Tyrese Campbell's second-half goal was the decisive factor in a hard-fought Steel City derby, propelling Sheffield United into second place in the Championship after defeating their arch-rivals, Sheffield Wednesday.
The clashes between Sheffield's two major teams have been rare in recent seasons, with this being only the fifth competitive match since 2012 and the first in over 2,000 days. The previous three encounters had all ended in goalless draws, and during the initially cautious first half at Bramall Lane, it seemed this could be the fourth consecutive stalemate.
However, Campbell's goal five minutes into the second half ultimately made the difference, ensuring Chris Wilder's team maintained their impressive start to the season. They are now level on points with Sunderland at the top and have conceded just seven goals in their first 15 games, a defensive record only bettered by Burnley.
After the disappointment of last season's demotion from the Premier League, Wilder appears to have rebuilt his hometown club and positioned them well for an immediate return. He, more than most, would have relished this victory.
A full house at Bramall Lane held their breath, anticipating the first derby of the season to ignite, but in reality, the opening 45 minutes were quite subdued. No Sheffield United player had previously participated in a Steel City derby, but they held their own in the first half, despite not creating any clear-cut chances.
The only notable incident was a booking for Wednesday's captain, Barry Bannan, after his tackle on Harrison Burrows sparked a brief scuffle as half-time approached. However, United returned with greater intent after the break and five minutes into the second half, they took the lead.
The hosts' well-executed corner routine saw Gus Hamer feed the ball to Callum O'Hare, who then slipped it to Campbell to slot the ball past James Beadle and break the deadlock. This left Wednesday facing an uphill task to salvage anything from the game, with the Blades on a streak of five consecutive home clean sheets at Bramall Lane.
The hosts' impressive defensive resilience meant they always kept Wednesday at bay. Anthony Musaba came close for the visitors in the final stages as his driving run was thwarted by a superb block from Femi Seriki, but that was as good as it got for the visitors, as the Blades reasserted their dominance in Sheffield.
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