Sheffield United hosted West Bromwich Albion in a closely fought 1-1 draw, with George Campbell scoring at both ends to give ensure a share of the points.
Both teams will have wanted more out of the game as this fixture could be a defining moment for the rest of each team’s respective seasons.
The Blades may have wished for a victory as they try and make a late push for the play-off positions.
Meanwhile, the Baggies would have wanted to create more space between them and Leicester, with a chance for a potential three-point gap from safety being wasted.
George Campbell will be both happy and disappointed with his performance at Bramall Lane.
The 24-year-old had scored an own goal to put his side behind in the first half, when Gustavo Hamer whipped a low cross in to the box, and the American tapped the ball into his own net.
However, the American would make up for his mistake in the 83rd minute when he picked up the ball on the edge of the box before dispatching past Adam Davies.
That marked the centre-back’s second goal since his move from CF Montreal at the start of the season.
Since the absence of Michael Cooper, Sheffield United have been forced to rely on Adam Davies between the sticks.
Whilst Davies looked like an adequate backup in the Blades last game against Queen’s Park Rangers, with him preventing 0.59 goals and keeping a clean sheet, the 33-year-old was not as impressive as impressive against the Baggies.
Whilst the goal he conceded was hardly his fault, his passing today was highly inaccurate, with only 35% of his long passes finding his teammates and only 57% of his total passes being accurate.
While alarm bells won’t be ringing just yet, Blades fans will certainly be eagerly awaiting the return of Michael Cooper, whether it be this season or next.
Since the Dutchman arrived in Sheffield in October, Jairo Riedewald has arguably been a stand-out performer in the midfield whenever he plays.
Yesterday, against West Brom, nothing was different as the midfielder was an ever-present figure across the pitch. Going forward, an 89% pass percentage is nothing to be angry about.
As for his defensive duties, three recoveries, two clearances and one block appear to be good numbers. He also completed 75% of his ground duels and won his one and only aerial duel.
With this in mind, it is safe to say Chris Wilder could have the Dutchman high up in the pecking order for the remainder of the season.
Today was a huge chance for West Brom to build some distance between themselves and Leicester City, who currently sit in 22nd after their six point deduction.
While the Baggies did increase the gap to a point, it still keeps them close to the drop.
With games against Ipswich, Millwall, and Wrexham on the horizon, Eric Ramsay’s side will still be looking over their shoulder to the relegation zone for the remainder of the campaign.
With 49 points, Sheffield United in eleventh place and just eight points off Wrexham in sixth.
While the possibility of making the play-offs for a consecutive season may seem slim, it’s not impossible.
However, the Blades need to start picking up results, particularly in games like this one against struggling oppositions.
But, it can be said that Sheffield United fans will be happy to even be in this position considering their woeful start to the season, where they sat on zero points after the first six fixtures.
