The Blades moved up to second in the table after another excellent performance saw them beat big spending Wolves at a rain soaked Bramall Lane on Wednesday night. United were helped by an early red card to ex Blades Connor Coady who was rightly given his marching orders for bringing down Leon Clarke. Clarke then scored a smart first after excellent work from Enda Stevens before United had a let off when Neves hit the post from the spot after the break. Clarke then sealed the win with a powerful header from a lovely Duffy free kick. After this United eased to the win and kept their forward momentum going with 6 wins in 7 games now.

Manager Wilder kept the same eleven from the majestic win over the city hoping confidence would see through any tired legs. Wolves with a day longer to prepare brought back expensive winger Helder Costa for the first game for 6 months. He had cost Wolves 13 million pounds but incredibly was still not the most expensive signing they had made with Ruben Neves surpassing that for a reported 15 million. With numerous other big money players all over the park and after a good start, it reckoned to be a tough test for Wilder’s men.

The team received a huge ovation as they took the field returning to the Lane as heroes after the superb victory at Hillsborough over city rivals Wednesday.

The game began with the rain lashing down and Wolves started the better moving the ball about smartly. They looked to get Costa on the ball and were playing through the channels and started the game well. They had an early chance when Carter Vickers dithered and his slip saw Bonatini in but shot lacked direction and was straight at Blackman. Wolves were proving tough opposition and United had to keep their shape early on.

Eventually they started to come out and won a corner. From the delivery from Fleck, O’Connell headed goalwards but Ruddy scooped clear. Not long after this a through ball from Carter Vickers split the Wolves rear-guard and Clarke was in. Coady hauled him down clumsily and quite cynically. It seemed quite clear it was a red card and this duly followed despite a bit of confusion at first. There seemed little doubt but it was a long walk for the former favourite of the Lane as he trooped off. From the resulting free kick, Ruddy palmed away and Coutts hit the follow up over. It was a good chance for the home side.

The red card changed the flow of the game as United started to get on the ball and move it around. Coutts and Fleck started to dictate the game and the defence came out allowing United to move the play further up the field. Wolves now started to sit back and had to make a change due to the red card with danger man Costa sacrificed for Saiss as Wolves tried to stiffen up the middle of the field.

United now were really forcing Wolves back and Brooks showed some superb skill to get away from Batth and go into the box. He maybe got baulked as he moved forward but stayed on his feet and fed Fleck whose drive was blocked by Miranda despite claims for a hand ball as he stopped the shot at point blank range. Stevens had a cross cum shot that Reddy did not know much about and palmed up and onto his net for a corner. O’Connell was getting forward well from centre back and Stevens and Baldock were pretty much playing as wingers at this stage.

United had a number of corners in succession but the deliveries were a little disappointing. Still it was one-way traffic and a cross from Fleck saw Basham inadvertently turn it goalwards from point blank range but it went wide. Soon after Clarke nearly got in after Ruddy spilt the ball but the referee gave a foul on the United striker soon after.

The goal seemed to be coming and sure enough it came after more patient build up saw Fleck play in Stevens who drove across a peach of a ball that CLARKE could not miss and he slid in to convert from close range. There were players queuing up to convert this delightful ball but it was the former Wolves man that scored for the second successive game against his former club.

Brooks then nutmegged Neves to draw the cheers from the crowd as United’s confidence started to grow even further.

United saw out the final few minutes without any problems and indeed it was the Blades on the front foot to end another good 45 minutes first half.

At the break Lafferty came on for Stevens presumably due to an injury and slotted in at the left wing back position. Enobakhare came on for Bonatini at the break as Wolves tried to offer some fresh pace up top.

The half began with Wolves showing more life after being firmly pinned back and seemed to show more impetus in pressing for the ball and moving it forward quicker. They broke once but O’Connell made a good block but on the next attack they won a penalty. There were appeals for a spot kick on Carter Vickers for hand ball which was rejected but almost instantly Jota went down under his challenge. It seemed soft but referee Bankes point to the spot after taking his time. Neves spotted the ball but with Blackman an imposing figure in goal his kick taken high to the keeper’s left hit the outside of the post and bounced away to safety. It was a poor kick in truth.

Coutts was then booked for a poor tackle on Neves before Brooks nearly got in with some nice skill down the by line. Clarke was continuing to cause problems with his strength and hold up and slowly United broke out from this poor start to the second half.

Cavaleiro came on for Neves in Wolves final change of the night as the ten men tried to find a lift after the disappointment of the penalty miss.
Wright made way for Duffy in the same change as occurred on Sunday at Hillsborough. His impact was instant and significant again. After a foul on Baldock down the right, who again was impressing, the delivery from Duffy was excellent. CLARKE overpowered his marker to head home into the far corner. It sparked more wild celebrations as the players embraced in front of the Kop.

After this United moved the ball around really well and Coutts and Fleck once again were the heartbeat of the United side. They moved it about well and another decent move nearly saw Brooks feed Clarke again. Duffy then exchanged passes with Baldock and the wing back put a lovely cross in that was begging to be converted but somehow Duffy poked wide with the goal at his mercy.

Baldock was booked for complaining at a non-award of a free kick when he cleared before Basham’s daft handball earned him a card also after he had been sloppy to give the ball away. Despite this United still did not seem under much pressure. Two wild shots from Wolves were nowhere near with one going into the upper tier.

Evans came on for Clarke who got a deserved standing ovation from the United fans. He chased and harried as did the rest of the United side as they continued their hard work on and off the ball. Fleck showed his class to keep the ball near the end before Wolves had their only shot on goal right at the death as Jota forced Blackman to flick over. The corner came to nothing and four minutes of stoppage time were played out in comfort for the home side who took another deserved three points and hit the heady heights of second. News that local rivals Wednesday had lost again filtered through to give a nice bonus to the night.