West Bromwich Albion vs Sheffield United. Sky Bet Championship.
The HawthornsAttendance22,270.
West Brom 0-2 Sheffield United: Iliman Ndiaye, Oli McBurnie on target as Blades get promotion push back on track
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between West Brom and Sheffield United at The Hawthorns as goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie helped the Blades get their promotion push back on track after a run of six games without a win
Saturday 29 October 2022 17:29, UK
Sheffield United got their promotion push back on track by ending a six-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over West Brom.
The Baggies fell behind in ex-Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan's first match in charge when Iliman Ndiaye fired in after a neat touch in the penalty area (11).
They were given an even bigger mountain to climb when Oli McBurnie caressed in his seventh goal of what is turning out to be a prosperous campaign soon after (23).
As a result of their first win since September, Paul Heckingbottom's Blades climb to fourth, with West Brom still stranded at the bottom of the table, three points from safety.
How the Blades arrested their recent slump
Corberan arrived at The Hawthorns as Steve Bruce's successor just four days ago and would have been hoping to bring the fabled new manager bounce with him. Sheffield United - without a win in six games - had other ideas.
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The Blades gradually grew into the game and, just as they had started to build-up a head of steam, they edged ahead when George Baldock's first-time cross was missed by McBurnie, but then seized on by Ndiaye, who had time to take a touch and pick his spot.
It was two just over 10 minutes later, when Ndiaye led a counter, flanked by two men, before dropping off to McBurnie, who took one touch to set himself and then caressed the ball into the bottom right corner with a second.
The visitors did, however, retreat somewhat thereafter, but the closest West Brom came to pulling one back in the first half was when Adam Davies' hands were warmed by a fizzing drive from Matt Phillips. That endeavour was not enough to quell boos from the anxious crowd at the break.
In truth, neither side ever looked like scoring afterwards. Baggies substitutes Jayson Molumby and John Swift tried their luck with shots from distance, while Brandon Thomas-Asante saw a header cleared off the line in the final minute of the 90.
But the one downside on an otherwise positive afternoon for Sheffield United was the fact Rhian Brewster was taken off with a hamstring injury less than 15 minutes after being introduced as a second-half substitute.
What the managers said...
West Brom's Carlos Corberan: "I believe in the players we have and in the work we need to do to change this situation and this momentum. In my first three weeks we will play many games but this is the challenge, to develop these players. But at the same time it's an opportunity to try to win the games and that's what we want to do.
"The only thing I will do is try my best to change this feeling into a positive one. I will decide one way to work and we will go that way in any circumstance. We need to start with a high level of a strong mentality."
Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom: "We were pretty sure how they were going to set up - West Brom put a little bit too much on their social media channels for us to see. So we were pretty sure what it would be like. We worked a lot on trying to find the spare man in possession because we were pretty sure what shape they'd play.
"And when their front three then jumped, we'd always have a spare midfielder, so we wanted to keep finding that man and it worked well. Then for the second goal on the break, it was a question of up, back to the spare midfielder to get us a two-against-two situation. So I was really pleased with that and the manner of the goals."
Player of the match - Iliman Ndiaye
What's next?
Both teams are back in action at 8pm on Tuesday November 1. West Brom host Blackpool at The Hawthorns, while Sheffield United travel to Ashton Gate to take on Bristol City - and both matches will be available to watch live across Sky Sports.
