Stoke City 0 Sheffield United 2: Blades back on the horse to keep ticking over

A 2-0 win kept them third in the Championship, just like a 5-0 defeat would have. But after slipping out of the automatic promotion battle, it is important the Blades do not go into the play-offs as lukewarm as Stoke City strangely were with the finishing line for their relegation race in sight but not yet quite in reach.

The number of home fans who headed home with the score at 1-0 spoke volumes for their team's efforts – or lack thereof. Few hung around for the lap of dishonour after their final home game, unlike a busy away section who greeted their team lustily.

"Port Vale away ole, ole," taunted the away fans suggesting the local rivals might meet in next season's League One.

You could hardly say it was a perfect night for the Blades – hardly a thriller for Gustavo Hamer as he spent his night off watching from the away end – but it blew off the cobwebs for a few fringe players. One of them – Sam McCallum – was able to double his goal tally for the club whilst substitute Andre Brooks went from two to three.

Starting in a 4-4-2 and finishing in a 3-5-2, they were able to try out a few alternative shapes if they need them in the play-offs.

With six changes and nothing now to play for as a team, it should come as no surprise that the Blades were slow to get going, and that the passing and shooting was not always the sharpest but once they did, they were the better side.

The first chance they carved out, in the 10th minute, was a good one, Callum O'Hare heading into Kieffer Moore, getting it back and playing through Tyrese Campbell. Viktor Johansson was quickly off his line to extinguish the danger.

When former Stoke striker Campbell was booked trying to win a penalty – the minimal contact there was came from his searching trailing leg – was booked, it was a popular decision with the home fans.

With a strike partner alongside him, Moore was a good target when his team went long. When Rob Holding played a long ball into his chest, he found Campbell for a deflected shot.

Sadly, his touch let him down when Rhian Brewster – playing on the right – put a good cross in after 34 minutes.

Moore had an effort blocked and a weak shot on the turn which was anyway straight at Johansson, and Jack Robinson a header saved at a corner.

Stoke were surprisingly tepid considering they are only probably safe from relegation, and considering the unhappy reaction of Mark Robins to their 6-0 Easter Monday pasting at Elland Road.

Bae Jun-ho shot straight at Michael Cooper when played through by Million Manhoef, and Robinson had to make a few important interceptions.

It was the visitors who took the lead, left-back McCallum playing a lovely ball down the line for O'Hare, whose cross was cut out for a corner. It was headed across to McCallum, whose header Johansson could only touch into the net. He had a chance for another only a couple of minutes later, but miskicked his volley.

Stoke might have finished the half with an equaliser, but a stretching Sam Gallagher was unable to take in Manhoef's very nearly brilliant throughball.

The second half was flattered than the first, Moore touching a Seriki cross wide from close in and Bae and Manhoef off target with ambitious shots before the latter headed straight at Cooper from a corner.

Brewster took a hefty whack which put Ben Wilmott's name in the referee's notebook and when, a few minutes later, he sat down with the ball in play, it looked like a signal he had had enough.

Strangely, though, he limped on for the 85 minutes before making way for Brooks.

Inevitably, Stoke did more of the late attacking, but not by much and to little effect.

Cooper stretched out his left foot to make a good save from substitute Ali Al-Hamadi, just offside but not flagged.

Brooks had only been on 49 seconds when Sydie Peck, whose introduction had come earlier, showed the hunger to breakdown the right and produce an inviting ball for him to score from.

The Blades have one more game to tick over – at home to Blackburn Rovers – until the real stuff starts again for them with a May 8 play-off semi-final.

Stoke City: Johansson; Tchamadeu (Wilson-Esbrand 85), Phillips, Wilmot, Gooch; Pearson (Lawal 32), Burger; Manhoef (Koumas 85), Baker, Bae (Al-Hamadi 72); Gallagher.

Unused substitutes: Seko, Bonham, Gibson, Moran, Lowe.

Sheffield United: Cooper; Seriki (Peck 66), Holding, Robinson, McCallum (Burrows 66); Brewster (Brooks 85), Choudhury, Souza, O'Hare (Ahmedhodzic 90); Campbell (Cannon 66), Moore.

Unused substitutes: Gilchrist, A Davies, Caceres, One.

Referee: J Gillett (Merseyside).