26th October Sheffield United 3 Crewe Alexandra 1 (Attendance: 18,784)

Blades Line-up: Long, McMahon, Hill, Maguire, Collins, Doyle, McGinn, Lappin (Cuvelier 90), Flynn, Taylor (Coady 82), King (Miller 69).
Unused: Howard, Westlake, Baxter, Murphy.

Scorers: Maguire 18, 29, Flynn 55.

Man Of The Match: Harry Maguire.

Crewe: Phillips, Tootle, Mellor, Dugdale, Osman, Moore, Ray, Inman, Oliver (Clayton 73), Turton (Aneke 57), Grant.
Unused: Ellis, Guthrie, Nolan, Garratt, Molyneux.
Sent-Off: Jones 20.

Booked: Inman 72.

Scorer: Clayton 77.

Referee: Brendan Malone (Wiltshire).

Sheffield United centre-back Harry Maguire scored twice against Crewe to help new boss Nigel Clough secure victory in his first game.

United made a number of changes to their starting line-up. Matt Hill came in at left-back and Marlon King was recalled, with Conor Coady dropping to the bench and Simon Lappin moved further forward to the left flank.

The Blades kicked-off attacking the Bramall Lane end in a 4-4-2 formation. The first real chance in a quite opening went to the visitors when Vadaine Oliver headed over from the centre of the box.

Then, a Michael Doyle left footed shot from outside the box was too high. After a foul by Tony McMahon on the Crewe right flank, Byron Moore's free-kick forced United goalkeeper George Long to palm the ball over the crossbar.

Shortly afterward United grabbed the lead. Kelvin Mellor gave away a foul close to the left corner flag, and Stephen McGinn delivered the ball to the far post where Harry Maguire stooped to head into the goal to make it 1-0.

After 26 minutes, Lyle Taylor had a shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner after good build up play from Flynn and McGinn.

A minute later, a Lappin header from a difficult angle on the left was saved by  Crewe goalkeeper Steve Phillips. The pressure continued from United and the second goal came when a McGinn corner was met by Maguire with a header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner.

The Blades were dominant and scored a third when Flynn received the ball on the right wing and stormed down the flank, cut inside before striking the ball into the bottom left of the goal.

King had a chance on the right side of the box from close range but hit attempt was stopped by Phillips. And soon after, a Neill Collins shot from the centre of the box which was saved.

The Railwaymen grabbed a consolation goal late on when substitute Max Clayton shot from the centre of the box into the bottom right corner.

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Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Crewe: Long 7, McMahon 7, Hill 7, Maguire 8, Collins 6, Doyle 7, McGinn 7, Lappin 7, Flynn 8, Taylor 7, Coady 6, King 6, Miller 6.

23rd October Sheffield United have confirmed the appointment of Nigel Clough as their new manager.

The 47-year-old, who was sacked by Derby in September after four-and-a-half years at Pride Park, was unveiled as the new Blades manager at a press conference on Wednesday.

The Blades had been managerless since they showed former Scotland defender David Weir the door on October 11 after just 13 games in charge.

Chris Morgan took temporary control in the interim - overseeing one defeat, one victory and Tuesday's evening's 0-0 draw at high-flying Peterborough - but the club remain languishing in 20th place in League One.

Clough, who has taken coach Gary Crosby with him to Bramall Lane, said: "I've been driving my wife mad being around the house. I don't think you can pick and choose the timing of your opportunities so when something like this comes along you have to look at it. I'm proud and honoured to be given the opportunity.

"I was disappointed (to leave Derby). There was an element of anger there as well. I thought we had a very good four-and-a-half years there. I tried to turn the club's fortunes around and I've left them in a very good position.

"We'll try and build a team, a squad here that's capable of challenging for promotion. We're not miracle workers - it takes time to mould and recruit a team and to get them to play in the way you want them to play.

"To be realistic - let's get out of the bottom four. Let's get some stability this season and we'll take it from there. We'll assess the squad and see what we need.

"It's staggering to get that sort of support (18,500 against Port Vale at Bramall Lane) and for the supporters to be behind the team all season when things haven't been going well. That's one of the reasons you come here."

With Clough confirmed at the Lane, his first job will be to prepare the Blades for Saturday's clash with Crewe, after which they face Shrewsbury, Gillingham and Bristol City.

