One derby goal tends to be enough for a place in Steel City folklore, so Tyrese Campbell is more than assured of his entry to the pantheon after scoring twice in Sheffield United’s 3-0 win at Hillsborough, 12 months on from his similar match-winning effort in the fixture at Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder’s side remain in the Championship bottom three but this was a bright spot in what has otherwise been a bleak campaign. Tom Cannon’s injury-time third gave the scoreline the sheen the Blades’ performance probably warranted, and meant the result was the first three-goal away victory in the fixtures’ 131-year league history.
For Wednesday the wait for a victory against their neighbours goes on – February 2012 was their last – but, more imminent, it leaves them rooted to the foot of the table with escape looking unlikely. The club’s administrators are hopeful of having a buyer lined up by 5 December and the pre-match optimism was palpable, but the road to recovery looks a long one, and surely goes via League One. They remain on minus four points, 18 adrift of Oxford in the last safe spot.
Wednesday’s threadbare squad deserve no blame for the club’s travails this season but the players did have to take their share of responsibility for United’s opener. Yan Valery was pickpocketed on the edge of his own box by Jairo Riedewald, who shuttled the ball on to Callum O’Hare. The midfielder cleverly ferried it on to Campbell, who fired home across goal.
United’s frustration at half-time was that they had not made more of their dominance and the home side’s defensive fragility. Danny Ings was brilliantly denied by Ethan Horvath in Wednesday’s goal after Dominic Iorfa’s awful pass across his own box had let the former England striker in.
Iorfa then came to his own rescue after misjudging a long punt from the United goalkeeper, Michael Cooper, a fine recovering tackle denying Campbell another run at goal. Before the break Ings swept home from close range but the effort was ruled out by the tightest of offside calls.
Seconds after the restart, Campbell slashed into the side-netting but barely a minute later the striker did finally double the advantage. Another poor Wednesday clearance was met by Sydie Peck, and the England Under-21s midfielder’s first-time pass sent Campbell scurrying away once more. This time he calmly finished past Horvath.
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That was the cue for a stop-start second half, with the Owls dominating possession and territory without creating anything by way of threat, Max Lowe’s rather forlorn effort from distance the sole moment of note. Indeed the Blades should have added emphasis before Cannon’s drive from the edge of the box with the seconds ticking down.
