Sheffield Utd see off Port Vale

Saturday 21 March 2015 18:42, UK

Sheffield United ended a run of five games with a win as they beat Port Vale 1-0 courtesy of a first-half penalty from Jose Baxter.

The hosts threatened early on with Baxter having a free-kick deflected over. Jamie Murphy then fired in a 20-yard effort which was straight at goalkeeper Chris Neal. Vale responded with Chris Robertson's header from Michael O'Connor's free-kick forcing keeper Mark Howard to make a save. After United's Steven Davies put a long-range effort narrowly wide, the breakthrough goal came on the half-hour mark. The Blades were awarded a penalty when O'Connor was ruled to have fouled Murphy inside the area and Baxter smashed home the resulting spot-kick. Neal saved an angled shot from Matty Done early in the second half before Vale enjoyed a good spell. Louis Dodd fired wide and then Howard was forced to tip over O'Connor's long-range drive while Marcus Marshall had a shot charged down. At the other end, Neal then saved from Davies, Murphy and John Brayford. Vale had Brown sent off in stoppage time when he collected his second yellow card of the game for a foul on Ryan Flynn.