Sheffield United 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Tyrese Campbell stamps his mark on Steel City history with decisive goal

The spreadsheets will tell you that Sheffield United's starting centre-forward only touched the ball 13 times against Sheffield Wednesday, but the history books will tell you that only one touch all game actually mattered – the one he used to put the ball into the net.

It is what good goalscorers do, and with three in his last four appearances, Campbell is starting to be thought of in those terms in the red-and-white half of the Steel City.

Thirteen points and 13 places separate Sheffield’s teams in the Championship but Sunday highlighted how little there is between them.

The Blades had far more of the ball but fewer shots. A sprinkling of stardust from Campbell settled it.

"Hopefully he can realise all the things people said about him early in his career,” said his manager, Chris Wilder.

A functional, well-coached Owls team do not have that je ne sais quoi.

"To be top of the table you need in some moments maybe a little bit more quality in the finishing, to be calm, but we could do this as a team," insisted their manager, Danny Rohl, whose own finishers could not show what they are made of.

"We're not looking for excuses and saying we haven't got this player.

"We have a good group, we are together, we have mentality, we have character but especially in the key areas in the final third it's about being clinical.

"On the pitch it's decision-making by the players. I can help them to come to some situations.

"We have the chance to get to a higher position in the table but we have to do everything right.

"Sometimes it's the key players why top teams wins games."

After three 0-0s before this rivalry went on hiatus as the teams fought different battles, it was no surprise this was a game of more sound and fury than quality, but the Blades edged it.

Whatever was lacking, it was not on the terraces, boos ringing out as the Owls went in from their warm-up, the cue for the songs to ramp up on the Bramall Lane Kop. The Blades' goalscorers from the 2017 Hillsborough derby – the last won by either side – were ushered on to keep the energy up. The away fans naturally did their bit too.

Now Campbell can look forward to that sort of adulation one day.

It was of course ear-splitting when the teams emerged from the tunnel, only adding poignancy when the Last Post played across a silent ground on Remembrance Sunday.

It took just 17 seconds for Max Lowe – who joined the Owls from the Blades in the summer – to get his first boo.

The football was always going to struggle to live up to it, and it did.

It took 10 minutes for a chance of note and Josh Windass shanked his shot from a bubble of space in the inside-right corridor.

For all that the Blades had comfortably more of the ball, their inability to get Campbell into the first half was symptomatic of their play. The game was more notable for tackles than goalmouth action.

Ike Ugbo left something on Anel Ahmedhodzic, Oliver Arblaster was caught by Shea Charles and needed treatment a second time when he went down clutching his knee.

It was no surprise he did not re-emerge for the second half, which ended with a flurry of Wednesday mini-pressure but nothing for Michael Cooper to save then, or all afternoon. James Beadle did not make a save either.

Harrison Burrows, whose early errant passes elicited groans, was booked for a foul on Dominic Iorfa and was on the other end of a hefty tackle which put Barry Bannan's name in the notebook too.

As Sydie Peck replaced Arblaster, Femi Seriki came on for Alfie Gilchrist to give his team a bit more from right-back. He has literally and figuratively grown since last season's loan at Rotherham United, and his first run won a corner.

From it, Campbell controlled and shot having found a little oasis of calm in the penalty area. It was blocked, but he was up and running.

Minutes later he scored.

The crowd wanted Hamer to shoot from distance but he ignored them, picking out O'Hare to find Campbell, who slotted a finish with his seventh touch of the game.

Rohl’s substitute wingers Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba had instant impacts but not decisive ones. Gassama curled a shot, Musaba’s surging run won a corner. It added to the noise, not the substance.

After the youth of Seriki, Peck and Ryan One, Wilder knew he needed to lock the door in the 85th minute by bringing on club captain, Jack Robinson. Wednesday’s threat on the counter-attack with their speedsters on the field was always there, but never fully materialised.

Ultimately Campbell’s eye for goal settled a game of small margins.

Sheffield United: Cooper; Gilchrist (Seriki HT), Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Burrows (Robinson 85); Souza, Arblaster (Peck HT); Rak-Sakyi (McCallum 73), O'Hare, Hamer; Campbell (One 73).

Unused substitutes: Shackleton, Davies, Brooks, Norrington-Davies.

Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle; Valery (Valentín 81), Iorfa, Bernard, M Lowe, Johnson (Gassama 62); S Charles, Bannan; Windass (J Lowe 81), Ingelsson (Smith 62); Ugbo (Musaba 75).

Unused substitutes: Palmer, Paterson, Otegbayo, P Charles.

Referee: L Smith (Wigan).