BISH BASH BOSH!
Wilder’s men nick crucial three points
CHRIS Basham went from zero to hero as Sheffield United’s smash-and-grab stunned promotion rivals Leeds.
A mistake by Liam Cooper 19 minutes from time allowed Billy Sharp to tee up Basham, who drove a crisp finish beyond Kiko Casilla.
“Chris has done well to be the match winner because he was coming off after 25 minutes,” said Blades boss Chris Wilder, whose side climbed above Leeds into second place.
“He was absolutely useless and I was going to do what Marcelo (Bielsa) sometimes does and take him off. But I kept him in it and he epitomised what Sheffield United is all about by digging himself out of hole. It’s great for him.”
Leaders Norwich won 2-1 at Rotherham.
CHRIS Basham went from zero to hero as Sheffield United’s late smash-andgrab stunned promotion rivals Leeds.
Second best for long spells, the Blades spent much of the first half camped in their own box as the home side spurned a host of opportunities.
But a mistake by Liam Cooper 19 minutes from time allowed Billy Sharp to tee up Basham, who drove a crisp finish beyond Kiko Casilla.
“Chris has done well to be the match-winner because he was coming off after 25 minutes,” said Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, whose side climbed above Leeds into second place.
“He was absolutely useless and I was going to do what Marcelo sometimes does and take him off. But I kept him in it and he epitomised what Sheffield United is all about by digging himself out of hole. It’s great for him.”
Wilder was delighted at the result but critical of a performance that lacked his side’s usual pace and panache. For Bielsa, the opposite was true.
Leeds created enough in the first half-hour to have won two games, with Jack Harrison clipping a close-range volley over the bar, Ezgjan Alioski blazing skywards and Tyler Roberts floating a free header wide from 12 yards.
Patrick Bamford, effective as the lone target man, also fired a blistering volley narrowly over the top. And shortly after halftime, an unlucky Roberts saw
his vicious first-time drive come back off an upright, ending a purple patch that would not be rekindled.
“What happened today happened in many games before,” said Bielsa, who has frequently bemoaned his players’ wastefulness in front of goal. “We created three times as many chances as the opponent. But if you don’t take them…”
Indeed. Reprieved, Wilder’s side recovered their composure, stopped passing to men in white shirts, and started to cause problems. Even so, a draw looked the most likely result until Jack O’Connell pinged a ball forward, Liam Cooper was spun by Sharp and the Blades skipper picked out Basham bursting from midfield.
The defender had spurned a presentable one-on-one chance just before the break, but made no mistake this time, sliding what transpired to be the game’s only shot on target into the bottom corner.
Roared on by a nervy Elland Road, Leeds tried to respond. But their cause was hampered by a back five that has now kept six straight clean sheets and ultimately ended by a double dose of misfortune.
With all three subs used, Pontus Jansson crumpled under a challenge from Basham. Though the Swede played on, he could barely walk and must now be a doubt for the rest of the season.
Then, with time running out, another misjudgment from Cooper put Sharp in on goal. Casilla, already out of his box, had little choice but to bring him down for a straight red card.
Jansson, whose last act as an outfield player was to miss a glorious chance from three yards, finished the game in goal.
“Usually I don’t express an opinion on the behaviour of the referees,” said Bielsa, who will now lose his keeper for one game. “But I think that this action should have taken into account the help Kiko had around him.”
Sheffield United are now unbeaten in nine games and sealed a certain play-off spot with victory at Elland Road. That, though, is the least of their ambitions after a display that showed they can grind as well as glitter.
“It was a backs-to-the-wall performance, but I’m not embarassed by that,” added Wilder. “In 18 months at this football club, we’ve smashed some sides and not got what we deserved.
“I’m not going to complain about playing like that and coming away with a result.”
Wilder, though, said the result “wasn’t defining”, a sentiment shared by Bielsa. “We lost, but it’s not crucial,” he said. “There are still 24 points to play for.”