Sheffield United 3 Coventry City 1: Blades sprint out of the blocks to start Championship run-in

In the end, Coventry were crushed like a grape, beaten by the new leaders of the division more comprehensively than the 3-1 margin might suggest.

It could, of course, change very quickly but the Blades took full advantage of going first this weekend to put the pressure on Leeds United and Burnley with a statement win on a night when their rivals will surely have been watching on television.

A brilliant Gustavo Hamer free-kick against his former club inspired an excellent first half from a Blades side who led 2-0 but could have been four or five up on the only team to have matched their points tally in the Championship this calendar year.

They ought to have led after nine minutes from the first really good chance of the game. Harrison Burrows released Tyrese Campbell and when he pulled the ball across for Rhian Brewster, the striker could not repeat their Hillsborough combination, Jake Bidwell putting in a good block when it felt like Brewster should have scored.

But Hamer did, curling a beautiful free-kick when former Barnsley centre-back Bobby Thomas fouled him in the 18th minute.

Oliver Dovin read where it was going and got a hand to it, but Hamer hit it with power and precision which meant he could not keep it out.

Luis Binks headed a free-kick wide and Victor Thorp stabbed off target, but the Blades quickly grabbed the initiative.

Brester dropped deep to send Campbell running in behind but Ben Brereton Diaz's touch let him down when he ought to have doubled the lead.

A minute later Hamer played a reverse pass to Femi Seriki whose strength and determination got him into a position to drill the ball in for Campbell to find the net with a first-time finish.

With Dokin off injured shortly afterwards, the Blades should have rammed home their advantage.

But Brewster shot off target on the turn before a sequence as scrappy as Hamer's goal had ben handsome.

Sydie Peck did brilliantly in midfield and fed Brereton Diaz but Campbell, then Peck miskicked their shots, Peck's so badly that Campbell was able to head it goalwards and force a good save.

Capmbell pulled a shot wide in the fourth added minute.

Just as you were starting to wonder if the Blades might pay for not putting the game to bed, Brewster tucked it in and read it a story.

The Blades had not had a chance of note in the first 15 minutes after the restart and although the Sky Blues had hardly banged the door down, Thorp knocked politely with a touch at Michael Cooper, Ephron Mason-Clark shot well off target after a good build-up and Haji Wright's firm effort was comfortably collected.

But in the 62nd minute the Blades moved down the right, Brereton Diaz played the ball inside and Brewster swept his right foot at it for his first Bramall Lane goal in three years.

Wilder and Alan Knill's reactions spoke volumes – first the fist-pumping celebration, then the substitution of both goalscorers to preserve their energy for the battles to come.

There were chances for more, but they were not taken.

The hope was that Campbell's replacement Tom Cannon could break his duck but the big mid-season signing was firing blanks – or rather hitting defenders.

His first shot was brilliantly blocked by Luis Binks, his second deflected comfortably for Dobin's replacement Brad Collins after carrying the ball a long way forward, and two more were blocked.

Callum O'Hare came inside and had a shot deflected over, as did Hamer from the corner that produced. Hamza Choudhury steered s hot well tipped over by Collins before the best contribution of an awesomely energetic display by a player who made his international debut in India on Tuesday night to throw himself in the way of a Ben Sheaf shot.

The Blades let themselves down a smidgeon in the second added minute, Cooper too weak in allowing Binks to head a corner to former Huddersfield Town midfielder Jack Rudoni to finish.

But there was no spoiling a great Friday night for the Blades, who have sprinted out of the blocks in the Championship run-in.

Sheffield United: Cooper; Seriki (Gilchrist 88), Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Choudhury (McCallum 88), Peck; Brereton Diaz (Brooks 83), Brewster (O'Hare 69), Hamer; Campbell (Cannon 69).

Unused substitutes: Holding, Moore, Rak-Sakyi, A Davies.

Coventry City: Dovin (Collins 37); van Ewijk, Thomas, Binks, Bidwell; Allen (Sheaf 77), Grimes; Sakamoto, Torp (Rudoni 62), Mason-Clark (Paterson 77); Wright (Simms 77).

Unused substitutes: Dasilva, Wilson, Latibeaudiere, Bassette.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).