22nd October Peterborough 0 Sheffield United 0 (Attendance: 6,435)

Blades Line-up: Long, McMahon, Lappin, Maguire, Collins, Doyle, McGinn, Coady, Flynn (Westlake 87), Brandy (Murphy 78), L. Taylor (King 71).
Unused: Howard, Miller, Cuvelier, McGinty.
Booked: Flynn 14, Brandy 76..

Man Of The Match: Conor Coady.

Peterborough: Neal, Yates, Jones, Robertson, Chilvers, Loft, Myrie Williams (Duffy 26), Pope, Lines, Griffith (Birchall 79), Hughes (Dodds 66).
Unused: Johnson, Shuker, Williamson, Mohamed.

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).

Sheffield United claimed their first away point of the season when holding high-flying Peterborough to a 0-0 draw.

And only the woodwork prevented the Blades, who had lost all six previous League One trips this term, from claiming a shock success at London Road in what is almost certain to have been interim boss Chris Morgan's final game in temporary charge.

Lyle Taylor thundered a 20-yard blast against the crossbar eight minutes before the break with Posh goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik rooted to the spot before Febian Brandy dragged a decent opportunity across the face of goal later in the same attack.

They were rare moments of action in a lacklustre contest. The home side's best chance arrived early on when skipper Tommy Rowe was denied by a smart George Long save at his near post.

The Blades keeper was not required to make another noteworthy save until keeping out Ipswich loanee Paul Taylor after the break.

Posh kept a fifth successive clean sheet but rarely looked like pocketing maximum points despite cranking up the pressure in the closing stages.

Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Peterborough: Long 6, McMahon 6, Lappin 6, Maguire 7, Collins 7, Doyle 7, McGinn 7, Coady 7, Flynn 6, Brandy 7, Murphy 7, L. Taylor 7, King 6.

19th October Sheffield United 2 Port Vale 1 (Attendance: 18,545)

Blades Line-up: Long, McMahon,.Hill, Collins, Maguire, Doyle, McGinn, Brandy (Coady 90), Flynn (Westlake 88), King (Miller 68), Taylor.
Unused: Howard, Lappin, Cuvelier, Murphy.
Booked: McGinn 17, Collins 90.

Scorers: Collins 12, Doyle 75.

Man Of The Match: Febian Brandy.

Port Vale: Neal, Yates, Jones, Robertson, Chilvers, Loft, Myrie Williams (Duffy 26), Pope, Lines, Griffith (Birchall 79), Hughes (Dodds 66).
Unused: Johnson, Shuker, Williamson, Mohamed.

Sent-Off: Jones 20.

Booked: Jones 16, Robertson 50, Hughes 66.

Scorer: Yates 45+3.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Michael Doyle's second-half goal saw Sheffield United edge past Port Vale 2-1 at Bramall Lane.

Chris Morgan made several changes to his starting line-up. Tony McMahon was returned at right-back and Stephen McGinn and Lyle Taylor had starting roles. The Blades lined up in an orthodox 4-4-2 formation.

The match started with several fouls in the opening minutes. A Foul by Anthony Griffith gave United a chance in a central position, and McMahon’s right footed shot from outside the box was saved by goalkeeper Chris Neal. Then a Harry Maguire header from the right side of the box missed to the left.

Vale were struggling to keep the a lively Blades at bay and were looking nervous, and after 12 minutes United got the goal they deserved. Neill Collins headed from the centre of the box to the top left corner.

The Blades continued their attacking, Fabian Brandy struck a right footed effort from outside the box which went wide. The visitors task was to be made more difficult in the 20th minute when they were reduced to ten men.

Daniel Jones had picked up a yellow card five minutes earlier for unsporting behaviour and following an unfair challenge on Ryan Flynn in front of the John Street Stand, he was shown his second yellow yard and subsequently a red.
 
Micky Adams made a tactical change for Vale in the 26th minute when Richard Duffy was sent on to replace Jennison Myrie-Williams, who immaturely showed his feelings in no uncertain terms to the manager as he marched to the tunnel.

The Blades were still having the better of possesion in the Vale half, although the visitors did push forward whenever the opportunity arose, but goalkeeper George Long had seen little of the ball.

