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rifleman_lincolnBristol City 0 - 3 Sheffield United
Well! Just look at that score line – delightful or what?
Well I’m not sure I expected that. I thought we might grab a 1-0 but Chris Wilder shuffled his players around and the Blades had most of the possession and this score line really gives us an advantage going into the home leg.
After finishing 22 points below the Blades, Bristol City had an absolute nightmare of a game in this leg, losing a player to a red card in giving away a penalty, another injury to a key player and conceding three goals without any reply.
The game began with the Blades winning two early corners but Bristol City managed to clear both. We thought we’d taken the lead on ten minutes as a Jack Robinson long throw was met by Tyrese Campbell who beat the City goalkeeper to head into the net. As the players wheeled away to celebrate, they were cut short by a very (very) late off-side flag.
Sorry for the quality of the pictures; the SUFC website didn’t publish any so these are screen captures from the highlights video!
It seems the officials ruled Sydie Peck offside as Campbell won the ball and that Peck also prevented the City player getting to the ball . . . seems a bit debatable that he’d even have got there, and I thought he actually held Peck back. However, referee’s decision and all that!
Then some drama. Tyrese Campbell passed the ball to Kieffer Moore who got goal-side of the defence. Robert Dickie was completely caught out, and seemed to think he was at the wrestling rather than the football and clumsily hauled down Moore, right in front of the referee – who quite correctly gave a penalty to the Blades and showed Dickie a red card. Harrison Burrows took the penalty and sent the City goalkeeper the wrong way with a fabulous goal.
Substitutions were made by both sides for the second half, where if anything, the tempo increased! Much faster football as the Blades moved it well between each other and a cross from Harrison Burrows landed at André Brooks’ feet who smashed it home. (His celebration was a cartwheel followed by a backflip in front of the Travelling Blades!).
Bristol City’s players (and Manager) were looking quite stunned by this time and the Blades’ third goal came on eighty minutes from a corner. Anel Ahmedhodzic, Tom Davies and Vini Souza all rose to meet the ball, but fluffed the finish – fortunately, Callum O’Hare was able to read the situation, adjusted his body and flicked the ball home backwards across the line from the underside of his boot.
The final whistle came quite soon and it was a case of job well done for the Blades – well, half of it anyway! The return leg at Bramall Lane takes place on Monday night.
