Jag hits top gear as he blunts his beloved Blades
DELIGHTED Stoke boss Alex Neil paid a glowing tribute to Phil Jagielka as he haunted the club where he started his career.
The veteran defender scored and provided an assist as the brilliant Potters stunned the league-leading Blades with a fine home win.
Jagielka, 40, restored the hosts’ lead in first-half injury time and made his vast experience count as Neil’s on-song side ended a run of three league matches without a win.
“He was brilliant,” said Neil. “His last two performances for us have been incredible.
“He came in having hurt his quad and having done very little training, but he showed his quality, and his experience and why he’s played at the level he has played at.”
Defeat for the misfiring Blades means they have not won in their last three, although they stay top on goal difference.
“It was a good performance from the lads,” said Neil.
“All the credit should go to the players. It’s not easy playing Sheffield United, in fact we prepared for three different shapes today.
“They changed their shape during the game and switched to a diamond.
“But I think that shows our players’ intelligence with how we coped with that. I thought the players did it remarkably well.”
Former England centreback Jagielka picked out fellow defender Ben
Wilmot for a welcome fourth-minute opener.
But Rhian Brewster levelled matters with a sweet strike for the South
Yorkshire visitors, his first goal since January.
And it got even better for Jagielka – who played close to 300 games and spent eight seasons with the Blades – when he scored his first goal since April 2019.
Substitute and Manchester City loan recruit Liam Delap secured maximum points when he slotted home at the death.
The hosts could have won by more, as midfielder Tarique Fosu rattled the crossbar with a stringing drive, but Iliman Ndiaye struck a post for the Blades.
“I can’t argue with the result,” said frustrated Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom.
“We battled hard in the second half but just didn’t create enough.
“I knew we’d be more open, it’s something I had to accept with the personnel we put out there.
“We missed a big chance early on and they scored straight after.
“But the second goal was a shocking time to concede and to lose two goals from set-plays was disappointing.”
STOKE: Bursik 7; Sterling 7 (Clarke
(82) 6), Wilmot 7, Jagielka 9, Fox 6; Laurent 6, Baker 7 (Thompson (90) 5), Smallbone 7 (Clucas (82) 7); Campbell 6, Gayle 7 (Delap (71) 7), Fosu 8
SHEFF UTD: Foderingham 5; Gordon 6 (Sachdev (75) 6), Basham 5, Egan 6, Norrington-davies 5; Doyle 6 (Osborn (75) 6), Norwood 7, Ndiaye 6; Mcatee 6 (Arblaster (66) 6), Brewster 7 (Jebbison (75) 6), Khadra 5 (Sharp (58) 6)
STAR MAN: Phil Jagielka. The 40-year-old evergreen defender haunted his former side with a superb display including a goal and an assist.
REF: Peter Bankes 6