Sheffield United 0 Wolves 2: Wolves rain on Blades parade as record run consigned to history

Thousands of proud Unitedites may have come to Bramall Lane to reminisce on their club’s 125th anniversary, not that contemplation ended up being exclusively their preserve.

Its present-day players were also entitled to dwell on matters on a landmark Saturday when their season-defining 11-match unbeaten sequence was consigned to history, alongside their club record run without conceding a league goal, which ended after 12 hours and 13 minutes.

The air was undeniably thick with nostalgia ahead of the arrival of league leaders Wolves, with a venerable list of legendary former Blades stars – from Currie to Colquhoun and Bryson to Booker – forming a guard of honour to greet the players as they ran out shortly before kick-off.

But alongside sentimental reflection, there was cause to start considering the future by the final whistle, with Wolves in the very position that the Blades’ faithful will be hoping – maybe expecting – their side to be occupying in 12 months’ time.

Speaking of time, what cannot be denied is that the Blades have come a long, long way since Byron Moore netted Crewe’s third in stoppage-time in a wretched 3-0 reverse at the Alexandra Stadium on February 1.

Back then, lest we forget, Nigel Clough’s side were in the bottom four.

But, reflecting on the Wolves result and day, Blades midfielder Conor Coady, one of the shining lights in the club’s remarkable seasonal makeover, said: “It was a great day and the build-up was superb, just a shame we couldn’t get the result. We were gutted in the dressing room.

“This is a club with a fantastic history and we want to carry on going and create our own.

“You always have to look towards the top of the league and the side who are there are there for a reason and that was shown by Wolves. They are the benchmark we are aiming for.

“We had a great run, but runs are there to be broken and it’s up to us to start another now, starting at Crawley on Tuesday.”

It was James Henry who produced the two moments of quality to help decide the outcome and put a dampener on the hosts’ party in the South Yorkshire drizzle.

The Wolves winger became the first player to breach the defence of Mark Howard and company in seven weeks in League One when his devilish cross from the right evaded the custodian before apologetically nestling in the net in front of the Kop 13 minutes in.

He helped set up the killer second eight minutes after the restart from Dave Edwards, and he also deliciously supplied ex-Sheffield Wednesday striker Leon Clarke for what should have been a third later on in the half.

Just for good measure, he also hit the post with a venomous first-half shot.

The upshot was that the Blades went down to their first home defeat since mid-November.

After making just one change in Wolves’ previous seven matches, Kenny Jackett made four to his line-up, dropping two of his chief offensive weapons in Bakary Sako and Nouha Dicko and stiffening his midfield in a sign of respect to the Blades. It worked a treat.

Former Blade Kevin McDonald ignored the boos on his first return to the Lane to deliver a polished midfield performance in a deep-lying role, well supported by Edwards, while Henry pulled the strings on the right.

It was the man entrusted to mark him in Kieron Freeman, who helped set up a telling early chance for Stefan Scougall, whose effort was turned away by Carl Ikeme, who spent a loan spell at Bramall Lane in 2009.

Not too long after, the Blades were playing catch-up with the goal credited to Henry, despite Edwards wheeling away in celebration to claim a non-existent touch to the cross.

The Blades gave as good as they got for the remainder of the half, although they had a let-off when Henry’s snapshot struck the post just after the half-hour mark.

Appeals for a penalty were rebuffed by Friend after Danny Batth challenged Coady before the agile Ikeme impressively denied Ryan Flynn.

Soon after, John Brayford’s close-range effort was headed off the line by Scott Golbourne with Wolves riding their luck towards the end of the half before sealing victory on 53 minutes.

A sweeping ball from Michael Jacobs found Henry, whose cross was diverted by Matt Doherty into the path of Edwards, who ghosted into the area before clinically firing past Howard.

The goal deflated the Blades, with Wolves playing out the remainder with a hint of Championship swagger as one of the Football League’s founder members rained on the hosts’ parade.

But, unlike the Blades, they are not at Wembley...

Sheffield United: Howard; Brayford, Maguire, Collins, Freeman (Paynter 88); Flynn (Davies 62), Coady, Doyle, Scougall, Murphy, Baxter (Porter 66). Unused substitutes: McGinn, Long, Khan, Dimaio.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ikeme; Doherty (Ricketts 75), Batth, Stearman, Golbourne; Henry, Edwards, Evans (Price 62), McDonald, Jacobs (Sako 90); Clarke. Unused substitutes: Elokobi, McAlinden, McCarey, Dicko.

Referee: K Friend (Leicestershire).