Sheffield United 1 Nottingham Forest 1: Blades punished as Yates grabs late equaliser

Sheffield United could not really have any complaints when Ryan Yates ran across the near post and headed in a corner in the fifth added minute of stoppage tme.

It was just starting to look like they would pull off a heist of a 1-0 win but considering the sloppiness of their performance and the calibre of the opposition, a 1-1 at home to Nottingham Forest was nothing to be too downhearted about. It just did not feel that way at the full-time whistle.

The home side were not very good, certainly not as good as the visitors. Forest manager Steve Cooper was right to say they “looked like the home team”.

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When Wes Foderingham saved a poor first-half penalty, Forest hit the crossbar and Billy Sharp did what Billy Sharp does, it was shaping up to be a win United’s football never merited.

Dejection from Oli McBurnie and Morgan Gibbs-White following Nottingham Forest’s late equaliser.  Picture:  SportimageDejection from Oli McBurnie and Morgan Gibbs-White following Nottingham Forest’s late equaliser.  Picture:  Sportimage
Dejection from Oli McBurnie and Morgan Gibbs-White following Nottingham Forest’s late equaliser. Picture: Sportimage

They had used up all their luck by the time Yates headed in but crucially they took advantage and that is an awful lot easier with a predator like Sharp. The Blades will have to hope his limp off the field after 84 minutes was not anything too serious.

Brennan Johnson’s 33rd-minute penalty could have looked very clever had goalkeeper Foderingham not stood his ground and waited for the dink to drop into his hands. It was his second penalty save in as many Bramall Lane games.

The Blades were on the back foot from the first minute, a slightly surprised-looking Foderingham reacting well to Johnson’s shot, then Keinan Davis heading narrowly wide from the corner.

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Around the quarter-hour a series of Forest corners ended with Morgan Gibbs-White breaking down the other end. His pass made Sander Berge, playing alongside him behind Sharp, to stutter his run just a touch but did not stop him unleashing a shot Ethan Horvath saved.

Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp celebrates putting the Blades in front.  Picture:  SportimageSheffield United’s Billy Sharp celebrates putting the Blades in front.  Picture:  Sportimage
Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp celebrates putting the Blades in front. Picture: Sportimage

But generally, it was overhit and underhit passes and crosses.

Jack Robinson went a very long way around Middlesbrough loanee Djed Spence to get into a good crossing position, then put the ball out. John Fleck’s back-header at the end of the half played Davis through although John Egan did well to squeeze him out. It made up for giving the ball away in the 22nd minute, forcing Foderingham to come off his line and save from Philip Zinckernagel.

When Oliver Norwood and Berge played a rehearsed free-kick they telegraphed it so clearly Spence was able to step in and win it, then Femi Seriki, on a difficult full debut, overran the ball after getting to the byline. He was fortunate not to give away a penalty too.

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Davis shot wide seconds after Spence eased Rhys Norrington-Davies off the ball at the other end to the unhappiness of home fans who wanted a penalty but never seemed likely to get one.

Forest did when Spence ran into the area and was clumsily brought down by Ben Davies, only for Johnson to fluff his lines trying to repeat the penalty he scored against Blackburn Rovers. Foderingham must have done his homework.

There was no change in personnel or performance at half-time, only a slightly deeper role for Berge.

The groans as Seriki played an unambitious pass backwards in the 52nd minute voiced frustration which only increased as he surrendered possession when it was returned to him, then watched Davies booked for what looked like a six-of-one, half-a-dozen of the other tussle with Davis.

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Davis increasingly came deep for the ball and caused problems, beating Norwood, only for Davies to make a good block. On the back of Egan coming across to deny Johnson, at least the Blades’ defending was sharpening.

Not at set pieces, though, as Steve Cook headed against the crossbar from a 59th-minute corner then defended brilliantly when Berge played a lovely pass down the channel to Gibbs-White.

Finally, Paul Heckingbottom made changes, throwing on Ben Osborn and Daniel Jebbison, though neither were involved in the goal which almost instantly followed, Sharp heading in a deep Gibbs-White cross.

Jebbison terribly overhit a pass to waste a two-on-one from a Blades corner.

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When Jebbison’s shot from a Gibbs-White pass allowed Horvath to save, it looked like it might be academic, but Yates saw to it that it was not.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Davies, Egan, Robinson; Seriki (Osborn 68), Fleck, Norwood (Jebbison 68); Norrington-Davies; Berge, Gibbs-White; Sharp (McBurnie 84). Unused substitutes: A Davies, Hourihane, Ndiaye, Gordon.

Nottingham Forest: Horvath; Worrall, S Cook, McKenna (Surridge 79); Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback (Lolley 89); Zinckernagel (Mighten 85); Johnson, Davis. Unused substitutes: Figueiredo, Smith, Ribeiro Dias, Silva,.

Referee: J Smith (Lincolnshire).

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