Billy Sharp's second-half penalty ended Sheffield United's 20-game winless run in the Premier League as they beat 10-man Newcastle 1-0 at Bramall Lane.
The Blades captain came off the bench to give his side a deserved lead after 73 minutes, winning the spot-kick in a tussle with Federico Fernandez, who the VAR adjudged to have handled in the ball.
Newcastle, second best throughout, had been clinging on manfully up to that point after Ryan Fraser was sent off for a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time.
But rock-bottom Sheffield United will not care about the circumstances as they won a league game for the first time since July's 3-0 home win over Chelsea and clawed themselves to within nine points of 17th-placed Brighton.
Premier League relegation odds
- Sheffield Utd - 1/20
- West Brom - 1/6
- Fulham - 4/5
- Newcastle - 11/4
- Burnley - 3/1
- Brighton - 7/2
Click for the full Sky Bet market
Odds correct at 23:11 12/01/20
It ended a dismal run of 15 defeats in 17 Premier League matches during the 2020-21 campaign, but has done little to change the opinion of the bookies who have Sheffield United all but relegated to the Sky Bet Championship already.
They remain 1/20 to go down with Sky Bet, a price that is fairly consistent across the board.
This result will give the Blades heart, though, as it was the least Chris Wilder’s team deserved after dominating against a negative and unimaginative Newcastle side.
The Magpies were uninspired and mundane even before Fraser’s red card, which simply made their task even harder.
😍 It just had to be him didn't it.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) January 12, 2021
⚔️ Billy Sharp's 100th league goal for Sheffield United.
🙌 No player has scored more than his 232 English League goals this century.
💥 Has he scored a more vital one though?#SUFC #SHUNEW pic.twitter.com/Z2CwCdRHGi
Wilder’s men were on the front foot for the majority of the first half and certainly did not look like a team adrift at the bottom and unable to win.
The Blades cut open their opponents on several occasions with crisp passing but, as has been the case so often this season, they were not clinical in the final third.
Fraser then saw red before the break thanks to mistimed tackles on John Fleck and John Lundstram in quick succession. Newcastle had been negative all night and with 10 men they obviously offered nothing more.
Wilder, sensing this was a golden opportunity to get that first Premier League victory on the board, made an attacking change after 51 minutes, taking off defender Chris Basham and bringing on striker, and club-record signing, Rhian Brewster. Sharp soon followed.
And it was the club captain who secured the match-winning penalty. A long ball forward was contested between Sharp and Fernandez into the box, with the Blades striker going down under the challenge. There was also a suggestion the ball hit the arm of the Newcastle defender.
Referee Andy Madley awarded the penalty after consulting VAR and Sharp put his team in front against the 10 men and on the brink of victory, rolling the ball into the bottom left corner as Darlow dived to his right.
Confusion in stoppage time between Jayden Bogle and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale put Blades hearts in mouths as a chested pass back went wrong, leaving Ramsdale scrambling towards his line to retrieve the ball – which rolled inches wide.
Wilder’s team survived the resulting corner for a first Premier League win since defeating Chelsea on July 11.
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