Crewe 1 Sheffield Utd 0: Blades have now ‘got to go again’, says Adkins

Crewe had not previously won at home since March, but they defended with discipline and struck with 19 minutes remaining.

Their main threat, Ryan Colclough, hit a first-time shot past a despairing Mark Howard after Chris Basham’s header fell into his path.

Blades manager Nigel Adkins was left to bemoan his side’s lack of finishing power.

He commented: “As I said beforehand, there are no easy games in this league. As Sheffield United we were expected to beat Crewe Alexandra, who were bottom of the division and the expectation is there.

“We made several changes, put people in there who have missed a few games, started the game ever so brightly and should’ve scored several goals, but didn’t.

“We are getting punished at the minute and we will now see what the players are made of.

“We’ve got to go again. I thought there was some good stuff out there but we got beat and I can’t hide away from that fact.

“You’ve got to give the opposition credit. They got the victory and we haven’t done enough with the opportunities that we presented ourselves with to put the ball in the back of the net.”

Dean Hammond could have secured a point, but nodded past the wrong side of a post in the 85th minute to sum up the away team’s day.

Crewe Alexandra: Garratt, Turton, Ray, Nugent, Guthrie, King, Jones, Colclough (Dalla Valle 90), Saunders (Atkinson 86), Haber, Inman (Kingsley 82). Unused substitutes: Cooper, Bingham, Wilson, Nizic.

Sheffield United: Howard, Flynn, Basham, Collins, Harris, Baxter, Hammond, Coutts (Scougall 79), Done (Sammon 78), Sharp, Adams. Unused substitutes: Freeman, Campbell-Ryce, Long, Kieran Wallace, McGahey.

Referee: F Graham (Essex).

Man of the match: Ryan Colclough.