Nick Blackman scores from the penalty spot.
The Blades unbeaten record continued but they were denied an undeserved home victory after visitors Oldham Athletic scored with almost the last kick of the game at Bramall Lane last Saturday.
In a tempestuous contest, United had been second best for much of the first half but had got in front after winning an extremely soft penalty which was converted by Nick Blackman. After this United had a brief spell of control but for the final period of the game; the Blades sat back deeper and deeper. Amidst a flurry of inexplicable refereeing decisions with booking aplenty; Oldham finally scored in the 97th minutes as referee Mathieson somehow found additional time within additional time to deny the Blades.
United made 2 chances from the win at Orient with George Long coming in for the injured Mark Howard and John Cofie getting the nod out wide to replace the departed Paul Gallagher. Another young keeper George Willis was on the bench alongside fellow academy product Jordan Chappell. Oldham had a mixture of experience and youth in their line up but would have been confident after recent victories and their dramatic win at the Lane last year.
The first half began with Oldham starting well and winning a free kick in the united half that led to a headed chance in the first minute. Athletic were most of the midfield battles. They were on top in the key areas but United had a half chance when Flynn played in McDonald but he could not get a shot in on goal. The rain had started and was now lashing it down as United struggled to get any kind of ascendancy in the game. Derbyshire was looking threatening and he nearly got in but Hill had to clear. Not long after Long had to parry Simpson’s long range shot and Grounds put in the rebound but was adjudged to be offside. Oldham then had another chance but Derbyshire flicked his header just wide. The visitors looked like the home side as they took the game to United and the Blades frustration was evident when McDonald picked up a booking for a clumsy foul. Montano was then booked for a pull back before McMahon was adjudged to have dived in and also picked up a yellow card as the game started to turn a little *****ly. Soon after the half time whistle came in a match that United had never really got going and had been fortunate to go in level.
The second half saw United show some improvements and Williams cantered down the left before his high cross nearly dropped in with Bouzanis backpedalling and clearly concerned. Doyle then finally had an effort on goal that was pushed away as United finally gave their fans something to cheer about. Soon after the cheers were even louder as they won a penalty kick.
The ball was played up to Kitson and as he tussled with M’Voto. There was grappling but it seemed like both players were grabbing each other and it was a surprise when the referee pointed to the spot in the softest of penalty decisions you could ever wish to see. Oldham’s manager Paul Dickov was furious and marched down the touchline and back to his box remonstrating with anyone who was within earshot.
BLACKMAN had to wait to take the kick as Mathieson wanted the ball right on the spot; wanted the keeper to be right on his line and all the players to be exactly outside of the box. Finally United’s leading striker coolly rolled the ball home to give United a lead they did not really deserve.
United had a decent spell after this and finally seemed to have wrested control of the game but then Montano fired over and Derbyshire headed wide again. Oldham then had a great chance as neat football saw the ball played into the path of Derbyshire whose close range shot was well saved by Long before Maguire eventually cleared. Blackman and M’Voto then clashed with both being booked before Cresswell replaced the disappointing Cofie.
The bookings continued at a rapid pace with Simpson clumsily battering Long as he caught the ball that infuriated the United players with Hill joining the Oldham man on the book. It was getting out of hand now with referee Mathieson having no control of the game whatsoever and it was now 8 players that had been booked; with 4 apiece on either side. United now were defending deeper and deeper and it seemed like they were hanging on but to be fair the defence had done their job and the chances had now dried up for the visitors. Croft clashed with a ball boy as he tried to get the game going and it seemed from the reaction from the crowd that the Oldham man may have taken his attempts to speed the game up too far. The niggly contest was threatening to boil over but as time ebbed away United should have sealed the game when Flynn sprinted clear, turned M’Voto expertly but then pulled his shot wide with the goal at his mercy. Oldham went right back up the other end and even the keeper went forward for a corner.
The referee deemed there would be 3 minutes of additional time to be played and United now were just trying to see the game out. Centre back M’Voto went up top and clattered Hill in a really poor challenge. After treatment the game carried on with whistle from the crowd ignored by Mathieson who seemingly had a different watch to the rest of the stadium.
As the game somehow continued into the 97th minute a final chance came as OIdham advanced into the United half and an excellent ball into the box caught United’s defence ball watching and as with a suspicion of offside, SMITH expertly steered the ball first time past Long. The Oldham players, management team and supporters went ballistic as they knew they had scored with virtually the last kick of the game. The kick off was taken but it was only moments later that the final whistle finally went. United players held their heads whilst Oldham celebrated like they had won the league! At full time there were odd scenes as one United supporter seemingly had got on the pitch and confronted the Oldham players whilst Lee Croft tried to get a handshake from the ball boy who he had clashed with earlier. The ball boy clearly looked in some distress and we wait if allegations about racism will prove founded or not. A sorry end to a poor advert to league one football in a game that ended with about the right result but was littered with poor play, awful tackles, bookings aplenty and shocking officiating.
United – A kick up the backside we probably need. Some of the comments from the camp after Orient suggested they had started to believe their own hype. Today we were shocking and it was one of the worst performances under Wilson’s tenure. The first half in particular we were shocking. We could not pass the ball, did not control the ball and were second to it all over the field. Our midfield got no grip on the game, we had no threat out wide and the front two were starved of service. The two centre backs did ok (they had to as were put under far more pressure than they should at home) but the two full backs were also error strewn. I felt we could not do any worse after the break and we did improve for a spell. After the lucky penalty kick award we ought to have got control but seemed to want to settle for 1-0 and started to defend deeper. We made some bad decisions with the ball and seemed to let the referee and some of Oldham’s ale house tactics concern us and became really nervous. The so called quality ball players such as McDonald and Flynn could not even trap the ball. You kind of felt it was inevitable we would concede but as the game entered 7 minutes of additional time it seemed as if we had done enough. However, we constantly gave the ball away instead of keeping it and there were several moments in the last minute or so we could have done enough to stop the ball coming into our half. If we had done one of those things right, the ref would have blown for full time but we sat deeper and deeper and then a good ball in, static defending and it was in.