Sheffield United's top-two bid takes a hit as Michael Morrison earns a point

Sheffield United's top-two bid takes a hit as Michael Morrison earns a point
Birmingham City celebrate Michael Morrison's equaliser  Credit: Action Images

Birmingham City 1 Sheffield United 1

Having knocked Leeds United out of the Championship’s automatic promotion places on Saturday, Birmingham did the same to Sheffield United, for whom a draw was not enough to stop their Yorkshire rivals regaining their top two position following their victory at Preston on Tuesday.

Chris Wilder’s team had their noses in front in the first half when Enda Stevens beat Lee Camp with a swerving drive, but were pegged back four minutes after going ahead. United mounted a sustained effort to find a winner late in the second half but Garry Monk’s side, anxious not to be drawn into a relegation battle, held on for a valuable point.

Although it might be interpreted as a missed opportunity for his team, Wilder insisted he was unruffled.

“The result wasn’t what we wanted,” he said. “But I can’t be a roller coaster about it. I can’t be jumping through hoops when we won on Saturday and then slitting my wrists tonight.  

“This is a difficult place to come but there was only one team trying to win the game and the players should not feel down.”

The visitors offered little threat to Camp’s goal for the first 38 until they went ahead, having survived two near-misses at the other end. Dean Henderson needed to be at his best to keep out a deflected cross by Gary Gardner, and Birmingham defender Harlee Dean ballooned one over the bar from a Connor Mahoney cross.

But then Mark Duffy, the United playmaker who had been kept relatively quiet until that point, suddenly made his presence felt, running at the home defence before rolling the ball neatly into the path of Stevens, whose left-foot strike from just inside the box carried too much venom for Camp.

It was a lead briefly held. Four minutes later, following a corner from the left, a Gardner header was blocked but Michael Morrison, the Birmingham captain, reacted quickly to fire the loose ball into the net.

The Birmingham players, who might have had the legs for a late play-off push themselves had their points deduction pulled the rug from under them, have to be admired for the characterful way they have responded to the setback. They were the better side in defeating Leeds on Saturday and gave these opponents as tough a night as they have faced.

Although they were under the cosh in the closing stages, twice in the second half they might have gone ahead, Che Adams - a former Blade - drawing a fine save from Henderson with a powerful, rising shot after substitute Jota sent him away, then holding the ball up well before setting up a chance for Jota, again saved by Henderson.

“Overall it was probably a fair result,” Monk said, “although we had the clearest chances.

“To take four points off two of the top sides is a huge response in terms of where we need to get to.”

Match details

Birmingham City (4-4-2): Camp; Colin, Dean, Morrison, Pedersen; Mahoney (Jota 60), G Gardner, Davis (C Gardner 82), Maghoma; Jutkiewicz, Adams.
Bookings: Davis, Pedersen.
Substitutes not used: Trueman (g), Roberts, Vassell, Mrabti, Harding.
Sheffield United (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Basham, Egan, Cranie (Dowell 60); Baldock, Norwood, Fleck, Stevens; Duffy (Madine 60); McGoldrick, Sharp.
Substitutes not used: Moore (g), Hogan, Coutts, Freeman, Stearman.
Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).

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