) score with a fine finish from Oliver Norwood’s through-ball.
Defender George
Baldock then crashed in a stunning volley off the underside of the crossbar from Rhys NorringtonDavies’ left-wing cross
PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM before Gibbs-White slipped was ‘Rocking all over the in 36-year-old captain Billy World’ after Sheffield Sharp, who finished in United moved menacingly great style. into the play-off places at a Gibbs-White then raucous Bramall Lane. reclaimed centre stage by
The Status Quo classic rifling home a cool finish has been adopted and for his second and United’s reworked by Blades fans in fourth in the 78th minute. recognition of the impact Heckingbottom added: that Heckingbottom and “Morgan must be naturally assistant Stuart McCall fit as his performances have made since taking have improved with each charge in late November. game he’s played.
“He’s been a big player “We’re Sheffield United
for this club this season and we’re on a roll, here we
and hopefully he will gooooo, Hecky and Stuart
continue to be McCall!’ was
so.” the chant from
Swansea the raucous
were awful and Kop after
boss Russell Swansea had
Martin faces a been taken to
tough task to the cleaners.
motivate them A fifth win in in the eight unbeaten remaining 15 games and a games. fourth The Welsh successive outfit looked like they were clean sheet confirmed on the beach already with United as genuine relegation highly unlikely promotion contenders. and the play-offs also out
Heckingbottom beamed: of reach.
“I’m really pleased. We A number of visiting could and should have had supporters left off a flares more but I’m not going to and then attempted to pick any faults from that confront the home fans performance. during the second half.
“There was 27,000 here Martin said: “I feel sorry today and you could sense for the fans who travelled in midweek against Hull in difficult circumstances. that there is a different “They deserve better energy and feel about the than what we’re giving fans, so I’m just really them away from home at pleased we could put on a the moment. performance for them. “We have a lot of young
“I’ve always said I men but we need to learn believed in these players and improve quickly and I think other people are because the first 25 starting to believe in them minutes weren’t good as well now.” It was 3-0 at enough.”
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Foderingham 6, Basham 7, Egan 6, Robinson 6, Baldock 8 (Goode 69, 6), Norwood 7, Gibbs-White 8 (Jebbison 85), Norrington-Davies 7, Fleck 6, Berge 7, Sharp 7 (McBurnie 82). Subs not used: Adam Davies, Ben Davies, Hourihane, Ndiaye.
SWANSEA CITY: Fisher 6, Burns 6, Cabango 6, Manning 6, Christie 6, Downes 6, Grimes 6, Latibeaudiere 6, Ntcham 5 (Obafemi 60, 6), Paterson 6 Piroe 6 (Smith 81).
Subs not used: Hamer, Bennett, Fulton, Dhanda, Joseph.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Morgan Gibbs-White. Scored twice and claimed an assist in brilliant display.
REFEREE: David Webb 6.
By ROSS HEPPENSTALL at Bramall Lane