Blackburn Rovers 1 Sheffield United 2: Sydie Peck and Michael Cooper make the difference in big away win

Played in a difficult atmosphere with the home supporters disillusioned by the mismanagement of the Venky family, it was a night that needed flashes to lift it from the mundane, and Peck provided a few of them.

But if Peck dominated the key moments of the first half, it was goalkeeper Michael Cooper who made the decisive acts of the second, to preserve the 2-1 lead his team-mate had given the Blades.

A reflex save from Todd Cantwell then a low stretching one from Jayden Fevrier ensured the good of Peck's Jekyll-and-Hyde performance did not go to waste as the Blades quickly put their first defeat of the season behind them.

With England Under-21 coach lee Carsley watching on, Pecjk was at fault for Blackburn's first goal and nearly a second, but it he was he who created the Blades' equaliser, then put them in front after a brilliant bit of skill and lovely finish.

They were his team's only shots on target all night, but that is what away football is all about some nights.

This was a Championship game played in front of a League Cup crowd of 11,188 with a subdued atmosphere to match.

The visitors were playing a curious formation, with what was normally a back five, but at times left-sided centre-back Rhys Norrington-Davies stepped into midfield, and at others, Sam McCallum became a left winger.

Romolle Donovan was playing between the midfield and the front two, but not centrally, between the inside-right channel and the touchline. At times it looked too clever by half, with the Blades unable to assert any control.

Blackburn were having the better of it, but still Kristi Montgomery's goal was not only his first for Blackburn, but also the game's first shot on target 20 minutes.

The Blades were largely to blame for it, Hamza Choudhury giving an unsympathetic pass to Peck, who was robbed by Montgomery. His finish, though, was magnificent.

Blackburn cranked up the pressure from there, Fevrier feeding Dapo Afolayan for a shot from a tight angle which Michael Cooper did not seem at all sure was going wide.

The hosts thought they had doubled the lead in the 35th minute, when Cooper parried a shot to Todd Cantwell, who found the net with an offside flag up.

Within seconds, and out of nowhere, the Blades were level. Joe Rothwell won the ball in midfield, Peck played it through to Tom Cannon, and the right-footed finish as he opened up his body was ice cool.

Five minutes later, Peck was robbed again, only for Fevrier's shot to be deflected wide, as was another two minutes later.

But with half-time approaching, former Blackburn midfielder Rothwell stabbed the ball through for Peck to produce a brilliant flick to take the ball past the defender and find the net.

The Blades swapped to a more clearly-defined 4-4-2 for a second half they started with more intent, Cannon having a shot charged down, and Peck putting one wide.

But Blackburn were having good chances too, Cooper forced into a good save when Afolayan's shot deflected for a corner and Cantwell got hold of his strike from it.

For the second game running, Choudhury made a big goalline clearance – from Afolayan – but crucially this time, there was no one following it up to score. It was Choudhury's last act before limping off, his right hamstring perhaps aggravated by stretching out to the ball.

Right-back Ryan Alebiosu had a shot wide from a tight angle and Fevrier missed the target when Ryoya Morishita laid te ball off to him. Afolayan had a shot charged down.

But when Cooper was worked again, in the 83rd minute, he made another decisive intervention.

Substitute Tyrse Campbell could even have put more gloss on it, Aynsley Pears unconvincingly patting a swerving shot away in stoppage time.

But the game had already been won, thanks to some special skills at either end of the field in a game that did not really deserve them.

Blackburn Rovers: Pears; Alebiosu, Atcheson, McLoughlin, Ribeiro; Morsy (Beyuk 82), Montgomery; Morishita, Cantwell (Higgins 82), Afolayan; Fevrier.

Unused substitutes: Pickering, Carter, Toth, Forshaw, Garrett, Lister, Vare.

Sheffield United: Cooper; Choudhury (Doherty 58), Tanganga, Kitching, Norrington-Davies (Campbell HT), McCallum; Peck, Rothwell (Phillips 58); Donovan (Arblaster 67); Cannon, Brereton Diaz (Baptiste 82).

Unused substitutes: Ayew, Davies, Riedewald, Bamford.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).