United got back to winning ways and beat a fellow top 6 challenger in the big Boxing Day game at the Lane. An excellent performance saw the Blades see off Frank Lampard’s Derby side. After Billy Sharp opened the scoring; United were pegged back after seeing a strong penalty appeal turned down and then Harry Wilson scoring a stunning free kick. Undeterred, the home side came again and David McGoldrick executed a perfect lob to restore the lead. Sub Leon Clarke nodded home via a deflection to seal the three points and put United back up to 4th in the table.

United named an unchanged side again as they looked to bounce back from a disappointing recent run. Lampard’s County had loan stars Harry Wilson and Mason Mount starting along with goal poacher Jack Marriott. Blades target Martyn Waghorn was on the bench but there was no place for the injured Tom Lawrence or the suspended Bradley Johnson.

In front a big crowd, United were first out of the traps and Egans headed clearance fell for McGoldrick who curled an effort just past the post with the keeper scrambling across his goal. United continued to impress with Duffy and Norwood prompting and the home side winning all the loose balls. A nice move saw the ball come across and Stevens headed cleverly across but Sharp was denied at point blank range by Carson. Bogle had a rare break for the away side but was well off target.

United continued to move the ball around and Derby were struggling to stem the tide with Basham and O’Connell prominent in terms of attacking overlaps but Sharp was denied by a tackle from Keogh and then a corner came to nothing. Another corner came in but Egan’s header was blocked away. The home side kept moving the ball around and the patient football continued but few chances came as a result. Basham was pulled back by Wilson leading to the first yellow card but the Derby loanee was then in on goal as Duffy failed to check his runner originally and Huddlestone played him through. He took it to the side of Henderson but his attempt on goal saw Baldock get back and clear from right in front of the goal.

Derby finally had a decent spell and Stevens was given a yellow card for a pull down on Mount but the free kick did not cause any problems. Derby were playing higher up the field and looking more of a threat after United had been the better side for the first half an hour. Despite this shift in momentum, United took the lead on 41 minutes. The ball was played across the left-hand side and O’Connell hit the cross on the run and SHARP got in between the two centre backs to nod down and past Carson’s despairing dive. It was a good cross and a clever header. Sharp celebrated by mocking the Derby fans but showing his belly after less than kind chants earlier in the game.

Derby won a free kick late in the half as Duffy was booked for a foul on Wilson but Mount’s effort was well over the bar. The half time whistle went not long after.

After leading two weeks previous against a fellow challenger it was interesting to see what kind of second half Wilder’s Blades would serve up. They started well with neat football leading to Baldock crossing and then Sharp teeing up McGoldrick after the ball had got stuck under the skipper’s feet. McGoldrick could not get his shot away and Derby cleared. United continued to look for another goal and had a good chance when Tomori errored and his weak header was seized on by McGoldrick whose first effort was saved by Carson. He looked to get in on the rebound and appeared to be pulled down by the defender as he shaped to nod home. The appeals for a penalty were waved away. It seemed a strong appeal and if it had been given it probably would have been a red card for the defender. Derby raced away and won a free kick at the other end as O’Connell was rightly penalised for batting the ball away with his hand as Marriott looked to break through.

WILSON has earned a reputation as a free kick expert and took it. It was an absolute beauty. The Liverpool loan star hammered an unstoppable finish into the top corner via the bar giving Henderson no chance. As he celebrated, some of his teammates clashed with United players in an attempt to retrieve the ball with Keogh seemingly raising his hands to Henderson and several players from both teams pushing and shoving as it spilled into the net. Referee Geoff Eltringham struggled to keep control and after some time, he eventually booked Keogh. Several others from both sides were lucky to escape censure.

After the set back United came on again buoyed by a fired-up home crowd after the one award of a spot kick and the furore after the goal. Stevens came inside and played the ball across. The ball came back to Norwood who fired badly over when he really should have made Carson work. United kept coming and with Baldock influential and Fleck’s influence growing; actually, looked the more likely to go back in front. Sharp was blocked out after neat build up. At the other end Wilson had another wicked free kick that swerved and dipped just wide.

United continued on the initiative and the Kop roared them on. McGoldrick had an effort blocked and then Basham headed across goal when well placed before Sharp headed just over after a great whipped cross from Fleck. The Blades did get the all-important next goal on 64 minutes. Fleck dived forward to cleverly head into the path of MCGOLDRICK who beat the offside trap. As Carson approached the United frontman cleverly lobbed it over him and as the crowd held its breath the ball dropped into the net to give home side the lead. It was a superb piece of skill and execution for a technically gifted player. He slid on his knees towards the Kop in celebration as his teammates joined him.

Jozefzoon and Huddletone came off for Evans and Nugent as Lampard tried to find a response but in truth despite the howitzer of a free kick that got them level, Derby had been second best this half. United came again with Basham and Baldock involved and then as the ball came in and dropped, Sharp tried an acrobatic effort that was straight at Carson. Anywhere else and it would have been a goal.

Norwood was booked for a foul before Egan and then O’Connell made timely blocks for United as Derby tried to fashion a chance in a game they had been second best in.

Sharp was even closer not long after as Stevens sent over a delightful cross that seemed tailor made for the ace marksman. However, this time his flashing header went the wrong side of the post from the home side’s perspective at least. It was a golden chance to seal the game.

Clarke came on for Duffy as Wilder brought McGoldrick back behind the strikers as the number 10 role with Sharp partnering last season’s leading scorer. Tomori was booked for a pull back on Stevens and then Fleck was brought down by Wilson as he drove through. From the resultant free kick the crucial third goal came. Norwood took it and it was a clever one as he found an unmarked Egan who drifted off to the far post. His head back was nodded goalward from CLARKE and took a slight deflection off Bogle before going past Carson and into the net. The noise on the goal signalled what a big moment it was. United had seen all three strikers score. A player United had targeted so long, Martyn Waghorn came on for Wisdom drawing lusty boos from the home fans whom remember him turning the Blades down for in favour of a move to Pride Park.

Wilder and Lampard exchanged words on the side-line as both contested some decisions from the referee that they did not agree with.

The game ticked into the final 5 minutes and featured some comical moments from former England keeper Carson. First, he chose to pick up a back pass (may had had a nick off Sharp) where he had plenty of time to kick away just in case. Both Carson and Nugent were booked for their remonstrations in appealing. Norwood’s chipped effort did not work and was cleared but not long after Carson kicked out of play after going on walk about to the cheers of the home support.

6 minutes of stoppage time were somehow added on by the referee but United professionally saw out proceedings and actually kept the ball really well with Clarke holding it up and Egan headed it away twice. The final whistle came to signal a ***** three points for United who celebrated in turn with the home fans whose passionate support had been a significant factor in the performance and deserved victory.