Defensive numbers stack up for Blades, Owls, Barnsley & Bradford, but not Hull and Harrogate

As far as Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Bradford City are concerned, promotion would suffice, never mind getting their hands on some silverware.

In the respect of league goals conceded so far in the current campaign, the numbers of all four of the aforementioned clubs are shaping up nicely enough.

For others across Yorkshire, the data is rather more damning.

Taking away those devastating - and disgraceful - events in Nottingham when the Blades’ 2021-22 season cruelly ended in a bitter play-off finale, 2022 has been a memorable year for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

United have taken 84 points from a possible 138 thus far, comfortably the best figure in the Championship and small wonder that they find themselves ensconced in the division’s top two ahead of Boxing Day’s meeting with Coventry City at Bramall Lane. They have plenty to look forward to.

That particular point haul is high and mighty, for sure. But some lower numbers are also striking when it comes to the Blades’ particular story, more especially this term.

United’s concession of just nine away goals so far in 22-23 is the best figure in the Championship.

A total of nine goals conceded in the second half of league matches is also the joint second-best tally in the division. Only Watford (8) have let in fewer goals.

Reliable Blades custodian Wes Fotheringham, who recorded 18 clean sheets in 21-22 - only Bournemouth’s Mark Travers had a better record - is already halfway there with nine already this season.

On the defensive front at least this season, the figures of League One duo Wednesday and Barnsley are even more remarkable and augur particularly well for both in their quest to return to the second-tier of English football in May.

The Owls may currently have a few issues on the goalscoring front, but their defence - despite disruption to personnel - has been the epitome of consistency.

It is helping to make Darren Moore’s side the toughest of nuts to crack. A ten-match unbeaten sequence in League One is testament to that, while no visiting side from outside the boundaries of Yorkshire have taken three points away from Hillsborough in almost 15 months.

That team was Oxford United, with a last-ditch penalty save from Cameron Dawson last weekend ensuring the U’s did not follow up their win at S6 on October 2, 2021.

Only Barnsley and Rotherham United have won at the Owls’ home at league level since.

Both at home and away, Wednesday are parsimonious.

They have shipped just four goals in the first half of league matches in 22-23. It’s not only the best record in the division, but also across the EFL.

Only Arsenal (2) and Newcastle United (3) have better numbers.

The only home side to score in the first half of a league game against a visiting Wednesday side this term are leaders Plymouth, with Ryan Hardie netting in the third minute of Argyle’s 2-1 win on October 3.

Given that, it should come as no surprise that the Owls’ concession of just six away goals is the best League One record so far this season.

Just one goal inferior in that regard are Barnsley, admirably led by another former centre-half who prides himself on his side’s defensive steadfastness in Michael Duff.

The Reds’ record of just six concessions in the second half of league games so far in 22-23 is the division’s best. In the EFL, only Leyton Orient (4) have better figures.

Duff’s side have not conceded a second half goal in their past eight league matches since October 8.

On the road, the only time Barnsley have let in a goal in the second period of an away league game this season was at Ipswich Town on August 27, when ex-Reds loanee Sam Morsy struck in the 70th minute of their 2-2 draw at Portman Road.

In contrast to Duff and Moore, Mark Hughes’s playing career was all about scoring and creating goals as opposed to stopping them.

On the managerial front, the Bradford chief possesses gamekeeping traits to compliment those poacher qualities which served him so well.

Certainly in the first half of League Two matches in 22-23, with City’s concession of just six goals in 20 games being the best record in the division, as it stands.

While City and three South Yorkshire sides are getting it right defensively, others across the Broad Acres are most definitely not.

Harrogate Town’s goals against tally of 19 in first-half matches is the worst record in League Two, while no Championship side have shipped more than the 20 goals apiece which Hull City have leaked in each half.

Room for improvement is the phrase, with Hull’s home goals against total of 21 being the worst in the EFL, let alone the Championship.

They last kept a league clean sheet on home soil on April 23 - one of just two registered so far in 2022.