Preston 3 Sheffield United 2: Blades throw away two-goal lead in shock defeat
Sheffield United took a step backwards in their fight to get out of early-season trouble when they threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Preston on Friday night.
Chris Wilder’s side had beaten Watford and Blackburn Rovers already this week and scored twice in the opening 16 minutes to lead 2-0 against former manager Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston at Deepdale.
But they conceded on the stroke of half-time, and then again straight after the restart as North End drew level.
The former Blades striker Daniel Jebbison headed the winner on 57 minutes.
The on-loan Bournemouth forward was getting an earful from visiting fans but he silenced the noise with a powerful header.
Andre Brooks had put the Blades ahead with his first goal of the season after 10 minutes and Callum O’Hare’s scintillating solo effort doubled the advantage six minutes later.
Lewis Dobbin halved the arrears from just outside the box in first-half stoppage-time before Japhet Tanganga put through his own net less than a minute into the second half to set up the big turnaround from Heckingbottom’s men, against the club he had two managerial spells with.
Alfie Devine came out of the traps firing for Preston, setting up Jebbison, who headed wide, inside 60 seconds before seeing three goalbound efforts blocked in the opening nine minutes.
However, completely against the run of play, the visitors took the lead as Tyrese Campbell released Brooks through on goal and he finished confidently across Daniel Iversen.
The Blades nearly doubled their lead in the 15th minute as Brooks this time turned provider for Campbell but Jordan Storey got a vital block in after the Sheffield United striker pulled the trigger in the box.
They did get the second in spectacular fashion as Campbell found O’Hare on the right and the former Coventry man slalomed past Andrew Hughes and Lewis Gibson before slotting past the advancing Iversen.
There was another blow for Preston after 38 minutes as Gibson limped off the pitch for Liam Lindsay with the former Plymouth defender down on the ground holding his thigh.
Quite ironically, also at odds with the state of the game, Preston got themselves back into it as Dobbin linked up with Jebbison before beating Michael Cooper at his near post with a low, curling 20-yard strike.
And North End levelled in the 46th minute with a rampaging start to the second half as Devine’s lofted pass was headed on by Jordan Storey and inadvertently turned into his own net by Tanganga.
Incredibly, the comeback was completed with the hour-mark approaching as Andrija Vukcevic whipped an enticing ball into the six-yard box and Jebbison emphatically planted a header past Cooper.
United were shell-shocked but nearly equalised after 71 minutes as O’Hare ghosted in behind and guided substitute Louie Barry’s cutback agonisingly wide from close range.
Both teams had substitutes who missed golden chances in the latter stages as Djibril Soumare prodded Tanganga’s headed-centre over from a matter of yards before Michael Smith inexplicably dragged Stefan Thordarson’s low cross wide with the goal gaping, but Preston held on for victory.