Sheffield Utd 3 Oldham 0: Brayford sets maximum target as young Blades chase play-offs

In reality it may not take that, but even after a comfortable win over Oldham Athletic, the Blades still stand six points adrift of the top six.

Goals from Brayford, Ryan Flynn and Billy Sharp capped a fine display, made all the more impressive by the home-grown talent on display.

At one point, United had five graduates from the Bramall Lane youth system on the pitch – with another on the bench – as manager Nigel Adkins looks to the future after a disappointing season to date.

It may have been over a decade ago that striker Sharp came through the ranks at Bramall Lane, but in more recent years he has been followed by the likes of goalkeeper George Long, 22.

On Saturday, the Blades also featured two 18-year-olds, Louis Reed and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and 19-year-old Ben Whiteman, with 18-year-old defender Graham Kelly an unused substitute.

Reed is something of a veteran this season, with over 20 appearances in midfield, but Whiteman was making just his second Blades appearance and his first starting role.

The latter made key assists in United’s first two goals, for Brayford and Flynn, before Sharp added a third in the second half to wrap up an impressive win.

Just two wins from United’s previous nine games have left United scrambling to play catch-up, but Brayford is confident 11th-placed Blades, employing three centre-backs and wing-backs, can embark on an end-of-season surge.

“We put them under pressure from the first minute,” said 28-year-old Brayford.

“We have to take this momentum forward now. We can’t just keep going win-lose; we have 10 games left now and basically we want to win all 10.

“The way we attack teams, like we did (Saturday), is going to put teams under a lot of pressure.

“We are in the position we are in the table because we have been inconsistent – played well one week, then not well the next. That’s the truth.

“We have beat Oldham 3-0, and it’s a great starting block, but we have to progress now.

“We can’t go to Millwall on Saturday, and say ‘oh well, we played well last week’. We need to go to Millwall and win.

“It’s time for people to step up to the plate now if we want to do something this season.

“Games are running out and we have to take the season by the scruff of the neck, perform like we did (on Saturday) on a consistent basis.

“All of the players want to play as high as we can, and there’s an opportunity in League One this year to get into the play-offs, then it’s anybody’s game.

“It’s about everyone pulling their weight, and we have got a formation now which seems to suit us.

“We are playing attacking football and we have got to go and win 10 games out of 10.”

Victory over Oldham was never in doubt once Brayford opened the scoring on 10 minutes.

Whitehead played the ball in from the right and the former Derby County defender teed the ball up with his first touch with his right boot, before unleashing a volley with his left.

“It was a left-footed shank, I enjoyed it,” quipped Brayford after finding the bottom corner of the net.

United doubled their lead when Flynn collected Whitehead’s ball to run through the heart of Oldham’s defence, rounding goalkeeper Joel Coleman and hammering the ball home from a tight angle.

Substitute Curtis Main came closest to troubling the hosts, but his long-range effort smashed against the crossbar before bouncing away to safety.

The Blades wrapped up victory when Brayford slipped in Sharp, who drilled the ball beyond Coleman for his 16th goal of the season.

Whiteman looks a fine prospect in midfield, and Brayford knows the youngsters will get support from senior players – plus the Bramall Lane crowd.

“Ben has come in and done a proper job. He is a smashing lad,” said Brayford.

“It’s always nice to see young players come through.

“The senior players try and give them as much encouragement as they can. The last thing you want is people on your back as a young lad.

“Because the lads have come through the Academy, people see them as one of their own. They give the young lads encouragement.

“There are going to be mistakes along the way, but that’s just football and it’s how they react to them.

“I feel old, I am 30 in 18 months. But I am still Peter Pan at heart.”

Sheffield United: Long, Brayford, Baptiste, Edgar, McEveley, Done, Hammond (Reed 71), Flynn, Whiteman (Coutts 76), Adams (Calvert-Lewin 65), Sharp. Unused substitutes: Howard, Sammon, McGahey, Kelly.

Oldham: Coleman, J Wilson, Gerrard, Dieng, Mills, Palmer, Dummigan (Main 45), Jones (B Wilson 59), Forte, Winchester, Holloway (Thiele 59). Unused substitutes: Brown, Kelly, Croft, Cornell.

Referee: P Bankes (England).