Sheffield United 2 WBA 0: Billy Sharp punishes Jake Livermore's stupidity as Blades march on

This particular fight was won by the Blades, one of a number of sides making a move and ensuring that life at the top end of the second-tier is rarely dull.

Unfortunately, It did have one throwback to that tempestuous episode in March 2002, albeit with nothing like the carnage of that fixture, abandoned after the Blades were reduced to six players.

In the present, this game did produce one crude moment from West Brom captain Jake Livermore, who unfortunately has recent history in that regard too.

After a reckless high tackle on Fraizer Campbell saw him dismissed in the Baggies' game across Yorkshire at Huddersfield in November, Livermore again received his marching orders again for a similarly needless challenge on Conor Hourihane.

On the pitch, United kept their heads and when you have a seasoned operator who takes responsibility to a completely different level than Livermore in Billy Sharp, then you always have a chance.

Sharp, the Championship’s newly-crowned all-time record scorer par excellence, put United on their way in the first period and just when one or two nerves were fraying a little as ten-man Albion started to hint at a leveller deep in the second-half, he restored order.,

He took his season’s goal tally to 12 - and has now scored four in his last three outings. He left to a standing ovation shortly before the end and it probably won’t be his last.

Recently turned 36 he might be, but the case for him to be handed a new deal is becoming more and more irresistible by the passing week.

If United, who moved level on points with Albion with their fourth straight victory and seventh in nine league matches under Paul Heckingbottom, are to gatecrash the top-six party, then Sharp is likely to have a lot to do with it.

The fact that this Sharp-inspired victory enabled the hosts to dine out at the expense of a former manager in Steve Bruce - most latterly associated with the blue and white side of the city - added undeniable piquancy.

When it goes for you, it goes for you and you take anything which comes along and after watching his United side - operating in a 3-4-2-1 formation - look second best in an unconvincing opening, Heckingbottom was afforded a settler.

It arrived from a very familiar source - in the form of the irrepressible Sharp.

The Blades’ first move of note yielded fruit with David McGoldrick’s lovely threaded pass finding the returning George Baldock, whose cut-back was dispatched on the turn by Sharp, albeit via a significant deflection off Alex Mowatt.

Baldock, who featured on the left wing-back role in his first outing since November 6, would make a bigger contribution in the context of the game soon after.

Grady Diangana broke the offside trap from Adam Reach’s defence-splitting pass, but he procrastinated far, far too long and Baldock made a brilliant last-ditch tackle to save a certain goal.

If Bruce was rueful of his player’s own poor decision-making for that moment, he would have been positively seething when a player who he already knew well from his Hull days in Livermore changed the game completely with his stupid lunge.

His side had caught the eye early on, getting the ball down on the deck and pursuing a passing game in contrast to the direct approach of his predecessor Valerien Ismael.

Sloppiness from home players Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Robinson was not punished by either Karlan Grant or Reach.

Sharp is not usually one to pass up gifts, although he showed he was human following his opener with Sam Johnstone blocking his point-range effort after Semi Ajayi switched off.

The prince of Yorkshire goal poacher’s last contribution of the half saw him bury Hourihane’s sublime left-wing cross in deadly fashion from close in. The effort was ruled out for offside, although it looked very tight.

Bruce brought on another midfielder at the break in Jayson Moulmby, but it did not change the traffic.

Thankfully, he could count on a keeper of the highest ranking at this level in Johnstone.

The England international, who had been out of favour after a bust-up with Ismael, showed terrific reactions to deny Jayden Bogle with his masterful block to keep out Ndiaye’s effort when the United player was sent clear being even better.

The narrow scoreline still gave Albion heart, but Sharp’s majestic drive ended the contest after good work from Bogle and the returning Morgan Gibbs-White. Another plus.

Last February, these sides convened at S2 for a key survival fixture in the Premier League, Sharp - with an air of inevitability - scored in that victory.

This time, it was all about adding fuel to the fires at the top end of the Championship, while the Blades also settled a score after being thumped 4-0 in early-season at The Hawthorns. They have travelled a fair way since.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Basham, Egan, J Robinson; Bogle, Norwood, Hourihane, Baldock; Ndiaye (Gibbs-White 69), McGoldrick (McBurnie 69); Sharp (Berge 90+4). Substitutes unused: A Davies, Fleck, Goode, Norrington-Davies.

West Brom: Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Clarke, Townsend; Reach, Livermore, Mowatt (C Robinson 79); Diagana (Molumby 45), Carroll, Grant. Substitutes unused: O’Shea, Kipre, Button, Tulloch, Gardner-Hickman.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancashire).