Sheffield Utd 2-1 West Brom: Blades grab precious lifeline in bid to beat the drop

It couldn’t really be on, could it? The way Sheffield United’s players reacted to going a goal behind suggested the greatest of all great escapes is gathering momentum.

Winless in any competition this season until the second week of January, this was their fifth in seven matches since and like their last in the Premier League here was sealed by their talismanic captain Billy Sharp.

After downing Newcastle with his 100th league goal for his boyhood club, Sharp popped up with his 101st to complete a turnaround when he applied a predatory finish 17 minutes from time.

Sheffield United fought back to claim a priceless Premier League victory on Tuesday night

As the Sheffield United substitutes danced in the stands, it became obvious that one was missing. Rhian Brewster was celebrating in the technical area alongside manager Chris Wilder, stripped and ready for action.

The man he was due to replace? Sharp. However, seconds later, after a hug from Wilder, he was dispatched back into the seats behind the dug-out.

It is an incident that will be remembered at the end of the season if the Yorkshire club can defy all odds and somehow clamber out of the bottom three.

This victory takes them to 11 points, the total some feared they would not make in predicting them a worse top-flight team than Derby in 2007-08.

Billy Sharp’s prodded finish in the second-half saw the Blades collect their third league win

Evenings like these, when losing is not an option, need bravery and Wilder’s decision to ditch the metronomic passing of Ollie Norwood at the break for an extra forward in Oli McBurnie paid dividends.

Within 11 minutes of the second period they were level when Chris Basham took a throw on the right and then re-emerged in the area to weave goalwards.

Basham could not get the ball out of his feet for a shot but Jayden Bogle did not hesitate when he sensed his chance, thrashing inside Sam Johnstone’s left-hand upright.

Jayden Bogle grabbed a deserved equaliser for Sheffield United in the 56th minute

Then, after Aaron Ramsdale produce a stunning save on the hour to prevent West Brom re-taking the lead through Callum Robinson, Sharp pounced.

Basham centred after working space with John Fleck and the ball took two deflections before Sharp poked in. It was richly deserved.

West Brom were yet to register a shot on target when they went ahead four minutes before the break.

Bogle lashed a left-footed effort into the corner after being teed up by Chris Basham

It came, following a sustained spell of Sheffield United pressure, when Robert Snodgrass, operating in an unfamiliar central midfield role nicked possession to spring a swift counter.

Snodgrass’ left boot carved the ball into the path of Callum Robinson, whose shot after cutting in from the left was parried by Aaron Ramsdale, whose rapid reactions also denied West Brom’s full debutant Mbaye Diagne on the rebound, only for Phillips to emerge ahead of Ethan Ampadu in a muddy six-yard box to poke over the line.

It was a well-constructed goal but a far from deserved lead for the visitors whose only other worthwhile effort in an opening period in which Sheffield United enjoyed 70% of the ball.

Matt Phillips opened the scoring from close range against run of play just before half-time

Utilising the speed of Robinson, returning to his former club on his 26th birthday, was an obvious tactic for a team re-shaped to a 4-4-2 formation by Allardyce following the weekend draw with Fulham.

But they managed to get him clear of the home defence just once prior to the opening goal, when in the 10th minute he burst past Chris Basham but dragged a left foot shot wide.

In a reprise of some of their football from last season, the Yorkshire club were more precise in their build-up, pinning West Brom back through the weight of their possession.

Ollie Norwood cleared the wall but also the cross bar from an early free-kick after Bogle’s lateral run was impeded by Dara O’Shea in a central position 20 yards out.

The forward, who spent a month on loan at at Bramall Lane in 2011, put the visitors ahead

Phillips tapped in the opener after Ramsdale had parried efforts from Robinson and Diagne

Hosts dominated possession in the first-half but they could not find a way past Sam Johnstone

Sheffield United defender George Baldock was forced off by injury in the first-half