Sheffield United 3 Walsall 2: Ched Evans returns and starts making up for lost time

All that changed in somewhat dramatic fashion last night, with Wilder witnessing an episode that he will chose to recall with rather more fondness in the years to come – on the evening that Ched Evans came ‘home’.

Those Blades fans may have been sparse in number among a 5,210 crowd. But they will always remember it for heralding the second ‘debut’ of the Welsh striker.

Afforded a hearty cheer from Unitedites when he entered the fray to raucous and defiant cries of ‘Super Ched Evans’ on 52 minutes, the substitute was handed more rapturous applause when he left the pitch at the final whistle – having provided the catalyst to enliven the Blades following a hitherto difficult night.

On his first appearance in the red and white since April 14, 2012, Evans made a seismic impact, seeing his trade-book volley deflect into the net off Korey Roberts to restore parity before then tidily setting up United’s second goal from Nathan Thomas.

A pulsating final quarter, also notable for a rare goal from Daniel Lafferty, helped secure a passage into the second round, which had looked somewhat unlikely before Evans’s arrival.

His impact was such that he was named as the man-of-the-match and he certainly seized his opportunity while several of Blades’ supporting cast did not.

It was a far from straightforward night for a Blades line-up which featured 11 changes from their Championship opener, with Evans’s display comfortably providing the big plus.

Earlier, a Walsall side who inflicted three of the Blades’ eight defeats last season had seemed intent on having more fun at their expense. There was also a sense of inevitability about Saddlers scorer Amadou Bakayoko, with the giant Sierra Leonian forward netting his fourth goal in successive matches against the Blades.

Home fans were convinced that Erhun Oztumer was in offside position before threading the ball to Bakayoko for a routine finish..

With a big test at promotion- favourites Middlesbrough looming large on the horizon in under 72 hours – against an expensively-assembled side who had the benefit of resting up – Wilder made no apologies for the fact that he would be making a number of changes to his line-up.

Wilder had spoken regularly during the close-season about players pushing each other and a culture of genuine competition emerging, with his supporting cast given a chance to deliver a timely nudge in his direction.

The shock inclusion was John Brayford, with the defender handed his first Blades appearance in just under a year.

The side also incorporated a glimpse to the future too, with youngsters Jake Eastwood and Jake Bennett handed debuts on a special night, while much-talked-about midfielder David Brooks was given another chance to impress.

Given the multitude of changes, it was perhaps not too much of a surprise that the Blades lacked fluidity in the first period.

They trailed when impish midfielder Oztumer ghosted clear down the left with his low centre tucked home from eight yards out by Bakayoko.

It set up Walsall’s game plan perfectly, with the goal enabling them to sit in and get a wall of white shirts behind the ball.

The Blades showed willingness, but failed to unduly trouble the Saddlers rearguard, afforded just a couple of genuine scares.

The first saw Roberts do well to block Caolan Lavery’s goalbound shot, with the Blades forward also prodding wide after neat work by Brayford.

Lavery went closer still on the restart, with his low shot yielding a smart reaction save from Mark Gillespie, who made amends after flapping at a cross.

At the other end, captain-for-the-day Jake Wright did well to divert Joe Edwards’ blistering goalbound drive before Evans took over.

The moment that he will have been dreaming about arrived 16 minutes from time when his drilled volley was parried by Gillespie onto the chest of Roberts before nestling into the net in front of the deserted Kop.

An encore arrrived when Evans latched onto Mark Duffy’s clever pass, with his cut-back tucked away by debutant Nathan Thomas and a deflected strike from distance from Lafferty made it 3-1 – United’s third goal in the space of eight minutes.

A late Oztumer penalty after replacement Chris Basham handled restored parity, but it was Ched’s night, all right.

Sheffield United: Eastwood; Brayford, Wright, Lafferty; Bennett (Basham 58), Brooks, Duffy, Lundstram, Thomas; Lavery (Fleck 86), Hanson (Evans 52). Unused substitutes: Stevens, Clarke, Coutts, Blackman.

Walsall: Gillespie; Devlin, Roberts, Guthrie; Kinsella (Kouhyar 84), Morris, Chambers, Edwards, Leahy; Oztumer, Bakayoko (Jackson 76). Unused substitutes: Flanagan, Sangha, Cockerill-Mollett, Candlin, L Roberts.

Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).