Just before the half hour mark, a surging run through midfield from Maguire ended in a right footed shot from more than 35 yards out, saved by the keeper.

A rare counter break by Vale allowed striker Tom Pope a right footed shot from outside the box but goes harmlessly wide. Pope was now the lone striker after Lee Hughes had dropped back into the midfield after the sending off.

The busy Vale keeper came to the rescue in the 42nd minute with a point blank save from Taylor as the Blades looked to increase their lead before the half time interval.

It was Vale, however, who were celebrating, when in the second minutes of stoppage time when Adam Yates sprinted down the leftwing and sent in a left footed cross which surprised everyone, including keeper Long who could have pushed the ball over the bar but allowed it to drift into the top far corner of the net.

After 56 minutes, Taylor drilled a low free kick just inches wide of Neal’s right post following Chris Robertson’s foul on Marlon King just outside the box.

Hughes had been arguing with the referee most of the afternoon and the frustrated Vale man picked up a yellow card in the 65th minute for a foul on Collins. Vale manager Adams’ response was to take him off a minute later and send on Louis Dodds.

Three minutes later, Morgan sent on substitute Shaun Miller, the United favourite received a standing ovation as he entered the fray. It was his first match since damaging his cruciate ligament on Boxing Day last year.

With 25 minutes remaining United broke quickly when a Vale attack broke down and Doyle hit a peach from outside the box into the top corner to restore the lead, before celebrating in front of the Shoreham Kop.

United continued to pile on the pressure, Ryan Flynn had been busy all afternoon and had a right footed shot saved.

Then Miller almost completed a dream return when his effort from the centre of the box was saved by Neal. And in the final moments Flynn fired from outside the box which was just a bit too high, and a there was a scare at the other end when a Dodds’ shot from the centre of the box was saved by Long.

On the final whistle the United players received well deserved applause for their performance.

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Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Port Vale: Long 5, McMahon 6,.Hill 6, Collins 7, Maguire 7, Doyle 8, McGinn 6, Brandy 8, Flynn 8, King 5, Miller 7, Taylor 7.

13th October Coventry City 3 Sheffield United 2 (Attendance: 2,078)

Blades Line-up: Long, Westlake, Hill, Maguire, Collins, Flynn (Hall 73), Doyle, Baxter (Taylor 41), Coady, King (McGinn 57), Brandy.
Unused: Howard, Lappin, Murphy, Ironside.
Booked: Maguire 45, Doyle 89.cMahon 15.

Scorers: Taylor 62, 80.

Man Of The Match: Lyle Taylor.

Coventry: Murphy, Adams, Webster, Thomas, Fleck, Baker (Daniels 67), L. Clarke, Moussa (Barton 81), Willis (Phillips 77), Wilson, J. Clarke.
Unused: Manset, Burge, Garner, Haynes.

Booked: Webster 38, Willis 75, Adams 88.

Scorers: Clarke 6, 49, Wilson 32.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

Leon Clarke bagged a brace as Coventry City beat Sheffield United 3-2 in their League One clash at Sixfields in Northampton.

Coventry went ahead early on with Clarke volleying home in the sixth minute after a cross from Blair Adams.

And the Sky Blues added a second in the 32nd minute when Carl Baker pulled the ball back from the byline on the right and Callum Wilson fired into the roof of the net from 12 yards out.

Coventry made it 3-0 in the 49th minute when Clarke netted his second after collecting the ball on the edge of the area and firing a low shot into the corner.

United pulled one back in the 62nd minute when Lyle Taylor scored with a low 25-yard free-kick.

And a minute later City stopper Joe Murphy saved Ryan Flynn's shot from close range as United went close to adding a second.

Clarke almost scored his third goal in the 70th minute but his low strike was saved by George Long in the United goal.

The Blades made it 3-2 in the 80th minute when the unmarked Taylor headed in his second goal after a cross from the rightfrom Ryan Hall.

But Coventry held on for the win to go 16th in League One, while United remain bottom of the table.

Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Coventry: Long 6, Westlake 5, Hill 6, Maguire 5, Collins 5, Flynn 7, Hall 5, Doyle 6, Baxter 5, Taylor 8, Coady 7, King 5, McGinn 7, Brandy 6.

