UK Edition
Sheffield United overcome red card to beat Brentford and maintain pressure on top two
Sheffield United 2 Brentford 0
Sheffield United maintained their promotion push with a fifth win in six matches and a sixth consecutive clean sheet despite having a one-man disadvantage from the 36th minute of the first half after a red card for striker Gary Madine.
Chris Wilder’s team were a goal ahead at the moment of Madine’s dismissal and were already on the back foot against a Brentford side seeking a third straight win. Yet they held out, despite many chances to the visitors, and added a second goal six minutes from the end through David McGoldrick.
“My players went a long way in terms of what I wanted from them when I came to the club,” Wilder said.
“If there is any team I wouldn’t want to be down to 10 men against it is Brentford with the quality and movement they have but the players gave everything and showed incredible character and discipline.
“It was a victory for the desire of players to keep the ball out of the net, which is something of a dying art.”
United remain in third place but only two points behind leaders Leeds United, whom they meet at Elland Road on Saturday. At this stage, it is only Norwich City standing in the way of a Yorkshire monopoly of the top two promotion places.
United had gone ahead through Ollie Norwood, who confidently converted a 26th-minute penalty after wingback George Baldock was brought down by Yoann Barbet. Madine, as it happens, had missed an earlier chance to draw first blood when he headed wide from a corner.
The red card came when he jumped in unnecessarily from behind on Brentford defender Ezri Konsa - and inside the Brentford half for good measure. “I thought it was a red straight away,” Wilder said. “Gary is devastated about it because he knows he made a bad decision.”
Brentford were impressive even before the red card and United’s ‘keeper Dean Henderson had to be in outstanding form. His saves to deny Neal Maupay and Said Benrahma in the first half and Maupay again in the second were of high quality, and there were others too.
United regrouped at half-time, sending on defender Martin Cranie for attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell and the more physical McGoldrick for Scott Hogan as sole front man.
But as the pressure mounted on his side, Wilder decided it was asking for trouble to try simply to defend and threw on Billy Sharp as an extra target for counter-attacks. It proved a wise move, bringing his side a crucial second goal as Sharp harried Julian Jeanvier into conceding a corner, from which McGoldrick headed to confirm United’s fifth win in six matches and a seventh consecutive clean sheet at home, equalling the second tier record set by Portsmouth in 1985.
Brentford head coach said he “could criticise” his team’s performance but offered generous praise to United. “The way they defended 10 v 11 - you can see why they have kept so many clean sheets,” he said. “They are a very good side who know their system and I can see them finishing in the top two.”
Match details
Sheffield United (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Basham, Egan, O’Connell; Baldock (Sharp 60), Norwood, Fleck, Stevens; Dowell (Cranie h-t); Hogan (McGoldrick h-t), Madine. Substitutes not used: Coutts, Stearman, Duffy, Moore (g).
Brentford (3-4-3): Daniels; Konsa (Canos 62), Jeanvier, Barbet; Dalsgaard (Forss 90), Sawyers, Mokotjo, Odubajo (Emiliano 62); Watkins, Maupay, Benrahma. Substitutes not used: McEachran, Gunnarsson (g), Dasilva, Sorensen.
Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland)
Bookings: Sheffield United: Basham.
Sent-off: United: Madine (35)
Attendance: 24,463