Swindon Town 2 Sheffield United 4: Blades shake off Swindon's fightback to ease to victory

The Robins put up a valiant fight before brilliant Blades ran out victors to keep their lead at the top at eight points.

Two goals in six first-half minutes from Caolan Lavery and Kieron Freeman looked to have wrapped up the match early on.

However, Chris Wilder’s men were caught cold after the break as Charlie Colkett and Ben Gladwin levelled the match.

But O’Shea put them back ahead and Paul Coutts’s late penalty stretched Blades’ unbeaten run to eight games.

Jake Wright and James Hanson were dropped to Blades’ bench, O’Shea and Lavery replacing them, as Blades started weel, Daniel Lafferty lashing a volley over the bar.

They went ahead after 29 minutes as Lavery pounced on a reckless backpass. Six minutes later Lavery turned provider as he teed up Freeman for his second goal in as many games.

After the break the Blades got a taste of their own medicine as a seven-minute double levelled proceedings.

Goalkeeper Simon Moore was caught out as Colkett hit the goal of the night with a ferocious effort from range.

Gladwin then fired home his second goal of the season with a well-taken strike from outside the box.

A second mixup at the back left O’Shea an easy tap-in before Coutts slotted home from 12 yards in stoppage-time to complete a solid victory.

Swindon Town: Henry, Thompson, Conroy, Branco, Dabo, Ince, Gladwin (Norris, 84), Colkett, Goddard, Ajose, Obika. Unused substitutes: Thomas, Rodgers, Twine, Simpson, Starkey, Iandolo.

Sheffield United: Moore, Ebanks-Landell, Basham, O’Connell, Freeman, Fleck, Coutts, Lafferty, O’Shea (Hanson, 71), Lavery (Carruthers 57), Sharp Wright, 87). Unused substitutes: Long, Chapman, McNulty, Done.

Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).