Good riddance: Sheffield United glad to see back of Walsall after third defeat

The Saddlers were rampant as they stunned the Blades 4-1 to end a run of six straight league wins.

If nothing else, Wilder’s team will be glad to see the back of Saturday’s hosts, for who the victory was a third against the Bramall Lane club this season.

After Billy Sharp crashed an effort off the crossbar early on, the visitors found themselves behind when Amadou Bakayoko fired home in the fifth minute.

That was quickly cancelled out by Jack O’Connell’s header 10 minutes later after defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell had headed a far-post free-kick back across goal.

But Walsall regained the lead in the 58th minute through Jason McCarthy, before Joe Edwards, in the 67th minute, and Erhun Oztumer – with a 76th-minute penalty – secured a comprehensive win for the hosts.

“I was quite pleased with our first-half performance,” said Wilder.

“Maybe we should have been ahead, because we’d had enough of the ball, enough possession and enough opportunities to be ahead.

“But we weren’t and we were looking to kick on and one of the things we’ve talked about in the second half is the way that we’ve kicked on and we haven’t done that against Walsall.

“And if you concede poor goals against a quality opposition then you’re always going to be faced with an uphill battle.”

Walsall: Etheridge, O’Connor, Preston, O’Connell, Edwards, Chambers, Osbourne, Cuvelier (Dobson 74), McCarthy, Oztumer (Morris 87), Bakayoko (Jackson 77). Unused substitutes: Laird, MacGillivray, Roberts, Makris.

Sheffield United: Moore, Basham (Clarke 68), Ebanks-Landell, O’Connell, Freeman, Coutts, Duffy, Fleck, Done, Lavery (Scougall 77), Sharp. Unused substitutes: Hussey, McNulty, Ramsdale, Wright, Wilson.

Referee: R Clark (Northumberland).