Sheffield United finally have a win this season, and after their performance it was well-deserved. The action-packed afternoon concluded with Ollie Norwood confidently converting a penalty in front of the Kop to secure a 2-1 victory over Wolves.
In the 72nd minute, Cameron Archer put United ahead after a dominant second period led by Paul Heckingbottom’s side. However, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde equalised as time was running out. A crucial moment occurred after a corner when United maintained possession, and the referee, Robert Jones, ruled that Fábio Silva had fouled George Baldock, a decision upheld even after a lengthy VAR review. Ollie Norwood stepped up from 12 yards to seal all three points.
Line-ups
Blades: Foderingham, Baldock, Trusty, Brewster (McAtee 45), Hamer (Osborn 90), Archer, Thomas, Norwood, Robinson, Bogle, Souza.
Unused subs: Amissah, Fleck, Traoré, Slimane, Larouci, Osula, Brooks.
Wolves: Sa, Aït-Nouri, Lemina, Hwang, Cunha, Dawson, Kalajdžić (Bellegarde 60), Doyle (Traoré 70), Semedo, Kilman, Toti (Fábio Silva 81).
Unused subs: Bentley, Doherty, Bueno, João Gomes, Jonny, Sarabia.
First half
On a damp afternoon, it was Wolverhampton Wanderers who made a strong start. After a couple of previous attempts down the left, Semedo unleashed a shot from a promising position, but it sailed over the bar. Baldock received a caution for a foul on Kalajdžić. Hwang and Semedo then linked up on the right side, but Foderingham was quick to react, tipping the ball over for a corner.
Hwang continued to be a constant threat and appeared to create an opportunity for Aït-Nouri, but the wing-back somehow missed the target with a clear chance at the back post. Unfortunately, the most significant event in the first 45 minutes was Brewster leaving the field due to an injury, with McAtee coming on as his replacement.
Second half
In the second half, Sheffield United started strongly, with Archer narrowly missing the target after a pass from Hamer. Dawson received a yellow card for a rough challenge on McAtee. The home team, with strong support from the stands, continued to press forward, and Hamer fired over from a cleverly executed short corner. Doyle was booked for a foul on Bogle.
In the 72nd minute, Sheffield United reaped the rewards as Archer capitalised on a fortunate bounce after a challenge by McAtee for a loose ball. Archer fired a shot past Sa, aided by the underside of the crossbar, leading to jubilant celebrations among the players, fans, and management.
With just a minute remaining in the 90, Wolves equalised as Bellegarde scored from Traoré’s cross, with a deflection off Trusty. However, United was left frustrated as they had tried to make substitutions while Hamer was clearly injured. After the goal, Hamer was replaced by Osborn, and yellow cards were shown to Hamer, Paul Heckingbottom, and Jack Lester for their protests.
In deep added time, after a lengthy VAR review, Sheffield United finally secured their first win of the season. Norwood smashed the ball into the roof of the net, clipping the underside of the bar, after Fábio Silva had wiped out Baldock as United kept a last-gasp corner alive. This dramatic goal came as the last action of the game, with referee Jones blowing the final whistle as Wolves restarted play.
Sheffield United are next in action against Brighton down at the AMEX next weekend.
