Sheffield Utd 0 Burton 1: Nigel Clough returns to add to Blades' current woes

The former England international showed those jibes up for what they were last night as his Burton Albion side inflicted more damage on the Blades’ promotion hopes.

Lucas Akins’s strike early in the second half was enough to keep the Brewers flying high at the top of League One and provide Clough with a hugely satisfying victory over the club that sacked him just a few weeks after last season’s agonising play-off defeat to Swindon Town.

The three points were deserved reward for a hugely enterprising display by Clough’s men, who attacked with purpose and intent all night.

With steadier finishing, the margin of victory would have been greater and Clough’s successor Nigel Adkins now faces a big task to restore belief into a squad that has lost four of their last six games.

In last night’s disjointed showing, United lacked the nous to trouble unduly a defence that has conceded just 27 times in 33 league outings.

All is not lost, of course. Just four points separate Adkins’s men from the play-off places with more than two months of the season still to play.

But, the sort of run that will be needed to extend the club’s season beyond May 8 has to start soon or time will run out.

Clough, on emerging from the tunnel shortly before kick-off, was afforded a warm welcome back as the home fans applauded the manager who took their club to two major cup semi-finals in as many seasons.

The Burton chief returned the ovation and clearly looked touched by the gesture. He will have also been pleased by how polished his side were on his old stomping ground.

Clearly willing to take a risk or two, Burton’s approach was the perfect retort to those who felt Clough was too cautious during his 19 months at the Lane.

With Stuart Beavon playing as a lone frontman and a host of team-mates getting forward in support as often and as quickly as possible, the Blades were forced back time and time again.

All that was missing in the first half from Clough’s perspective was a clinical finish. Several good chances came and went as a combination of George Long’s safe handling and some wayward finishing prevented Albion reaching the interval with the lead their play had deserved.

Long’s two saves in the opening 45 minutes were both from long-range efforts. The first denied Calum Butcher, as the midfielder’s arrowed drive from 25 yards looked to be heading for the corner of the net.

The United goalkeeper followed this with another fine save to tip Mark Duffy’s effort round a post just before the break.

In between these two interventions from Long, the hosts had a couple more let-offs as, first, Akins headed wide at the back post after being picked out by Duffy. Then, Beavon was equally wayward when presented with a decent opening.

Burton’s reward for showing such attacking intent finally came five minutes after the restart. A mistake by Paul Coutts was followed by Damien McCrory spreading play wide to Akins.

Allowed far too much space and time, Akins was then able to pick his spot in the bottom corner of Long’s net to break the deadlock.

Akins had an opportunity to double that lead just five minutes later when found by Beavon, but Long managed to save.

The United goalkeeper was also responsible for denying Akins again just after the hour with another save low to his left as Burton threatened to put the game beyond their hosts.

For the Blades, the night’s best moments came early on. A delightful slide-rule pass from Billy Sharp looked to have released Matt Done, but Jon McLaughlin, the former Bradford City goalkeeper, was alert to the danger and raced from his line bravely to claim possession.

Then, in the 10th minute, Sharp was denied by a goal-line clearance from Phil Edwards after meeting an inviting cross with plenty of power.

After that, it took until the 85th minute for the next genuine threat to McLaughlin’s goal to materialise as Basham headed wide from eight yards out following a deep cross.

That this drew ironic applause from the home fans in the 17,927 crowd said everything about how poorly United had played on their former manager’s return, as did the boos that rang out at full-time.

Sheffield United: Long; Edgar, Collins, McEveley (Baptiste 65); Brayford, Coutts (Whiteman 58), Basham, Cuvelier (Calvert-Lewin 58), Done; Sharp, Adams. Unused substitutes: Howard, Flynn, Sammon, Reed.

Burton Albion: McLaughlin; Edwards, Mousinho, McCrory, Cansdell-Sherriff; Weir, Naylor; Duffy (Reilly 85), Butcher (Flanagan 90), Akins; Beavon (Bennett 74). Unused substitutes: Harness, O’Connor, Bywater, Choudhury.

Referee: S Stockbridge (Tyne & Wear).