Sheffiel Utd 1 Peterborough 2: Blunt Blades fluff their chance to close the gap

On a fraught evening when the Blades looked like getting away with it by pilfering a fortuitous win after Matt Done’s 65th-minute strike – following some calamitous defending by Peterborough rookie Ricardo Santos – two stings in the tail decreed otherwise.

A leveller two minutes from time from captain Jack Payne and a strike in stoppage-time from substitute Conor Washington provided Posh with not just their first win in five visits to Bramall Lane, but also their first goals.

While it was a famous evening for those who travelled from the Fens, it ensured a difficult night assumed nightmarish proportions for the Blades, who slumped to their first home league defeat since early December with their six-match unbeaten run unceremoniously ended.

In the final analysis, they could have few complaints following a largely poor and at times jaded performance in their 48th game of the season, with Posh belatedly rewarded for their persistence against a side who know plenty about scoring late goals.

Ahead of the game, Clough had talked up the Blades’ hopes of a top-two charge, with the Posh clash one of two on home soil this week, with Fleetwood due to 
arrive on Saturday.

He cited Norwich City’s powerhouse run in the division above as something to emulate – and there have been other countless examples of sides showing perfect timing in March and April to snatch a promotion spot.

But walking the walk is another thing with the result probably greeted as joyously in Swindon, Milton Keynes and Preston as it was in Peterborough last night – more so given all three also slipped up.

It was the Blades who put the pressure on themselves with supporters growing more and more anxious as the night went on.

Quality and threat could not be manufactured on a consistent basis by the hosts, who blew a real chance to propel themselves into the top two shake-up.

The good fortune any aspiring promotion side invariably needs sometimes looked like favouring the Blades when Done struck, but Clough – a more grounded manager you would struggle to find – will have acknowledged you have to earn your luck with Posh deserving of victory.

It was Clough’s late father Brian who brazenly said that if God had wanted football to be played in the clouds, he would have put grass there, such was his abhorrence of the long-ball game.

Given United’s line-up, containing hardly any six-footers, a passing game on the deck was also Clough’s junior’s modus operandum and while that brought tons in possession in the Blades’ weekend game at Crawley, he was seeking a touch more penetration.

Some neat stuff sporadically arrived in the first period, especially early on with Marc McNulty, rewarded with a start after his late equaliser on Saturday, going close with an instinctive shot, tipped over by Ben Alnwick.

The Posh goalkeeper also saved with his legs to deny Jamie Murphy and held Michael Doyle’s effort, while a sweeping move almost ended in Done getting the final touch to a fine Harris cross.

Posh had some moments, with Kyle Vassell on target with two efforts from narrow angles and the visitors grew in confidence as the half wore on.

Clough will no doubt have been demanding more intensity and urgency from his side in his interval talk and made a change with ex-Posh player Paul Coutts 
replaced by Jason Holt.

His words went unheeded, however, and an ordinary start to the second period added to a growing sense of disquiet among the home supporters.

But a touch of divine intervention from Santos, just when the Blades were starting to seriously run out of ideas, allied to some typical dexterity in front of goal from Done provided the balm.

Santos dallied and Done nipped in, heading in the rebound after his first effort was blocked.

It was tough on Posh, although they were mighty close to a leveller on 74 minutes when Payne’s low shot hit the outside of a post with Iain Turner beaten.

Posh threw balls into the box late on, but looked like being repelled, only for Payne to be handed some karma when he struck a dramatic leveller.

With the home supporters aghast, there was more to come when Bradford City loanee Aaron Mclean’s header found substitute Washington, who fired home the late winner.

Sheffield United: Turner; Brayford, Basham, McEveley, Harris; Flynn, Coutts (Holt 46), Doyle, Murphy; McNulty (Reed 63); Done (Freeman 81). Unused substitutes: Alcock, Willis, Adams, Calvert-Lewin.

Peterborough United: Alnwick; Smith, Santos, Zakuani, Ntlhe; Taylor, Bostwick, Payne, Newell; James (Mclean 79), Vassell (Washington 56). Unused substitutes: Burgess, Norris, Anderson, Henry, Beautyman.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).