Sheffield United 1 Bury 1: Blackman is out to prove his point and lift Blades

Nick Blackman hopes his goals can fire Sheffield United to promotion and show Blackburn Rovers what they are missing.

The 22-year-old was shipped out of Ewood Park this summer – Rovers splashing out £8m on Jordan Rhodes and recruiting Portugal international Nuno Gomes to their strikeforce – and dropped down to League One to join the Blades.

After spending long spells on loan in Scotland with Motherwell and Aberdeen, Blackman has quickly made himself at home at Bramall Lane, netting four goals in his opening seven appearances for the Blades.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His latest strike came in Saturday’s draw with Bury and his partnership with John Cofie – on loan from Manchester United – has helped United to an unbeaten start in League One.

“I just want to prove people, not wrong, but show them what I can do,” said Blackman, clutching his bottle of champagne after scooping Saturday’s man-of-the-match award.

“People who didn’t have the faith or belief in me at Blackburn, which is no disrespect to them as everyone in the game has their own opinion, but I am confident in my ability and I am trying to show it.

“There’s a lot more to come. Even against Bury I got the man of the match, which I am very pleased with, but there’s a lot of things I could have done better in the game. I am not really too happy with my performance and there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It’s a great challenge (in League One), very physical, but it’s just great to be getting game time which is something I lacked when I was at Blackburn. I am enjoying it here, you only have to look at the fans and the facilities, it’s great.

“John (Cofie) is a great player, he is up-and-coming. He’s on Manchester United’s books so he’s going to be one hell of a player. It’s still early days but we are working hard.

“The number of goals we have scored already, I think we have started to click. We can both improve as players, but we have hit the ground running.”

Missing midfield duo Ryan Flynn and Michael Doyle – both starting three-match suspensions after their red cards at Scunthorpe United – the Blades gave debuts to Darryl Westlake and Paul Gallagher, the latter having only signed 48 hours previously on a one-month’s loan deal from Leicester City.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was the loanee winger who had a key role in United’s goal after just nine minutes.

His floated chip sailed over the Bury defence, where Blackman had sneaked in, twisting and volleying home beyond a helpless Trevor Carson in the visitors’ goal.

But the lead lasted just three minutes, as Peter Sweeney cracked home a 25-yard free kick into Mark Howard’s top right-hand corner.

It should have been 2-1 to the Blades when Blackman – who had a penalty appeal rejected for a foul by Efe Sodje – showed some neat footwork on the left flank, creating space to deliver a pinpoint cross for striker partner Cofie, but he failed to get his header on target.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

No such trouble for centre-half Harry Maguire on the half-hour mark following a short corner, but his bullet header landed in the grateful arms of Carson.

Blades boss Wilson sent on substitute Richard Cresswell at the start of the second half, in place of Cofie, to inject some life into the Blades and it needed a tremendous last-ditch tackle from Bury defender Joe Skarz to prevent Blackman grabbing his second goal of the afternoon.

The striker was also twice thwarted by goalkeeper Carson, who first parried away his fierce effort and then blocked Blackman’s close-range effort after a one-two with Cresswell.

At the other end, Howard was left scrambling across goal after Mark Cullen, who also had a strong penalty appeal declined late on when he looked to have been tripped, controlled a difficult high ball before lashing his long-range shot just wide.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wilson threw on Dave Kitson with just eight minutes remaining.

His presence nearly created a winner, as Blackman’s long-range effort was parried into the air by Carson, but unmarked Cresswell ballooned his header high and wide.

Bury should have snatched a late, undeserved winner in stoppage time but Cullen headed over at the back post after drifting free of the United defence.

“The boys are desperately disappointed. It feels like a loss in the dressing room; obviously it’s another point gained but at home you’re expected to take the points,” said Blackman.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m just gutted about not getting the three points. I got the better of him (Carson) the first time, but from then on he had a great game, so well done to him.”

While Blackman took the plaudits, his manager Wilson believes the striker’s workrate is also a huge benefit to the Blades, pointing to the previous week’s performance as nine-man Blades snatched a point at Scunthorpe United.

“His goals per game ratio is fantastic, he is one that has definitely hit the ground running from the first pre-season game we had with him,” said Wilson.

“He has been great and I think he will get better and better. He’s a hard trainer and gets his reward on Saturdays.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He has been a threat every game we have played so far. Listen, when we played Scunthorpe last week he was criticised by certain people about not winning a header (in front of goal). He must have covered about 10 marathons for us in that game, without having any efforts on goal.

“But what he did for the team, it just warmed everybody’s heart. He’s an unselfish player. He didn’t have a shot and yet I would say that was his best performance last week. Depends how you look at it.”

As for Saturday, Wilson was just relieved to see Cullen’s late header sail over the crossbar.

“We could have lost it at the death, so we have to be thankful for small mercies,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They should have scored at the end, it was a great chance for the striker and he should have put it to bed.

“That would have been very disappointing from our point of view, considering the amount of pressure we had in the second half, but we couldn’t turn that into goals.”

Sheffield United: Howard, Westlake (Kitson 83), Maguire, Hill, Blackman, McDonald, Collins, McAllister, Cofie (Cresswell 52), Gallagher, McMahon. Unused substitutes: Miller, Harriott, Long, McFadzean, Williams.

Bury: Carson, Skarz, Lockwood, Sweeney, Schumacher, C Jones, Marshall, Sodje (Hughes 75), Cullen (Byrne 90), A Jones, Hopper (John-Lewis 68). Unused substitutes: Carrington, Elford-Alliyu, Dibble, Pratt.