BRISTOL ROVERS 2
Kilgour (21), Ehmer (62) SHEFFIELD UTD 3
Day (6) og, Burke (59), Bogle (63)
Chris Wilder claimed his 100th win as Sheffield United manager before insisting the victory at Bristol Rovers was all about his team’s first success of the season, and not about him.
Oliver Burke and Jayden Bogle added to an early Joe Day own goal as the Premier League’s basement club beat Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
Alfie Kilgour and Max Ehmer had scored equalisers after United’s first and second goals to give the League One club hope of causing an upset.
But it was not enough to stop United bagging a first success at the 19th attempt this season and Wilder taking his victories as Blades manager into three figures, six months after win number 99.
“It’s never ever been about me,” Wilder said after a week when he had to answer speculation about his future.
“It’s always been about putting the football club first and the whole football club needed a win.
“We needed a win because of the form and the results we’ve produced so far. We needed a win for the players and the football club, and we went as strong as we could.”
Wilder added: “I thought we played OK to well and controlled the majority of the game.
“We had opportunities to kill the game off, but they had nothing to lose and we had everything to lose.”
Lys Mousset met Ben Osborn’s sixth-minute cross with a fine header. Day got the faintest touch on to the crossbar, but was helpless as the ball struck him on the back for the most unfortunate of own goals.
Rovers were level with their first serious attack after 21 minutes as Kilgour met Zain Westbrooke’s free-kick with a towering header from 12 yards.
United had David Mcgoldrick and Mousset goals chalked off, before Burke strode on to Oliver Norwood’s measured pass to fire the Blades ahead.
Rovers were level within three minutes as Jack Baldwin flicked on a corner to the far post where Ehmer finished.
But parity lasted less than 60 seconds as Bogle started a move involving Burke and Mcgoldrick, and he maintained his run to stroke home his second Blades goal.
Tisdale said: “We had a good go at it and the players are disappointed as they felt they had an opportunity. We pushed them all the way.”