Championship
LeedsLeeds United0Sheff UtdSheffield United1

Leeds United 0-1 Sheffield United: Chris Basham scores winner for Blades, who go second in Championship

Chris Basham scores
Chris Basham scored for Sheffield United with the game's only shot on target

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder said his side must be ready for "the big push" after they climbed above Leeds and into second in the Championship with victory over their promotion rivals.

Chris Basham, playing as a makeshift midfielder, steered home the winner from 20 yards after Billy Sharp capitalised on a slip by home captain Liam Cooper to play him in.

Leeds, who dominated possession, had chances but the closest they came to scoring was when forward Tyler Roberts hit the post with a curling shot from 15 yards.

As the home side pressed for an equaliser, keeper Kiko Casilla was shown a straight red card in injury time for bringing down Sharp 25 yards from goal when he went through on the break.

"It has given us a big boost and we go into the international break full of confidence," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"With eight games to go we've put ourselves in a great position, but this wasn't a season-defining result.

"With the ball we were pretty average but all the hallmarks of what you need to do to get a result when you're not at the top of your game were shown out there.

"After 18 months in the Championship that's probably the first time we've not been at our best but won a big game. It was a game dominated by the opposition, but we hung on in there.

"It was a true team effort. On another day the opposition probably deserved to get something out of the game, but you take any result you can get."

Defeat for Leeds gave Norwich the chance to extend their advantage at the top of the table to four points with a 2-1 victory at Rotherham United, meaning the Whites are also now five points adrift of the Canaries.

Sheffield United, who are now a point ahead of Leeds with eight games remaining after keeping a seventh successive clean sheet, had to withstand a barrage of first-half pressure as the hosts dominated.

But, although Leeds had their chances, they were unable to force Blades keeper Dean Henderson into a save as Jack Harrison volleyed over from six yards, while Roberts flashed a header wide.

The visitors grew into the game in the closing stages of the first half and improved after the break, but almost went behind when Roberts thumped the woodwork.

However, when their chance came they took it as Basham, normally a central defender, registered the game's only effort on target to secure back-to-back away wins at Elland Road for the first time since March 1961.

Leeds searched for an equaliser but Pontus Jansson, who ended the game in goal following Casilla's dismissal, poked their best chance wide from close range after being thrown up front to add nuisance value because of injury after Leeds had used all three of their substitutes.

Leeads head coach Marcelo Bielsa: "I don't want to underestimate the victory of the opponent.

"If we analyse the game, we can't be unsatisfied but we're disappointed with the result. If the opinion is that we deserved to draw, I have a different opinion on it.

"What happened today has happened many times in the past games. To explain it again after such an important loss at home with our fans, our first half hour was very good.

"We conceded the last 10 minutes of the first half but we had less quality in the second half but we dominated and we had the feeling that we were dangerous."

Line-ups

Leeds

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 33CasillaBooked at 90mins
  • 2AylingSubstituted forDallasat 77'minutes
  • 18Jansson
  • 6Cooper
  • 10Alioski
  • 23Phillips
  • 19Hernández
  • 11Roberts
  • 43KlichSubstituted forClarkeat 77'minutes
  • 22HarrisonSubstituted forDouglasat 57'minutes
  • 9Bamford

Substitutes

  • 1Peacock-Farrell
  • 3Douglas
  • 15Dallas
  • 28Berardi
  • 46Shackleton
  • 47Clarke
  • 53Gotts

Sheff Utd

Formation 3-5-2

  • 1Henderson
  • 28Cranie
  • 12Egan
  • 5O'Connell
  • 2BaldockBooked at 18mins
  • 6BashamSubstituted forLundstramat 90+2'minutes
  • 16Norwood
  • 4Fleck
  • 3Stevens
  • 10SharpBooked at 62mins
  • 17McGoldrickSubstituted forDowellat 88'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Lundstram
  • 8Dowell
  • 11Hogan
  • 15Coutts
  • 19Stearman
  • 21Duffy
  • 25Moore
Referee:
David Coote
Attendance:
37,004

Match Stats

Home TeamLeedsAway TeamSheff Utd
Possession
Home71%
Away29%
Shots
Home17
Away10
Shots on Target
Home0
Away1
Corners
Home3
Away6
Fouls
Home9
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Leeds United 0, Sheffield United 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Leeds United 0, Sheffield United 1.

  3. Post update

    Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by John Egan.

  4. Post update

    Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Kalvin Phillips.

  5. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, Sheffield United. John Lundstram replaces Chris Basham.

  7. Dismissal

    Kiko Casilla (Leeds United) is shown the red card.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Kiko Casilla (Leeds United).

  9. Post update

    Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Post update

    Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Martin Cranie (Sheffield United).

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Sheffield United. Kieran Dowell replaces David McGoldrick.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Leeds United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

  15. Post update

    Attempt missed. Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jack Clarke.

  16. Post update

    Offside, Leeds United. Stuart Dallas tries a through ball, but Ezgjan Alioski is caught offside.

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

  18. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.

  19. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  20. Post update

    Delay in match Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) because of an injury.

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As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Norwich38239677482978
2Sheff Utd38228864343074
3Leeds38227963392473
4West Brom381910972482467
5Middlesbrough37151394031958
6Aston Villa381415968541457
7Preston381512115850857
8Derby371511114644256
9Bristol City361510114538755
10Sheff Wed381413114851-355
11Nottm Forest381315105244854
12Hull38149155456-251
13Birmingham381214125349450
14Brentford3713101460501049
15Swansea36138154546-147
16Stoke381017113742-547
17Blackburn381211155260-847
18QPR38128184559-1444
19Wigan38109194157-1639
20Millwall37910184155-1437
21Reading38813174056-1637
22Rotherham38715164061-2136
23Bolton3878232663-3729
24Ipswich38315203062-3224
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