GLOOM IS LIFTED BY WILSON
UNTIL James Wilson’s 73rd-minute header, you had to go as far back as April 2 for the last time Bramall Lane was able to celebrate Sheffield United taking the lead in a game.
The Blades had to overcome Kane Hemmings’ first-half strike, which was cancelled out by Billy Sharp’s equaliser midway through the second period.
And Wilson’s goal proved enough to give Chris Wilder his first win as Blades boss and lift his side off the foot of the table.
His assistant Alan Knill revealed relief had swamped the dressing room. “We’re delighted, relieved and obviously pleased for everybody,” he said.
“In the games we’ve played so far we probably should have had more points than we got. This was an excellent performance from start to finish, including the goal against. I don’t think it buckled us; we stood up to it and came out, and the players have to take great credit.
“More than anything, it’s magnified here that if you lose a game everyone around you screams. You’ve just got to keep a level head, know what you’ve got to work on, and put it right on the Saturday.”
Oxford United enjoyed a good early spell and were most threatening on 13 minutes when former Wednesday winger Chris Maguire hit the sidenetting from Hemmings’ cross.
Hemmings put Oxford ahead three minutes later, reacting quickly to convert the rebound from Liam Sercombe’s parried shot from distance.
The goal tantalised the hosts throughout the first half despite their many chances, with Chris Hussey’s deflected free-kick almost creeping in under Simon Eastwood’s bar before the keeper tipped it away.
Right-back Kieron Freeman found himself through on goal from Matt Done’s excellent ball one minute later, but Chey Dunkley made a superb intervention to block the shot.
Another fine Eastwood stop denied Done’s bottom corner drive eight minutes before the break, but it was clear that the visitors were in for a long second spell.
The only surprise was that it took the Blades so long to find their equaliser, with Sharp bundling home Done’s cross from close range at the far post.
United finally took the lead when Wilson rose to head in Mark Duffy’s perfect crossed free-kick.
Oxford manager Michael Appleton said: “We definitely let them off the hook in the first 20 minutes. We had many opportunities on the counter-attack to hurt them. “Sheffield United have good footballers and regardless of them not winning before, they’re obviously going to start winning at some point and we’re disappointed it was today. “You can talk about being brave from a physical point of view but we actually only started to play any decent stuff when we went 2-1 down. We’ve got to have courage to play, especially when we’re 1-0 up. We need to be more confident, maybe even arrogant when we go ahead.”