Blades vs Scunthorpe

[Robbie Loving]

You've got to feel sorry for Robbie, it must be the first time that he hasn't tipped United to score four:hihi:

 

Ha ha, still had a bet on us and Oldham to win.

4-0 and I miss it, I must have done something wrong in a previous life.

 

Also, this makes up for he 4-0 home loss versus them a few years ago.

 

Hopefully feeling better for Saturday. Don't want to miss another good win

 

Play offs just about guarenteed now, it best be I've had 50 quid on you to go up through them

I called it a "law of averages bet"

 

Law of averages would have seen us win the play offs a while ago, within 4 attempts,

This is 'betting because it has to happen at some point'.

Like betting on a single on roulette till it comes in.

[Grappler]

Well, my pre match pint in the Cremorne was good, but the Exmoor Gold on the way home was better, so I didn't rush back:hihi:

 

Two changes to the starting lineup, Mark Howard (back strain) out and Turner in goal, and Matt Done out (not sure what injury, as he was on the bench and warming up at pitch side), so Ryan Flynn started, I was hoping it was McNulty but Nige knew best, because Flynn was outstanding, back to his best form, fast, tricky, and a handful.

 

So we lined up as Turner, Freeman (once again taking Brayford’s right back role), Brayford and Basham in the middle (McEveley still out, shoulder injury) Bob Harris on the left. Middle of the field was Coutts, Holt, Baxter, with Murphy and Flynn out wide, big Steven Davies up front.

 

For Scunthorpe, the danger man was supposed to be Paddy Madden, but they didn’t really test Turner, maybe a couple of times towards the end he had to come out and punch the ball out when the box was crowded.

 

I now realise why Corks, Webby and a lot of the SWFC fans on here, used to moan about Miguel Llera, the man is a liability and how he stayed on the pitch for as long as he did is a mystery. Within 15 minutes he had pushed Flynny to the ground by palming him in the face, I have seen red cards for that alone. He continued to push, grab and kick anyone within range. He grabbed Flynn’s shirt and dragged him back, in front of the ref, to get his first telling off. It was only a matter of time until he got a card.

 

The game started off in a lively fashion, this was a very different Sheffield United to the one that played Scunthorpe a few weeks ago. Within 15 minutes, United had taken the lead. Paul Coutts took a short corner to Jason Holt (we played a lot of short corners last night, something I assume we have been working on due to the lack of height in the team), and Holt fired from outside the left hand side of the box, the ball curled past everyone (a few United players jumping out of the way of the ball so as not to deflect it) and went into the right hand corner, leaving the keeper stranded, a fantastic first goal for the youngster.

 

The Blades pressed forward and gave Scunthorpe no time on the ball, Baxter fired a rocket over the cross bar, and Steven Davies blasted one towards goal that was blocked just before getting to the keeper, then the first penalty incident, when Flynn was put through by Davies and dashed away from his marker, into the box, leaving the defender (Clark?) no choice by to scythe him down, in front of the ref, penalty.

 

For all his good points and bad points, the one thing about Jose Baxter is that he is the most fearsome penalty taker we have, the power the lad can generate in a shot is incredible. Baxter steps up, bang, 2-0. Flynn went close but the end of the first half saw the Blades leading and in total control of the game.

 

Second half, Isiah Osbourne, fired a hard low shot at goal, but it was safely wide, United broke and Jamie Murphy (once again marked by two men all game), fired a trade mark curler into the top right corner but the keeper was equal to it. The Blades had two or three back to back corners where the ball just would not go in, and it looked like maybe a 2-0 finish was on the cards.

 

Dutch striker Kevin Van Veen came on for Scunthorpe, a tall player, who with better service could have been a threat, but his best chance, a free kick from the edge of the box, went out harmlessly high and wide.

Coutts off, Doyle on, same as at the weekend.

 

Coutts is not 100% match fit and I wonder about his concentration at times, he had a solid, but not spectacular game, followed by big Steven Davies coming off and Marc McNulty coming on, Davies had run himself ragged, held the ball up well, did some lovely lay offs and flick on headers to other players, another very good game for him.

 

Bob Harris fired a good shot from distance but the keeper had no issues dealing with it. A minute later, everything changed, when some lovely flowing, passing football from the Blades saw the ball played to Freeman, whose long range pass to Jamie Murphy was perfect, Murphy raced past two or three defenders and fired over the keepers head, a carbon copy of one he did a few weeks ago, 3-0.

 

The Blades were now pretty much bombarding the Scunthorpe box, in front of the kop, at will, Llera picked up a yellow for a foul on McNulty and when he held him in a bear hug, in front of the ref, in the box as a corner was about to come in, he got his red card. Baxter must have thought it was his birthday as he stepped up and let loose another rocket into the goal for his second of the night, 4-0.

 

The last few minutes saw the Blades attack for a fifth, Brayford coming closest, but it was not to be.

 

One of the best performances at BDTBL all season, Davies was great again (if only we could have signed him when we first enquired!), Baxter was great, Flynn was outstanding.

 

Scunthorpe boss summed it up when he said after the game

"That was a Championship performance from them. They were outstanding."

 

UTB.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Grappler

[rossyrooney]

Top man Grapps,I could even taste the Exmoor Gold mate.

[Grappler]

Top man Grapps,I could even taste the Exmoor Gold mate.

 

What a pint it is pal, probably my favourite at the minute, lovely stuff!

[canadablade]

What a pint it is pal, probably my favourite at the minute, lovely stuff!

 

Got a message from Scottf while in the Cremore for a pre match pint , bet you 2 were near each other and didn't know it

[atticus]

Not sure where that performance came from !! Scunthorpe played very wide (as the Blades try to do) which created loads of space through the middle. We took advantage with some good passing play and got players in the box for a change.

Murphy and Flynn were fantastic and Basham was on top of his game as usual, we do miss him when he's out.

More of the same Saturday please.

[Grappler]

Got a message from Scottf while in the Cremore for a pre match pint , bet you 2 were near each other and didn't know it

 

I bet we were pal, always busy in the Cremorne, great beers!

 

---------- Post added 25-03-2015 at 17:56 ----------

 

Not sure where that performance came from !! Scunthorpe played very wide (as the Blades try to do) which created loads of space through the middle. We took advantage with some good passing play and got players in the box for a change.

Murphy and Flynn were fantastic and Basham was on top of his game as usual, we do miss him when he's out.

More of the same Saturday please.

 

Those back to back sliding tackles twoards the end were fantastic, good old school blood and thunder challenges, without touching the opposite man

[canadablade]

I bet we were pal, always busy in the Cremorne, great beers!

 

Will have to give it a go next time, didn't get on London Road last time but I was in the crown and also the Albion before which cant be far away

 

P.S. Think Scottf and Dot are both going to make it over here before you , so you better hope theres some beer left by the time they have gone,

Im sure your nephew will be taking scott on the town :hihi:

[Vaati]

I hope that I'm wrong Alison, but I have a sneaky feeling that you wont be having to write it too often.

 

Unless i steal webs prediction for the Owls threads lol.

[sheff71]

It was funny seeing Llera last night, clearly desperate to stand out - which he did after Holt's goal, by chasing after the officials trying to plead for an offside, as if he was John Terry... then trying to be the big man, taking the free-kick on the edge of the box (which flopped)... and then his stupid sending off, shortly after getting booked, and giving away a penalty into the bargain!

 

Perhaps there was another reason for him wearing his Cech cap when at the owls- without it, too much cold air must send him haywire.