Sheffield United 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Blades Complete Another Double And Relegate Owls
· Yahoo Sports
Sheffield United completed another double over Sheffield Wednesday after holding onto a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane on Sunday afternoon which officially relegated the Owls.
The Blades took an early lead when Gustavo Hamer picked the ball up on the edge of the box and reversed a pass to the left for Patrick Bamford who finished superbly inside two minutes at the Kop end. United doubled their advantage when Harrison Burrows broke into the box on the left and lasered a left-footed strike past Seny Dieng. The game took a huge twist in the opening minutes of the second half when Kalvin Phillips was shown a straight red card, and inevitably the Owls got a huge boost which led to a rare Steel City derby goal thanks to Charlie McNeil.
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Lineups
Blades: Cooper, Tanganga, Bindon, Hamer (Arblaster 53), O’Hare (Soumare 83), Brooks (Hoever 63), Burrows, Phillips, Seriki (Hjelde 83), Peck, Bamford (Campbell 63).
Unused: A. Davies, Cannon, Chong, McGuinness.
Wednesday: Dieng, Palmer, Ingelsson, J. Lowe, Yates (Moses 87), Cooper (Ugbo 79), McNeill (McGhee 90), Ndala, Otegbayo, Heskey, Adaramola (Fusire 87).
Unused: Stretch, Johnson, Grainger, Emery, Thornton.
First Half
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Gustavo Hamer of Sheffield United clashes with Gabriel Otegbayo of Sheffield Wednesday during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane on February 22, 2026 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)
With barely 60 seconds on the clock, Ndala’s attempted clearance went horribly wrong, dropping invitingly at the feet of Gustavo Hamer some 30 yards from goal. The Blades midfielder reacted instantly, sliding a perfectly weighted pass into Patrick Bamford, who kept his composure to slot home with a calm, clinical finish and stun the visitors before they had even settled.
The early breakthrough rattled Wednesday, and it almost became two soon after. Callum O’Hare surged forward with intent and unleashed a fierce drive that cannoned off the outside of the post, while Japhet Tanganga blazed over the bar following a cleverly worked free-kick routine.
On 19 minutes, that dominance told again. A defence-splitting through ball from Sydie Peck carved Wednesday open, and Harrison Burrows raced onto it before firing emphatically past Seny Dieng at his near post.
At 2-0, the home side were rampant, moving the ball with confidence and purpose, and looking every bit capable of extending their advantage.
Second Half
For much of the first half, it was one-way traffic. The Blades dictated the tempo, won the midfield battles, and pressed relentlessly. Wednesday struggled to gain a foothold and offered little in response. However, the complexion of the contest shifted dramatically when Phillips was shown a red card.
Wednesday pushed forward and they had not scored a goal against Sheffield United since 2017, but that barren run came to an end when Charlie McNeil found the net, halving the deficit.
The drama did not end there. With Wednesday pressing for an equaliser, Otegbayo received his marching orders for hauling down Tyrese Campbell, restoring parity in numbers and easing some of the pressure on the hosts.
Even so, the closing stages were far from comfortable. The Blades had to weather a late storm as Wednesday threw bodies forward in search of a leveller. But there were chances at the other end too. Tyrese Campbell and the tireless Sydie Peck both had opportunities to wrap up the points, only to be denied by impressive saves from Dieng in the visiting goal as the clock ticked down.
This win keeps Sheffield United six points off the play-offs as they prepare to host league leaders Coventry City on Wednesday night.