Southend United 3 Sheffield United 1: Play-off bid looks over for Blades

The Blades now lie in 13th place, nine points adrift of the Sky Bet League One play-off places, after defeat at Roots Hall whilst Southend are just six points behind Bradford City.

David Worrall and Jack Payne were both on target in the second-half after Dean Hammond cancelled out Tyrone Barnett’s opener.

The first chance of the game fell to form-man Billy Sharp with goalkeeper Daniel Bentley up to the task of keeping him out.

But there was a heart in mouth moment for Southend stopper Bentley as he almost handed Sharp a gift.

The striker’s shot fired through the young goalkeeper’s hands before he grasped it at the second attempt as the ball bounced on the line.

Moments later a goalkeeping error from Blades’ George Long gave the hosts the lead.

Barnett was on hand to poke home his 11th goal of the season from close range after Long fumbled Adam Thompson’s glancing header.

But the Blades hit back just six minutes later. Hammond rose highest at the back post to powerfully head home Paul Coutts’s free-kick to put the Blades back on level terms.

A fine fingertip stop from Long kept Stephen McLaughlin’s effort out after a surging run down the middle, with defender Chris Basham on hand to clear the rebound.

Barnett came close to doubling his tally on the stroke of the break as he fizzed his free header marginally wide of the target.

Leading goal-scorer Sharp missed a glorious chance to fire the Blades into the lead.

The former Leeds United striker took advantage of Barrett’s slip before lifting the ball over Bentley only for it to go wide.

Worrall put the Shrimpers back ahead on the hour mark with a fantastic finish across Long into the bottom corner.

The Blades finished with four strikers on the pitch but were caught on the counter-attack as Payne added a third to rub salt into United’s wounds.

Southend United: Bentley, Worrall (Leonard 84), Thompson, Barrett, Coker, McLaughlin (White 77), Atkinson, Deegan, Weston (McQueen 67), Payne, Barnett. Unused substitutes: Smith, Hurst, Loza, Malarczyk.

Sheffield United: Long, Basham, McGahey, McEveley, Flynn, Whiteman (Sammon 84), Hammond (Calvert-Lewin 74), Coutts (Woolford 88), Done, Adams, Sharp. Unsued substitutes: Howard, Reed, Kelly, Brooks.

Refree: S Attwell (Nuneaton).