West Brom consolidated their automatic promotion position, and cut the gap on
Division One leaders Norwich, after coming from a goal down to beat Sheffield
United at Bramall Lane.
Thomas Gaardsoe scored the winner with just five minutes to go, after defender
Darren Moore had been both scored at both ends in the first meeting of the two
teams in South Yorkshire since the infamous 'Battle of Bramall Lane' in March
2002.
The Baggies had slightly the better of the play, but there were few clear-cut
chances in a game which saw the visitors move 11 points clear of the Blades,
whose own automatic promotion bid looks to be fading.
The first chance came when Jason Koumas swung in a wicked corner from the
right, which Blades keeper Paddy Kenny tipped away from under his crossbar.
Neither team was able to put together an incisive move, though, with the
simplest of passes going astray and both sets of players guilty of squandering
possession.
In the 22nd minute, Koumas broke clear from just inside the Albion half after
a corner had been cleared.
His mazy run left the defence trailing in his wake and the winger kept his
balance under Nick Montgomery's challenge before then putting his shot wide of
Kenny's left post after having done all the hard work.
United striker Paul Peschisolido squandered a chance on the half-hour when he
got behind the Albion defence and twisted into the box, before shooting into the
side netting.
Defender Rob Kozluk then nearly opened the scoring for the hosts in the 36th
minute with a right-foot volley from 30 yards which sailed narrowly wide of Joe
Murphy's left post.
Lee Hughes should have put Albion ahead two minutes later, though, when he
was one-on-one with the goalkeeper after a mistake by Kozluk, but fired his shot
at Kenny, who gathered comfortably.
The Albion striker then missed by inches at the end of the half when his
left-foot shot beat Kenny this time, but went wide of the post.
However, it was Sheffield United who took the lead 12 minutes into the second
half.
Montgomery crossed from the right after Murphy had failed to gather the ball
under pressure from Ashley Ward. It bobbled across the front of goal and the
luckless Moore chested it over his own line under the close attention of
Peschisolido.
It marked the start of a period of pressure from the hosts, with Peschisolido
almost squeezing the ball in from a tight angle and the Blades had a penalty
appeal turned down when Moore appeared to handle.
Moore, though, soon made amends for his own goal when he levelled for the
Baggies on 70 minutes.
His powerful header from a Koumas corner took a slight deflection, before
beating Kenny to his left.
The Baggies then went ahead in the 85th minute when Gaardsoe converted from
Joost Volmer's low cross after Koumas had turned the ball back into the box
following Kenny's spectacular save from Sean Gregan's shot.
Kenny then pulled off a brilliant stop from Koumas in the final minute after
the winger had turned Mike Whitlow inside out.
Neil Warnock's side looked deflated at the final whistle, as their miserable
run extended to just one point from a possible 15 and leaves them battling to
secure a place in the top six.
Teams:
Sheff Utd: Kenny, Phil Jagielka, Page, Whitlow,
Kozluk (Allison 88), Ndlovu (Robinson 76), McCall (Shaw 82),
Montgomery, Tonge, Ward, Peschisolido.
Subs Not Used: Parkinson, Boussatta.
Booked: Peschisolido, Page, Montgomery, Whitlow.
Goals: Moore 57 og.
West Brom: Murphy, Haas, Moore, Gaardsoe, N'Dour (Gregan 66),
Koumas, Kinsella (Volmer 66), Johnson, Clement, Horsfield,
Hughes (Facey 69).
Subs Not Used: Dyer, Pressman.
Booked: Haas.
Goals: Moore 70, Gaardsoe 85.
Att: 24,805
Ref: M Jones (Cheshire).
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