Brew up for Heck of it

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RHIAN BREWSTER fired Sheffield United to victory after a half-time session of video analysis helped him find his shooting boots.

The 21-year-old striker endured a nightmare debut season at Bramall Lane last term after arriving from Liverpool in a club-record deal worth £23.5million.

He failed to score a single goal in 31 appearances but his 48th-minute opener yesterday marked his third strike in his last six games.

Defender Jack Robinson then nodded in a second – his first goal for the club – before Brewster broke clear and was hauled down by Luton’s Reece Burke, who was shown a straight red card.

It was United’s first home game in eight weeks after recent postponements and boss Paul Heckingbottom said: “Rhian took on the information we gave him at half-time.

“It was a tactical element about getting Rhian involved more to receive forward passes and build the link-up play.

“We showed him examples on the video at half-time and the pleasing thing was that we saw him getting across the centrebacks in the second half.

“He’s worked with Jack

Lester [head of performance] and the biggest thing that Jack has noticed is that, for all his efforts on goal, there is not enough gone between the goalposts.

“That one today for his goal was perfect.”

The United faithful booed Heckingbottom’s decision to substitute Brewster with 20 minutes to play but the Blades boss did not take that as a negative.

Heckingbottom explained: “I felt the fans had taken to him last year.

“Even though it was a difficult time, he never shirked it.

“He’s nowhere near where he needs to be in terms of his fitness after his hamstring injury. He’s got to get fitter and he’s got to get stronger.

“We need him scoring more goals but he’s a great kid and really infectious, so we will continue to push him and work with him.”

Luton offered next to nothing as an attacking force and United could have been ahead at the break.

Brewster’s tidy finish, after Jayden Bogle’s effort was blocked, put them ahead and then Robinson headed in Oli Norwood’s free-kick.

Burke’s dismissal on the hour ended Luton’s hopes and boss Nathan Jones said: “First-half I didn’t think there was much in the game but we just didn’t come out of the traps in the way that we wanted to in the second half.

“With the sending off, which I had no problem with, it was very difficult to peg them back. But they’ve got the best squad in the Championship.”