Friday 14 November 2014 18:37, UK
Nigel Clough believes Sheffield Utd's promotion bid this season has been made harder due to the number of derby clashes in the league.
The Blades, who won at Bradford in last month and have already lost to Chesterfield and South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, face Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium this weekend. When asked if he felt the clashes against local rivals made his task more difficult, Clough said: "I think it does yes. "It makes for a few sort of cup finals throughout the season where form goes out of the window. "It's just purely about who can prevail on the day, who battles the most. Sometimes it does come down to that." Clough will go head-to-head on Saturday with Doncaster boss Paul Dickov, with whom he played alongside at Manchester City during the late 1990s. "I'll be up against a former team-mate in Paul Dickov and he played for us at Derby on loan as well, so we know Paul well and we're looking forward to it," he added. "We haven't fared too well in our local derbies, losing at home to Barnsley and at Chesterfield, so I think we're due a good result in one." The Blades, who have failed to score in their last three games, are currently eighth in the table, outside the top six on goal difference.
