29th December
Sheffield United 3 Tranmere Rovers 1 ( Attendance: 17,460)
Blades Line-up : Long, McMahon, Hill, , Maguire, Collins, Doyle, McGinn (Lappin 75), Flynn (Cuvelier 83), Murphy, Baxter (Coady 70), Porter.
Unused: Howard, Kennedy, Brandy, L Taylor.
Man Of The Match: Ryan Flynn.
Tranmere : Williams, Holmes (Power 44), Horwood, Koumas, Ridehalgh, A Taylor, Peterson, Atkinson (Akpa Akpro 61), Lowe, Jennings, Robinson (Kirby 62)
Unused: Rowe, Stockton, Mooney.
Referee: David Webb (Lancashire).
Goals from Jamie Murphy, Jose Baxter and Ryan Flynn saw Sheffield United claim a deserved 3-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers at Bramall Lane.
United, now unbeaten in their last eight games, climbed above their visitors in the table after delivering an assured performance bristling with purpose and attacking intent.
Ash Taylor, the Rovers defender, brought some respectability to the scoreline by firing home in the closing stages, but Nigel Clough's side were well worth the win.
Murphy ensured United seized control of this crucial League One fixture between two teams fighting for their lives towards the foot of the table by turning the ball home beyond Tranmere goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams in the seventh minute.
Ronnie Moore, the Rovers manager, had warned that poor defending threatens to undermine thei prospects of avoiding relegation and those frailties were in evidence again when the former Scotland Under-21 international fired home on the turn after Neill Collins had met Baxter's corner.
Murphy's compatriots Flynn and Stephen McGinn went close soon after as United threatened to overwhelm Rovers.
But Lowe served notice that Moore's team would not go down without a fight when he tested George Long's handling having earlier seen a close-range effort cleared off the goal-line by Harry Maguire.
However, when Baxter and Flynn pounced after the break, Rovers crumbled.
McGinn and Porter, who later drew a superb save from Fon Williams, combined to present Baxter with the opportunity to claim his fourth goal in only five outings before Flynn's powerful finish put the game beyond Rovers' reach although Taylor reduced the deficit late in the game.
Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Tranmere: Long 5, McMahon 7 , Hill 8 , Maguire 7 , Collins 7 , Doyle 7 , McGinn 7 , Lappin 6 , Flynn 8 , Cuvelier 6 , Murphy 7 , Baxter 8 . Coady 7 , Porter 8 .
26th December
Sheffield United 1 Oldham Athletic 1 ( Attendance: 19,551)
Blades Line-up : Long, McMahon, Hill, Maguire, Collins, Doyle, McGinn, White (Flynn 9), Baxter, Miller (Taylor 85), Porter.
Unused: Howard, Coady, Brandy, Lappin, Murphy (Flynn 85).
Man Of The Match: Jose Baxter.
Oldham: Oxley, Brown, Grounds, Tarkowski, Kusunga, Lanzoni, Petrasso (Millar 88), Smith, Clarke-Harris, Rooney, Mellor.
Unused : Schmeltz, Winchester, Byrne, Rodgers, Plummer, Rachubka.
Referee: Mark Brown (East Yorkshire).
Goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jose Baxter ensured the honours finished even at 1-1 between Sheffield United and Oldham at Bramall Lane. Clarke-Harris fired Oldham ahead during the early exchanges before Baxter equalised with a spectacular set-piece against his old club.
Chris Porter and substitute Ryan Flynn both went close to claiming maximum points for United, now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, at the death but neither could muster a decisive touch.
Clarke-Harris, a summer signing from League One rivals Peterborough, ensured Oldham's afternoon got off to the best possible start when he headed home Adam Rooney's centre with only six minutes on the clock.
United made changes to their side in a 4-3-1.-2 formation with Baxter playering just behind Miller and Porter. A comedy of errors, which saw both Harry Maguire and Shaun Miller squander possession, contributed to the Blades early demise but the Latics centre-forward took his chance in clinical fashion by stooping to convert from close range.
United's afternoon went from bad to worse when Aidy White, whose loan from Leeds is scheduled to expire next month, hobbled off injured. Porter, like Baxter a former Oldham player, enjoyed two good opportunities as United finally discovered their rhythm towards the end of the first half.
But it was Baxter who dragged the hosts back on level terms soon after the re-start with a thunderous 30 yard free-kick following Genseric Kusunga's foul on Porter.