4th October Sheffield United 1 Crawley Town 1 (Attendance: 15,401)

Blades Line-up: Long, McMahon, Lappin, Maguire, Collins, Hall (Taylor 60), Doyle, Cuvelier (Coady 38), Brandy (Murphy 87), Baxter, King.
Unused: Howard, Hill, Westlake, McGinn.
Booked: McMahon 15.

Scorer: King 63.

Man Of The Match: Jose Baxter.

Crawley: P. Jones, Sadler, McFadzean, Clarke, Drury (Hurst 79), Simpson, Walsh, Proctor (Alexander 68), Bulman, Adams (Torres 88), M. Jones.
Unused: Connolly, Rooney, Sinclair, Maddison.
Booked: Sadler 15, Proctor 25, McFadzean 55.

Scorer: Proctor 10.

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).

Sheffield United ended a run of six straight League One defeats as Marlon King's second-half goal secured a point against Crawley Town.

United made a suprising change to their starting eleven, the in-form Matt Hill was dropped and on loan Simon Lappin replaced him at left-back. David Weir's side lined up with King as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The visitors made the brightest start and forced a corner in the third minute. Kyle McFadzean drove into the box down the left but his low cross was gathered at the second attempt by goalkeeper George Long.

The Blades then won a free kick 25 yards out on five minutes which Ryan Hall curled over the wall but straight at goalkeeper Paul Jones but on nine minutes Crawley went in front. Andy Drury played a short corner to Billy Clarke and when he got the return. Drury chipped the ball to the far post where Jamie Proctor was all alone and had a free header to increase the tension inside the Lane.

Mat Sadler and Tony McMahon were booked after a touchline tussle in front of the John Street Stand. The Blades right-back broke into the box on 17 minutes but his deflected shot was pounced on by Jones in the six-yard box.

Crawley nearly went further in front midway through the half. Sadler burst into the box and Clarke and Proctor were waiting for a tap-in but the pass was over-hit and United were eventually able to clear.

Such was the Crawley domination and the poor quality play from Unitedites started to vent their frustrations, there were chants of "4-4-2" in frustration at the managers refusal to have two strikers,

After 34 minutes, a corner was met by Harry Maguire but he guided his header well wide of the right-hand post. The visitors broke moments later, but Clarke's cross after he burst into the box was cut out as Nicky Adams waited to pounce.

Just before the break the visitors had two more good chances. Joe Walsh won the ball off Marlon King and broke forward before rolling a pass out to Proctor, but his angled drive went wide of the near post. Moments later Clarke set up Adams for a run at the home defence but his shot also failed to trouble Long.

At the other end Febian Brandy's shot in stoppage time which was straight at Jones drew ironic cheers from the Blades fans. It had taken 45 minutes to get one shot on goal. On the half time whistle the fans let the manager know who the thought of the performance with boos ringing around the Lane.

As expected, the Blades stirred themselves at the start of the second half and on 52 minutes were nearly level when McMahon's right-foot drive from 25 yards beat Jones but came back off the inside of the post.

It was a let-off for the visitors but they responded well and Nicky Adams appeals for a penalty after he went spinning in the box fell on deaf ears. Moments later McFadzean was booked for a foul on Brandy.

There was a change after 60 minutes when Kyle Taylor replaced Ryan Hall. United now had two strikers, King had been feeding off scraps for much of the match but now had a partner. There was some urgency about the Blades, and they drew level on 63 minutes. Brandy's clever pass gave King an opportunity and he clipped the ball over Jones to score his first goal for United.

Crawley substitute Gary Alexander was inches away from connecting with Adams inviting cross in the last ten minutes while at the other end King teed up substitute Connor Coady whose side-footer was pushed around the post by Jones.

But The visitors were still a threat as they continued to attack intelligently and moments from the end of normal time Long was forced to make a scrambling save from a shot by Sergio Torres, who had just replaced Adams.

Blades pushed in stoppage time and Jones had to save a shot from substitute Jamie Murphy for a corner which the visitors cleared.

On the final whistle Unitedites booed another disappointing spectacle.

Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Crawley: Long 6, McMahon 7, Lappin 4, Maguire 6, Collins 6, Hall 5, Taylor 6, Doyle 6, Cuvelier 5, Coady 6, Brandy 6, Baxter 7, King 6.