Sheffield United 'find extra bit' and show unity with Tom Davies on 'special night'

The Blades went top of the Championship – a position they held after Leeds United slipped up at Blackburn Rovers the next day – with a 1-0 win over Sunderland.

It had not been coming at the midway point.

The Black Cats were the better side in the first half, only denied when Michael Cooper saved a Patrick Roberts' penalty. They handed the initiative to the hosts when Chris Mepham was sent off for a professional foul on Tyrese Campbell but the Blades held it for only seven minutes before Harry Souttar stupidly pulled Wilson Isidor back in Sunderland's half and earned his second yellow card of the night.

With the Blades' passing anything but sharp, it was clearly going to be a night to grind something out and they did, substitute Tom Davies forcing his way through the penalty area and scoring his first goal since October 2021, when he was at Everton.

The celebrations showed the enormity of the win and lifting Davies up in front of The Kop after the final whistle spoke volumes for their unity.

The mood an hour earlier was much more sombre.

"It was a very quiet changing room at half-time," said Wilder, “whether they were disappointed with their first-half performance, going from 11 to 10 (men), or the scoreline.

"We had to remind them it was still 0-0, we weren't 2-0 down.

"We had to remind them they were better players than what we were producing and to get a result you have to find it from within.

"Especially in the last half-hour they fed off Tom's introduction, (Vinicius) Souza came to the party, Femi (Seriki) came on and drove the game, Harrison (Burrows) drove the game, Sydie (Peck) was all over the pitch, we had good energy from Gus (Hamer), Ryan One gave us a lift and when we had to defend we put ourselves on the line.

"Tactically it was an interesting game but sometimes you just have to go that extra bit to get that big result.

"The energy, the personality and the character of the team to recover on counter-attacks when they were driving forward then get to the top of the pitch to create was amazing in the last half an hour, 25 minutes.

"Nights like that are special – special for Tom, it will live with him I should imagine for the remaining part of his career."

And it was Davies who was at the centre of everyone's thoughts once he scored his 84th-minute goal. Dogged by injury throughout his Sheffield United career, he had only returned earlier in the week after nearly nine months out with hamstring problems.

"That's an incredibly positive story for any player out for a period of time," said Wilder. "You could see the reaction of the players and there was the reaction in the changing room as well at the end of the game.

"What the boy's had to go through from a mental health and an injury issue is inspiring to all.

"It had the feel in the last 20, 25 minutes that if there was going to be a winner it was going to be the the team kicking towards the Kop (United).

"It was a fabulous reward for all the hard work, sweat, blood and tears Tom's had to go through to get him on the pitch.

"His energy was brilliant, his game management towards the end showed his experience and what a fabulous footballer he is. It was fitting he decided a tight game by getting the winner."