Only the width of a post prevented Baxter from snatching what would have been a dramatic late winner while Porter was also agonisingly close to prodding home as the loose ball bounced around the penalty area seconds before the final whistle.
Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Oldham: Long 6 , McMahon 6 , Hill 7 , Maguire 6 , Collins 6 , Doyle 7 , McGinn 6 , White -, Flynn 7 , Baxter 8 , Miller 6 , Porter 7 , Taylor -
21st December
Stevenage 0 Sheffield United 0 ( Attendance: 3,003)
Blades Line-up : Long, McMahon, Maguire, Collins, Hill, Doyle, White (Murphy 76), McGinn, Baxter, Porter, Miller.
Unused: Howard, Lappin, Flynn, Coady, Brandy, Taylor.
Man Of The Match: Jose Baxter.
Stevenage: Day, Chorley, Ashton, Morais (Jones 24), Burrow, Zoko, Parrett (Dunne 53), Heslop, Freeman, Tansey, Smith.
Unused: Wedgbury, Arnold, Haber, Tounkara, Andrade.
Referee: David Phillips (West Sussex).
Sheffield United and Stevenage both earned a point as they battled out a goalless draw at Broadhall Way. The Blades hit the woodwork twice as they dominated the match and stretched their unbeaten run to five games.
Manager Nigel Clough made three changes with Matt Hill, Stephen McGinn and Shaun Miller returning to the starting eleven. Miller patterned Chris Porter in attack. The Blades lining up in a 4-1-3-2 formation with Michael Doyle as a deep lying midfielder.
United had an early scare when Ben Chorley hit the bar with a shot from the right side of the 18 yard box. But, United had early chances of their own, Aidy White saw his effort outside the 18 yard box pushed onto the far post by Chris Day, after the now familiar long cross field ball from Harry Maguire.
A Miller effort was deflected behind for a corner after out witting Luke Freeman. Stevenage might be struggling in the league, but they are always dangerous at home and were employing a counter-attack, Dean Parrett broke free and saw his right footed shot from outside the box go just wide.
Filipe Morais was booked for a foul on Tony McMahon and six minutes later the Portuguese winger was fortunate not to receive a second yellow when he deliberately pushed White to the ground while trying to get to the ball. Manager Graham Westley must have feared the worst for Morais and replaced him with Luke Jones.
Neill Collins had an headed attempt from the left side of the six yard box saved, and then White shot from a difficult angle on the left which was too high. At the other end, Francois Zoko beat White on the right flank and squared the ball for Jordan Burrow who fired wide from the centre of the box.
Shortly after the break, Hill found Jose Baxter just inside the Stevenage 18 yard box, but with Jones in close attendance, Baxter’s effort went just wide of the goalkeepers left hand post. Then, Porter's header from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high.
A minute later, Porter did well to fend off another aerial challenge from Jon Ashton, the ball then deflected off Simon Heslop into the path of the on rushing Baxter, his shot hit the indie of the post.
The driving wind and rain was not helping United as they battled against it in the second half. Still they looked easily the better of the two sides and the more likely to open the scoring.
With 10 minutes remaining, Stevenage danger man Zoko fired a looping effort which seemed to be going in, but keeper Long expertly palmed clear.
Late on, striker Burrow robbed the ball of Maguire, and found fellow front man Zoko, but the Ivorian striker well positioned at the far post missed his chance.
Overall a good away day performace from United, at a difficult venue and in poor conditions, They now need to look towards winning their next two home matches over the Christmas period, and move away from the danger zone.
Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Stevenage: Long 7 , McMahon 6 , Maguire 7 , Collins 7 , Hill 7 , Doyle 7 , White 6 , Murphy 6 , McGinn 8 , Baxter 8 , Porter 7 , Miller 8 .
14th December
Sheffield United 1 Swindon Town 0 ( Attendance: 15,430)
Blades Line-up : Long, McMahon, White (Hill 78), Maguire, Collins, Doyle, Flynn, Coady, Murphy (Brandy 72). Porter (Miller 85), Baxter.
Unused: Howard, Lappin, Cuvelier, Miller, Taylor.
Man Of The Match: Jose Baxter.
Swindon: Foderingham, Thompson (Byrne 53), McEveley, Mason, Hall, Ward, Luongo, Kasim (Harley 70), Ajose, Pritchard, Thompson (N'Guessan 74).
