Sunderland Echo

Wilder disappoint­ed as Blades’ search for a PL victory goes on

- By Ed Elliot nep.sport@jpimedia.co.uk

Chris Wilder was frustrated by Sheffield United’s inability to hang on for victory at Brighton but believes the 1-1 draw offers a “small step” in the right direction for his struggling side.

W i l d e r ’s r o c k - b o t t o m Blades bounced back from the 40th-minute dismissal of John Lundstram to lead courtesy of a deflected second-half strike from PremierLea­gue debutant Jayden Bogle.

But United were forced to settle for only a second point of a miserable campaign after Albion substitute Danny Welbeck volleyed home an equaliser three minutes from time.

The South Yorkshire club, who halted an eight-game losing streak at the Amex Stadium, sit eight points from safety at the end of their 14th top-flight fixture.

“When you get that close, it’s disappoint­ing not to see the game out,” said Blades boss Wilder.

“Obviously down to 10 men for 50 minutes, it’s going to be a long afternoon.

“But the team showed some real qualities in terms of ambition to try and get that first goal – which we did – and determinat­ion and desire to keep the ball out of the back of the net, which they had until late on.

“A small step for us after Thursday night’s performanc­e (a 3-2 loss to Manchester United), which I was content with. And today we were competitiv­e.”

Midfielder Lundstram, making his 100th United ap

pearance, was sent off after overrunnin­g the ball and lunging at Seagulls defender Joel Veltman.

Referee Peter Bankes initially produced a yellow card, before upgrading the punish

ment to red having watched a replay of the incident on a pitchside monitor.

Wilder, who had not seen a replay of the tackle, fears the game is in danger of becoming a non-contact sport but said he would not be appealing against the decision.

“It must have been borderline­becauseheh­adtogoover­to the monitor,” said Wilder.

“I have got to be careful what I say. I played and managed in the early part of my career in a world where it’s a contact sport. I still think everybody wants to see it as a contact sport, so it was a tight decision.

“People talk about excessive force and I don’t know how you determine excessive force and you determine if you need to slow down when you’re tackling somebody at a full-tilt football match in the Premier League.”

 ??  ?? Brighton and Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scores against Sheffield United.
Brighton and Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scores against Sheffield United.

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