Goals from Tamás Priskin and Gareth McAuley saw the Blues to a 2-1 victory against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Priskin put Town in front early on before Stephen Quinn equalised for the home side, McAuley grabbing the winner just before half-time.

Skipper David Norris hadn’t recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in the closing stages of last week’s 2-0 victory over Millwall, so his place in the centre of midfield went to Jake Livermore. Grant Leadbitter took the captain’s armband in what was otherwise an unchanged Town side.

Former Blue Richard Wright was on the Blades bench, while Alan Quinn’s brother Stephen started in the home team’s midfield.

Town went ahead with the game’s first chance in the sixth minute. Carlos Edwards’s long throw from the right was missed by the Sheffield United defence, who also allowed the diminutive Jack Colback to head goalwards, Tamás Priskin stabbing home from five yards for his fifth goal of the season.

A minute later, an Edwards throw from the opposite touchline was met by a Blades head but even so the ball almost fell for Priskin. From the corner, Damien Delaney was given a free header but powered the ball into the Blues’ support behind the goal.

Priskin came close to his second of the game in the 14th minute when he held off Blades defender Johnny Ertl to take a Tommy Smith’s ball down the left into the area, before hitting a shot which struck the outside of keeper Steve Simonsen’s post. Town could easily have been three goals in front with the home side yet to test Márton Fülöp.

The Blades almost got back on terms in the 21st minute when Quinn beat Gareth McAuley on the left and sent in a cross which Richard Cresswell headed goalwards, Delaney blocking on the line. Nick Montgomery picked up the loose ball and hit a rebound, which was blocked by Livermore, then Mark Yeates screwed the ball wide from a tight angle.

Despite this fairly major scare, Town were still looking the more dangerous side with another Edwards throw and a subsequent cross causing problems before eventually being cleared by the Blades backline.

However, the home side equalised in the 29th minute after Grant Leadbitter had given away possession on the Blades right as Town sought to play their way out of defence. Ex-Colchester man Yeates crossed and McAuley’s weak clearance fell to Stephen Quinn on the edge of the area, the midfielder hitting a low shot which beat Fülöp to his left.

On 32 Priskin again wasn’t far away from his second of the afternoon, the Hungarian flicking Leadbitter’s freekick from the left just wide, although McAuley behind him may have been better placed. Even so, it was the Blades who had had most of the game since their goal

But five minutes before half-time Town went back in front. Leadbitter sent in a cross back in from the right after a corner had been cleared, McAuley headed the ball into the air and then slammed it past Simonsen for his second goal of the season and his second at Bramall Lane in two seasons.

Town went close again moments later, Edwards breaking down the right before playing a ball to the breaking Leadbitter, whose shot was blocked.

The Blues went in 2-1 up at the break, having score two goals in a first half in the league for the first time this season, although they had been helped by some truly woeful Sheffield United defending. Keeper Simonsen was particularly animated after the second goal with his backline clearly missing the presence of injured skipper Chris Morgan.

As against Millwall a week ago, the Blues had started the game strongly and had gone in front early on but had rather lost their way midway through the half. Gareth McAuley and Grant Leadbitter will have been disappointed with their contributions to the Blades goal and the duo will have been pleased to have combined to put their side back in front.

The second period’s first goalmouth danger came in the 49th minute when Yeates’s cross from the left fell just behind Cresswell, Colback clearing.

Yeates shot over on 50, then at the other end Leadbitter tried an audacious effort from halfway, Simonsen getting back to claim a couple of yards in front of his line.

Only a superb Márton Fülöp save prevented the home side from getting back on terms in the 55th minute. United centre-half Kyle Bartley hit a brilliant 30-yard strike, which the Hungarian pushed on to the post before claiming the loose ball.

The Blades had started the second half much the stronger and in the 56th minute Roy Keane swapped Jason Scotland, who moments earlier had lost control of the ball during a promising Blues break, for Connor Wickham.

Just after the hour, Colback shot well wide when he ought to have done better after good work from Priskin and Wickham. Soon after, Leadbitter’s 30-yard freekick deflected over off the wall. From the corner, McAuley powered a header straight at Simonsen.

Town were starting to come more into the game with the Blades pushing more men forward. On 71 Jaime Peters took over from Tamás Priskin, taking up the deeper of the two attacking roles.

Neither side was creating much in the way of clear-cut chances, although just prior to Town’s substitution, Eastman had been required to hack clear twice after a corner. For the Blues, Leadbitter shot powerfully but wide, then at the other end Leon Brittain did much the same.

Yeates saw a strike deflect over from the right with Town’s backline the busier, although it moments earlier it had taken some fine defending from Bartley to prevent Wickham from completing a one-two with Peters which would have seen him one-one-one with the keeper.

With five minutes remaining Troy Brown replaced Eastman, who had picked up a hip injury earlier in the half when caught late by Yeates. On 86 Carlos Edwards picked up the game’s first booking for taking too much time over a throw-in.

From a subsequent throw by the Trinidadian Wickham headed over, then after a clever exchange of passes with Edwards, a Peters shot deflected over.

There was late drama in the final minute of normal time when Richard Cresswell got in behind Delaney, the Irishman catching him just outside the area with Brown and McAuley just about in covering positions. Delaney was booked, as was Bartley for an incident in the wall.

Brittain hit the freekick into the wall, then from the resultant corner, sub Daniel Bogdanovic flicked a header over.

Márton Fülöp was yellow-carded for timewasting, before there was another big scare for the Blues, Evans getting away from McAuley inside the area, but the Hungarian keeper saved sharply to his left. Montgomery added his named to referee Graham Salisbury’s list as the game entered the fifth minute of injury time.

There were to be no further concerns for the Blues with the final whistle greeted by a chorus of boos from the home supporters, while the travelling Town fans celebrated.

The Blues deserved the win, the second half having been largely a resolute defensive display with all four of the backline and keeper Márton Fulop making huge contributions.

Gareth McAuley epitomised the spirit, taking a number of kicks to the head. Town had had one or two chances on the break in the second half, but without overly testing Steve Simonsen.

The Blues could have been out of sight early on in the game having had a couple of decent openings after Priskin’s goal. But as against Millwall, the performance drifted as the half progressed and the Sheffield United equaliser was a bad one to concede. McAuley’s winner would have been similarly disappointing from a Blades perspective.

Town’s sixth away win of the season — three in the Carling Cup and three in the league — sees the Blues very much back in the play-off hunt in sixth - next opponents Derby having beaten Portsmouth in the late game - after their recent blip.

Town: Fülöp, Eastman (Brown 85), Smith, McAuley, Delaney, Leadbitter, Livermore, Edwards, Colback, Scotland (Wickham 56), Priskin (Peters 71). Unused: Murphy, Townsend, Hyam, Murray.

Sheffield United: Simonsen, Lowton, Nosworthy, Bartley, Ertl (Bogdanovic 79), Montgomery, Britton, Yeates, Quinn, Cresswell, Ward (Evans 46). Unused: Calve, Taylor, Kozluk, Wright, Parrino. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Att: 19,207.

Photo: Action Images

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