Paul Heckingbottom pleased with Sheffield United’s second-half comeback - 7M sport

Paul Heckingbottom pleased with Sheffield United’s second-half comeback



Posted Sunday, October 23, 2022 by PA

Paul Heckingbottom pleased with Sheffield United’s second-half comeback

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom praised the intensity shown by his side in the second half of their 2-2 draw with Norwich.

Goals from Ben Osborn and Ollie McBurnie earned the Blades a point after Teemu Pukki’s first-half brace.

Pukki put the Canaries 2-0 up before Osborn pulled a goal back just after the hour to give the home side hope.

McBurnie then levelled before Pukki saw a penalty saved by Adam Davies.

Heckingbottom said: “There wasn’t too much difference between the first and second half. We defended and attacked in the same way, we just had more aggression in the second half.

“Norwich have got a good team of footballers who want a lot of the ball. Our aim is to finish above them and I expect them to be up there at the end of the season.

“Our centre-backs won more headers and tried to stop them playing in the space behind but Norwich probably had better opportunities in the second half on the counter.

“We all get bogged down with stats and tactics. Emotion, feeling, intensity – that is what wins matches.

“We want to play on the front foot and we may give opportunities away. That is my doing and my direction. I want to make sure every game we play in is a good game and that we are trying to win it.

“Against Coventry we made fewer errors than today and ended up losing. If we require no errors to win, that’s what we have to try and do. It’s the fine margins; that’s how close it is in this league.”

Norwich manager Dean Smith was pleased with the way his side performed and felt they could have taken all three points.

He said: “Gameplan-wise we were really good for 65 minutes. We wanted to draw United onto us and I thought we did that very well.

“We scored two good goals and had a chance with (Josh) Sargent to make it 3-0 but the keeper’s made a good save. We had some brilliant counter-attacking opportunities but we just couldn’t finish them off.

“I thought we defended our box really well in that first half. Every time we broke forward we looked like we were going to create a big chance.

“In the second half we gave away silly little fouls and allowed the crowd to get involved. We let it become a bit of a basketball game, which we didn’t need to do, but the game should have been put to bed by then.

“Penalties can be missed and I’ve certainly got no blame for Teemu. He played really well today and got two good goals.

“United have only lost one at home this season, this is a tough place to come. We’ve stopped the rot in terms of defeats but we’re disappointed to not come away with the win.”

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