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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Sheffield United vs Portsmouth. Sky Bet Championship.

Bramall LaneAttendance20,712.

Sheffield United 1

  • C Evans (77th minute)

Portsmouth 0

    Blades pile on Pompey woe

    Image: Evans: Blades goal

    Sheffield United heaped more misery on struggling Portsmouth as a Ched Evans strike handed them a 1-0 win.

    Evans and Simonsen light up uninspiring Blades display

    Sheffield United heaped more misery on struggling Portsmouth as a Ched Evans strike handed them a 1-0 win. Gary Speed's men's triumph was barely deserved as Evans notched their only shot on target with a 25-yard free-kick 15 minutes before the final whistle for the three points. But United goalkeeper Steve Simonsen produced a fine display at Bramall Lane as his string of saves denied Pompey on a number of occasions. Portsmouth now remain without a win and languish at the basement of the Championship standings after seven games.

    Response

    Both sides were looking to respond to heavy midweek defeats, where they shipped four goals apiece, and it was Portsmouth that carved out the first opening with just two minutes on the clock. John Utaka advanced down the left, cut inside past his marker and fired a low shot that brought a stunning save out of Simonsen in the United goal, strongly palming away a vicious shot. It was a bright opening by Pompey and David Nugent would have been disappointed not to connect better with his 15-yard effort after Michael Brown's pass, while Utaka proved a constant threat down the left. And after lacking a cutting edge for the first 40 minutes, Gary Speed's men finally got in behind the Portsmouth defence and they should have taken the lead. Evans made good progress down the left and invitingly pulled back for Johnny Ertl but he sliced his shot wide from the edge of the area. Utaka was again the architect as Pompey showed some early second-half promise when he again beat Jean Calve with ease before seeing his shot blocked by Ertl, while Nugent's header at the far post was clawed away by Simonsen. Pompey were searching in vain for a deserved lead and Simonsen was again called into action with a stretching save to deny Liam Lawrence after the Republic of Ireland international had played a neat one-two with Nugent on the edge of the area. The onslaught continued against a dismal home side and Simonsen came to the hosts' rescue when his flying save tipped Lawrence's free-kick around the post.
    Price
    The visitors were unable to force an opener, though, and with 15 minutes remaining they paid the ultimate price when United went ahead with their first shot on target. After Carl Dickinson had handled, Evans stepped up and thumped a low effort past Jamie Ashdown and in off the post from 25 yards to give the Blades a lead even their most optimistic of fans could not have expected. Pompey pushed for a leveller in the final stages and Dave Kitson fired wide from an angle as they were left to rue a host of missed chances.

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