The Blades ended a recent bad run of games on Sky TV with a win at the Madjeski Stadium. United continued their recent good run at this stadium and made it two wins in successive seasons. Once again Billy Sharp was the hero; as he was last season with the crucial goal. George Baldock’s brother Sam scored in his own net to seal the three points. United had not been superb but had done plenty enough to win the game and recovered from a lackadaisical first half to boss the second half. United did not create lots of chances but still missed some big opportunities before finally Sharp delivered the crucial moment.

Manager Wilder went back to his ‘Brentford’ line up (save Baldock for Freeman) with Washington and Lundstram restored for Sharp and Duffy. Reading had former Blade loanee Scott Marshall in temporary charge after disposing of manager Paul Clement in the week. Despite a lowly position; the subs bench showed the level of talent the Royals had at their disposal.

Reading started on the attack and one wild shot over the bar came in from Gunter was well over but gradually United started to get on the ball and move it around. The ball over the top to Washington from Norwood was a feature early on. United won a free kick when Basham nipped in and was felled by Rinomhota but Norwood’s effort was a long way over the bar.

United won a corner on 10 minutes and from the delivery Egan’s flicked header was touched in by the head of Washington but the striker was rightly judged offside. The initial header was looking as if it was going wide.

Clever work got United out of their own defensive corner and into the middle of the field and Norwood then hit another delightful ball that put McGoldrick in on goal with just the keeper to beat. The striker tried a nonchalant lobbed flick but got it horribly wrong and it ran tamely into the keepers’ arms. It was the best chance of the game and another bad miss by the misfiring Irish forward.

Slowly the early momentum for the visitors was lost and Reading started to get a foothold in the game. Sims had a good run checked by Egan and then Basham had to intercept. United were now having to defend and a few good breaks almost saw Reading get in.

Fleck was given a yellow card for a silly pull down after he initially lost the ball. Reading were now having more of the ball and Loader won two free kicks. United were sitting off and the passing became sloppy. Reading won two corners in succession and were now the more offensive force although had create little of note.

McCleary drifted inside two players and Stevens had to get a good block in before McNulty had a half opening but O’Connell was able to muscle his old teammate off the ball. United had not offered much since the opening but did have a chance when Baldock came onto the ball and hit a dangerous driven cross over and McGoldrick cleverly flicked it home with his back to goal but as with the first effort United had in the net; it was rightly judged offside although this one was closer.

Reading were back on the ball and controlling possession again but they did not really get into the dangerous areas at all. Still, United were very sloppy when they had it and it seemed a really scrappy game that lacked quality as the half time whistle came.

Duffy came on for Lundstram at the break and United were on the front foot and playing further up the field. McGoldrick got on the ball and drove at the defence and hit a firm shot but was straight at Jaakkola who palmed away.

The two wing backs and overlapping centre backs saw more of the ball in the first 10 minutes of the second half than they had all the first half. Duffy was getting on the ball and making United tick and they now were penning Reading back. Washington headed wide under pressure after good work from McGoldrick after Reading failed to clear the clever free kick from Norwood.

Fleck shot over from the middle of the goal as Reading now were not really an attacking force at all. Sharp came on for Washington as United looked for the man who could nick the all-important goal whilst Barrow and Baldock came on for Sims and McNulty for the hosts. United won a series of corner and got in a number of decent positions wide but the crossing too often let them down.

Then two decent balls came in. Baldock’s delivery from the right after he had telegraphed two before it; led to a header for McGoldrick but his headed down was saved comfortably. It was difficult for the striker to generate power on the cross to be fair.

One great delivery came in from Fleck. Sharp headed it and some behind the goal thought it had hit the net but went the wrong side of the post. It was a good chance and a header you would expect him to bury under no pressure and the keeper beaten.

United won another corner that was cleared as the keeper struggled to deal with the high ball and then Stevens and both Basham both got down the wing but the ball did not drop to a yellow shirt. The game ticked into the final 10 minutes and it seemed like United could not make the 2nd half domination count when the goal did arrive.

Duffy patiently waited for Basham to advance and played it down the wing for him to fire over a cross that deflected off a defender and up into the air. McGoldrick missed the header right in front of goal but SHARP was on the spot to turn in from merely a couple of yards. After having two ruled out; the Blades striker quickly turned to check there was no flag before sprinting off to celebrate with the 1,000+ Blades fans behind the goal. Replays showed it was certainly the right decision as the ball was played back and, in the end, came off a Reading player and also McGoldrick did not touch it.

Most Blades would now wait for the inevitable nervy final moments as United’s inability to see games out has been a feature in recent seasons but we need not have worried. McGoldrick cleverly stepped over the ball to win the corner and as it came over BALDOCK (S) headed the ball into his own net. Some Reading players half hearted appealed for a foul but there was no offence as the closest players to the ball O’Connell and Basham celebrated the goal that sealed the three points.

The final few minutes were played out comfortably and even three minutes of stoppage time saw United prevent Reading having any chances at all with O’Connell and Henderson taking knocks on a high ball the only scare of any note. The final whistle came not long after that and United were up from 7th to 6th to 3rd in the matter of 10 minutes!