Venue: Liberty Stadium
Attendance: 14324
Referee: D.Deadman (4/10)
Man Of The First Half: Mark Bunn
Man Of The Second Half: Stephen Quinn
Man Of The Match: Can't Think Of One, I'll use the Ratings: 1, Stephen Quinn
Blades Line-Up:
Bunn, Walker, Morgan, Kilgallon, Taylor, Cotterill, Montgomery, Harper, Quinn, Treacy, Henderson
Subs:
Evans, Reid, Stewart, Fortune, Davies, Bennett, Little
I didn't go, so this is the OS Report, If someone went, Please add your Comments so I can add them to the Report! The Radio Sheffield Commentary was also Very poor! A case of Seth Bennett and Keith Edwards having a general chat more than anything
![[steam]](./images/smilies/steam.gif "Steam")
The Blades suffered a first defeat at the Liberty Stadium in an incident-packed game at Swansea on Saturday.
Two sending offs, a penalty and a disallowed goal told just half a story of a second half that also included a total of seven minutes of injury-time but United were unable to claim a second equaliser.
Stephen Quinn's neat flick cancelled out Lee Trundle's penalty but Thomas Butler's low drive handed the points to the home side, who also had Jordi Lopez and Nathan Dyer sent off in the closing stages.
Kilgallon, Quinn and Cotterill were recalled to the starting line-up with Ward, Evans and Davies making way. The latter two took their places on the bench alongside new signing Fortune. The XI on show suggested that boss Blackwell had reverted to a 4-5-1 system and that was confirmed moments into the game. The Swans include two former Blades loanees in their squad with Dyer starting and Beattie on the bench.
Bunn was the first of the goalkeepers to be called upon, rescuing Walker, but the Blades made the brighter start. Taylor, Cotterill and Walker all whipped in dangerous crosses, whilst United also won three corners in the first ten minutes. On six minutes Henderson fired over after he and Treacy had battled to get on the end of a long clearance.
The home side's tough start wasn't helped when Bodde limped out of the action but his replacement, Trundle, made an instant impression.
The substitute and Montgomery battled for possession going towards the Blades goal and the referee - closer to the play than his linesman - took advice from his assistant to give the home side a free-kick and the United midfielder a booking. Soon after, Tate headed a Lopez free-kick at Bunn.
Taylor made two timely tackles on Dyer to sniff out further Swansea threats and United were forced to follow the home side's lead by making an enforced change. Evans came on for the injured Treacy, which also prompted a switch to 4-4-2.
A 20-yard Dyer shot needed saving by Bunn, who was up quickly to prevent Pintado's hopes of taking advantage of the loose ball and, as half-time closed in, Lopez struck an effort wide, despite being given the room to size up his shot.
The officials, who made some mystifying decisions in the first half, added two minutes of injury-time before the break but neither side were able to take advantage, although Lopez fired in a free-kick, which was deflected wide.
United were afford the first chance of the second period, when Trundle fouled Cotterill but Evans fired the 20-yard free-kick wide and Swansea took the lead within minutes when Lopez threaded a ball through the defence for Montgomery and Trundle to again clash, this time just inside the box. Referee Deadman immediately pointed to the spot and TRUNDLE took responsibility, sending Bunn the wrong way.
Swansea made another enforced substitution before United thought they had levelled on 58 minutes. Cotterill's left-foot shot was spilled by de Vries and Evans tucked home but from an offside position, so said the officials.
Dyer and Lopez were booked for fouls on Taylor and Montgomery and the Blades were attempting to apply pressure on the home side, searching for an equaliser. A cross from Walker was headed down by Henderson but Harper could not direct the ball towards the net. Harper, though, was involved when United did level on 74 minutes.
Cotterill's delivery from the right was half cleared, Harper's left-foot shot was not on target but a neat flick from QUINN deceived de Vries and his defenders to equalise.
The pendulum appeared to have swung in United's favour, Harper struck a half-volley over and Lopez saw red for lunging in at Evans, his second yellow of the afternoon. Evans had a shot blocked after good work by fellow Welshman Cotterill.
Swansea used up their substitutions but it was their second replacement that gave them the lead in the final 10 minutes. A marauding run by Williams paved the way and after Dyer had laid off, BUTLER drilled home from just outside the box, beating Bunn off the inside of the right post.
Little and Reid were introduced as United searched for another way back into the game and six minutes were added on to the 90 - mainly due to Swansea's tactics of slowing down the play at every opportunity.
As United pushed forward looking for a leveller, Bunn was forced to parry away from Dyer and then keep out the rebound from Pintado. Dyer, already booked, was then dismissed in injury-time for kicking the ball away.
Whilst both Swansea's replacements scored, two of United's substitutes, Little and Evans, got in each other's way as a late chance went begging.
FT 2-1 Trundle(pen), Butler ; Quinn
HSBCBLADE wrote:One thing you can guarantee about The Blades is that they have an uncanny knack of frustrating the Crappity Smack out of their supporters. Yesterday was such a game and following the elation of last friday and the optimism of this week, we got a right kick in the knackers yesterday from Swansea.
Forget about the first half, it was rubbish and the injury to Keith Treacy was worrying in the way he limped off.
Even more worrying was the decision to replace him with Ched and keep with 4 5 1.
The whole balance of the team changed, Cotts & Walker worked their nuts off on the right hand side. On the left?? Nothing.
Blackwell had Reid and Stewart on the bench who were capable of doing this job but stuck with the same old formula of aiming for Hendo from the back, and if that wasnt working,.......... ermmmm.
The game was there for the taking against a team who only grew in confidence when they realised how poor we were. Once again, the Blades didn`t start playing until they went a goal behind. The Bagsnatcher (Dyer) had an absolute stormer and we couldn`t deal with him. The only person who sorted him out was the referee when he sent him off ffs!!
Worringly, that`s two successive away games which tactically, we`ve messed up, I just wish Blackwell would have the balls to set off with 4 4 2 in an away match and go for it, rather than go into the game trying not to get beat.
A long day and plenty of miles for a lot of us, what a let down.
Ok, Rate 'em
Bunn
Walker
Morgan
Kilgallon
Taylor(87)
Cotterill
Montgomery
Harper
Quinn(83)
Treacy(28)
Henderson
Evans(28)
Reid(87)
Little(83)
![[whistle]](./images/smilies/whistle.gif "Whistle")
) too late.
![[vampy]](./images/smilies/vampy.gif "Vampy")
