Sheff Utd 3 Doncaster 1: Coutts is winging way back to lift the Blades

The 27-year-old Blades midfielder made his first appearance of the season in Saturday’s South Yorkshire derby after picking up a knee injury in pre-season.

But he played an hour against Doncaster – setting up United’s second goal for Conor Sammon – and the former Scotland Under-21 international impressed down the right flank.

It was Coutts’s first game for new manager Nigel Adkins, and after successive defeats in their last two games at Bramall Lane, a derby win was the perfect tonic for the Blades.

“It’s been frustrating,” said Coutts. “My knee played up a bit in pre-season and so I missed the majority of that.

“It felt great to be back out there playing again and, most of all, I was delighted that we got the three points.

“I’ve been working hard with the fitness coach and training for a couple of weeks now.

“The gaffer wanted to freshen things up a little bit,” said Coutts, of the six changes from the team which drew 2-2 at Bradford six days earlier.

“We’d had a few sticky results and so I think he just wanted to change it around a bit.

“You always want to impress, especially when a new manager comes in.

“The new gaffer has been very positive.

“He’s told me to make sure I’m okay and not to break down again.

“It’s a long season and there’s a lot of games. It was nice to get that show of faith from him and, thankfully, he’s put me in the team.”

The right-hand combination of Coutts and right-back Craig 
Alcock produced United’s first two goals.

Chris Basham smashed the ball beyond Thorsten Stuckmann on 17 minutes after Alcock supplied the cross.

Coutts then delivered a teasing ball which saw Sammon tap home at the far post.

In between, Cameron Stewart had levelled with a 25-yard free kick, which crept beyond an unsighted Mark Howard.

Keshi Anderson and Andy Williams had efforts blocked but they struggled to really test Howard.

Managerless Rovers have only won once all season, and their cause was not helped when Gary Mackenzie was red-carded in the 38th minute for a lunge which caught Alcock in the midriff.

The Blades defender was left “battered and bruised” and did not return after the interval.

United dominated the second half and Sammon could have wrapped up a hat-trick.

The striker – who also went close in the first half, but dragged his shot wide – struck a post with a fierce long-range striker before seeing his header cleared off the line by James Coppinger.

It was left to strike partner Billy Sharp – playing against his former club – to complete the scoring when he pounced on a loose back pass from Coppinger to round Stuckmann and tuck the ball into the empty goal.

United fans thought they had a penalty late in the game when Blades substitute Che Adams seemed to catch the leg of Aaron Taylor-Sinclair. Instead, referee Mark Heywood booked Adams for diving.

Coutts is relishing working with United’s strike force of Sammon and Sharp, who once again look a formidable partnership.

“We play with two up top,” he said. “We’ve got licence to go out there and express ourselves, just play and enjoy it. With Conor and Billy, you’ve got to play to their strengths. You always back them to get on the scoresheet so long as we can give them the service.”

Not that Sammon was quick to acknowledge the delivery from his former Derby County team-mate. “I know Conor well but he didn’t even come over to thank me,” said Coutts. “His little girl was in the stand and he went running over to her.

“But I wasn’t shouting him back, I was just delighted to get a drink. Conor is a great lad and he always works his socks off for the team. Billy will always score, too.”

While the win puts United in the top six, defeat leaves Rovers languishing near the bottom. Caretaker manager Rob Jones was left fuming with the performance, calling it “mistake after mistake after mistake.

“It’s not acceptable,” he said. “You can hide behind the fact we were down to 10 men after 30-odd minutes but it’s not acceptable.

“I’m quite angry actually at the performance we put in. Yes, we got back on level terms but it’s mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake. I’m not having it any more.

“We started the game all right. Keshi looked menacing, Cameron got his free-kick. We could have gone in front before they did.

“They went in front after a mistake, which is not pleasing at all. We got back into it, so you’re thinking ‘come on then we’ll have a go’. But then there’s another mistake for the second goal. From then on in, Gary gets sent off and you give yourself a mountain to climb. I expect better.

“What was said in there will stay in there. I won’t bring it out. We had some words, and I now look for a reaction.”

Sheffield United: Howard, Alcock (Freeman 45), Edgar, Collins, Wallace, Coutts (Adams 61), Baxter (Reed 55), Basham, Flynn, Sharp, Sammon. Unused substitutes: McNulty, Woolford, Long, McGahey.

Doncaster Rovers: Stuckmann, Coppinger, Butler, Taylor-Sinclair, Evina, MacKenzie, Stewart (Forrester 55), Wellens (Gobern 71), Keegan (Chaplow 45), Anderson, Williams Unused substitutes: Marosi, Mandeville, McKay, N’Guessan.

Referee: M Heywood (Cheshire).