Blades cut down Brentford to stay in touch at the top

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by PA

Sheffield United stayed in touch with the Championship’s top two with a 3-2 win at strugglers Brentford.

An Ezri Konsa own goal, a sublime Oliver Norwood strike and a Leon Clarke second-half winner were enough to consign the Bees to their sixth defeat in seven games.

Goals from Neal Maupay and Romaine Sawyers’ second half deflected strike were not enough to ease the pressure on new Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.

Maupay gave the hosts the dream start after just six minutes when he drilled home under keeper Dean Henderson after a clever one-two on the edge of the box with Sawyers.

But the lead lasted just four minutes, a completely unchallenged Konsa bizarrely glancing a header into his own net.

United stretched their lead five minutes later, Kieron Freeman teeing up Norwood to curl a beauty around and over Bees keeper Daniel Bentley into the top corner.

It could have been worse for the Londoners early on when Enda Stevens’ driven low cross found John Lundstram, whose first time effort shook the crossbar from eight yards.

Midway through the half the Blades should have made it three when a low cross eluded the flat-footed Bees defence and only a brilliant point blank stop from Bentley denied David McGoldrick at the far post.

Sergi Canos should have thrown the hosts a lifeline on the half hour but his driving run from the wing ended with a shot that flew high and wide.

Norwood’s free kick just before the break was stopped beneath the angle by Bentley and Canos flashed a volley over the bar at the other end as the half ended with United leaving the Brentford defence chasing shadows.

Brentford emerged brighter after the break, Yoann Barbet fizzing a low drive just past the upright and Maupay’s shout for a penalty after being bundled over by Jack O’Connell in the box was waved away by referee Stephen Martin.

But the hosts levelled in the 65th minute when Sawyers seized on a loose ball, drove forward and fired a rasping drive past Henderson with the help of a John Fleck deflection.

Second half substitute Clarke almost gave the visitors the lead straight from the kick-off but somehow powered his header wide when it looked easier to score.

But he made amends minutes later. Barbet was sleeping from a quickly taken throw and Conor Washington’s low cross from the byline was calmly sidefooted home in his stride by the veteran striker.

Maupay fired an instinctive effort just wide as Brentford chased the game, but they looked vulnerable every time the Blades pushed forward.

Alan Judge’s late free kick was palmed wide by Henderson by the foot of his post at the death, but a point would have papered over the cracks for a Brentford side short on confidence and sliding down the table.