Sheffield United: Midweek break will aid Blades: Clough

The Blades suffered back-to-back home defeats for the first time in the tenure of Clough, whose side have played 49 games already this term.

Clough’s side are still in the business positions in fifth spot in the League One standings, but their hopes of breaching the top two look over barring a miraculous chain of events.

This morning, they are just three points ahead of Barnsley, in seventh and eighth-placed Peterborough United, although they do have a game in hand.

For the third home game running, the Blades conceded two goals, with strikes from Josh Morris and Nick Haughton putting Fleetwood 2-0 up at the weekend and despite Matt Done pulling one back with his sixth in United colours since arriving in early February, it was the Lancastrians’ day.

Clough, whose side put their feet up in midweek for the first time in almost two months and return to action at Scunthorpe United on Saturday, said: “We were chasing a two-goal deficit again. That’s difficult to do at any time.

“We are giving goals away, very simple. If you give two goals away then you can’t expect to win games.

“Teams aren’t carving us apart. They aren’t creating lots and lots of chances.”

He added: “I’m delighted that we don’t have a game (in midweek).

“The only problem is that Chris Basham is out now, suspended for two matches and that’s a blow with Terry Kennedy injured.

“Jay McEveley’s shoulder also popped out when he got shoved into the boards.

“It’s historic, but he’ll tell us if it’s manageable.”

Fleetwood’s second goal owed much to an error from Iain Turner, when he failed to handle Haughton’s strike on 35 minutes, but Clough has vowed to stick by the Scot.

He said: “In the past, it’s been the back four but out there, Iain Turner was the culprit.

“But we’ll stick with him and build him up again, there’s no doubt about that.

“That’s the way it is with goalkeepers I’m afraid. He’s been outstanding since coming in.”