Unused : Belford, Branco, El-Gabbas, Gladwin.
Referee: Scott Duncan (Northumberland).
Jose Baxter scored the only goal of the game as United bagged a deserved three points in their battle to beat the drop.
Jamie Murphy, Tony McMahon and Aidy White all returned to the starting line-up as manager Nigel Clough reshuffled his squad. The Blades started the match kicking to towards the Bramall Lane end in a 4-4-2 formation.
In the opening exchanges, Swindon goalkeeper Wes Foderingham was fortunate to escape after spilling a long-range attempt from McMahon before Baxter's free-kick appeared destined to hit the back of the net until ricocheting to safety off the wall.
With Murphy, making his first start in two months, continuing to probe along the flanks, the visitors were firmly on the back foot until Nicky Ajose enabled them to establish a foothold with a counter-attack.The centre-forward, drew a save from goalkeeper George Long before creating another
opportunity for Ryan Mason. Again, though, Long proved equal to the task.
United could count themselves unlucky not to take the lead after creating three fine chances in the space of sixty seconds almost immediately after the break.
First Baxter forced Foderingham to scramble clear with an angled attempt from the edge of the penalty area and, during the melee which followed, Flynn thought he had threaded a low drive through the crowd until the ball was diverted behind for a corner.
Foderingham was beaten from the resulting set-piece but Chris Porter's side-footed effort struck the foot of a post.
The the Swindon keeper tried wasting time by holding on to the ball for too long, but the referee was alert and the keeper was penalised with a free-kick in his own 18 yard box and, although that set-piece came to naught, United were clearly on top at this stage.
The Blades continued to apply pressure to the Swindon goal and were not to be denied and got their reward just past the hour when Baxter pounced. White delivered a deep cross into the Swindon box and when Flynn nodded it back into the danger zone, Baxter timed his jump perfectly to turn the ball home.
Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Swindon: Long 7 , McMahon 6 , White 7 , Hill 6 , Maguire 7 , Collins 7 , Doyle 7 , Flynn 7 , Coady 7 , Murphy 7 . Brandy 6 ,. Porter 7 , Baxter 8 .
8th December
Cambridge United 0 Sheffield United 2 ( Attendance: 4,593)
Blades Line-up : Long, Hill, Collins, Maguire. Doyle, McGinn (Murphy 22), Coady, Lappin, Flynn, Baxter, Porter (L. Taylor 86).
Unused: Howard, Kennedy, Cuvelier, Brandy, S. Miller,
Man Of The Match: Ryan Flynn.
Cambridge: Maxwell, G. Taylor, Coulson, I. Miller, Champion, Cunnington (Roberts 60), Dunk (Arnold 82), Tait, Hughes, Berry, Appiah.
Unused : Bonner, Austin, Sam-Yorke, Spillane, Brown.
Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).
Sheffield United managed to avoid an FA Cup upset as goals by Jose Baxter and Jamie Murphy guided them to a 2-0 victory at Conference Premier leaders Cambridge.
The Blades had two changes with Aidy White unable to play because of his loan restriction and Tony McMahon suspended replaced by Simon Lappin. Ryan Flynn returned on the right playing as a wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation.
The hosts were looking for a second Football League scalp this week after knocking out Bury on Tuesday and started brightly, but were eventually kept at arm's length by the Blades.
Both sides came close to an early breakthrough as Kwesi Appiah had a shot blocked by what he thought was an arm before Baxter's header was saved by keeper Chris Maxwell.
Baxter then gave the Blades the lead after 12 minutes when he met Ryan Flynn's low cross from the right flank with a crisp, first-time finish that gave keeper Maxwell no chance.
Cambridge were almost level within two minutes when the Blades goalkeeper George Long produced a good block to deny Adam Cunnington.
The U's hero from the last round, Luke Berry, then wasted a golden chance to level early in the second half as he ballooned a free header from Harrison Dunk's corner over.
And he was made to regret that miss as Blades substitute Murphy doubled his side's lead when he was allowed to cut inside from the left before shooting inside the near post.
Blades Player Performance Ratings v. Cambridge: Long 7 , Hill 7 , Collins 7 , Maguire 8 . Doyle 7 , McGinn 6 , Murphy 8 , Coady 7 , Lappin 6 , Flynn 8 , Baxter 8 , Porter 6 .