The Blades recent winning run at home came to an end as they could not do enough to see off Hull City at the Lane. United, as they did on Saturday, struggled to create much in an attacking sense and missed the rested Billy Sharp upfront. McBurnie and Ndiaye had chances in either half and Ingram made the saves although both were straight at the visiting keeper. Hull offered little going the other way and slowed down and spoilt things with the action often stopped and the ball seemingly rarely in play for a continuous amount of proper time. A weak referee failed to stamp down on these tactics but to be fair to Hull they were not troubled much all evening and were well organised and hard-working throughout denying United space in the box.

Manager Heckingbottom resorted back to the midfield duo of Hourihane and Norwood, which has been so successful and so far before today unbeaten when they have paired together. Berge and Fleck were dropped to the bench. Ndiaye came back in for McBurnie and with doubts over whether Brewster and now McGoldrick will play again this season, United was severely stretched at the top of the pitch and they chose to rest leading scorer Billy Sharp. Wing back Jayden Bogle was out with a knee injury so Baldock went back to the right and Norrington Davies came back in.

Hull under new manager, Georgian Shota Arveladze, featured former Blade Regan Slater starting in midfield. Loan striker from Brentford Markus Forss began upfront. They brought a sizeable following over for a midweek game that had been rearranged from the Christmas period.

Sheffield United 0-0 Hull City
Tuesday, 15^th February 2022
SkyBet Championship
Report by deadbat

United started well on top with Norwood and Hourihane seeing a lot of the ball and Hull packing the defence and midfield areas. United tried to be patient but Norrington Davies and Baldock could not deliver the crosses when well positioned and Gibbs White was not able to get on the ball and impact things. The start of the game lacked fluidity as twice Hull saw players have to get treatment and twice, they had to change their shirts due to blood injuries. Already Ingram was also taking forever over set plays and the game seemed to be rarely in play.

When it was, the Blades were dominating the ball but were not able to create any clear chances so far despite winning two early corners. Robinson had a header off target from a ball that was played in from Hourihane and then Gibbs White had a shot blocked after the best move of the game from the home side.

Hull had not threatened but it became clear that the main source of attack would come from the ball down the right for Lewis Potter to chase and he did get away from Basham and Baldock twice leading to a spell of play for them finally after barely seeing the ball. They had one good chance but Forss who was unmarked dragged his shot wide before Lewis Potter fired wide. For all the ball United had, Hull had as many shots go in as the home side.

Norrington Davies did well and sent over a dangerous cross but Gibbs White could not quite get there and the ball squirmed away from him and into the hands of Ingram. Ndiaye and Gibbs White then finally linked but the former fired over after a decent bit of set-up from himself for the shot.

A ball down the left channel saw Mcloughlin make a mess of the bouncing ball and McBurnie was in but his shot on the angle was rather telegraphed and Ingram stood up to make the save before at the other end Hourihane’s rare sloppy pass saw Smallwood advance and fire over the top. There was 7 minutes of stoppage time played and Honeyman scythed down Norrington Davies to go into the book before a decent passage of play saw the ball come over but McBurnie got to get his head onto the ball from Norwood’s cross and diverted it over on the stretch.

United started the second half on top but again the clear chances were not really coming and Ingram had still only made one save of note. McBurnie looped over another header and then at the other end Hull won a corner as the cross was fired at the midriff of MacBurnie. United continued to dominate the ball but time and time again the final ball was poor. Norrington Davies was proving more effective than Baldock in that at least he was able to carry the ball deep into Hull territory this half.

United broke out as a Hull player appealed for a foul but Gibbs White was away and slipped in Ndiaye but the striker took too long, as he did last week against West Brom, and his effort was straight at Ingram who saved. It was his second one on one miss in consecutive home games and the best chance of the game.

Norwood in a rare carry through with the ball was tripped but Houirhane’s effort deflected wide for a corner before after being booked, Ndiaye was taken off for Sharp. Eaves came on for Forss for Hull as City rotated their lone striker but Lewis Potter’s pace and trickery continued to be their main threat on the break and Baldock upended him for a free-kick that United cleared.

Gibbs White drew a booking from McLoughlin and the free-kick, the Wolves loanee fired a volley wide before Berge came on for Hourihane as the game entered the last 10 minutes. United knew there would be a fair bit of time added on as Hull continued to take their time over everything but Ingram remarkably still had not been booked.

Berge twice won corners with powerful running but on the break, Longman has the best chance of the closing stages as he came inside and fired wide. Baldock was booked for a clumsy foul in the build of this chance.

The game entered four minutes of stoppage time and United won a late corner but the diagonal chipped balls were easy for Hull to mop up and the Blades could not create a clear chance or attack of significance before the full-time whistle went in a disappointing evening. Whilst Saturday, the Blades could argue it was a point gained, tonight was two dropped and a game in hand where they would have expected to have won, gone awry.

Sheffield United: Foderingham, Baldock, Basham, McBurnie, Egan, Norwood, Robinson, Hourihane (Berge 79), Gibbs-White, Ndiaye (Sharp 68), Norrington-Davies.
Unused: A. Davies, Fleck, B. Davies, Goode, Jebbison.

Hull City: Ingram, Coyle (Elder 19), Greaves, Smallwood, Honeyman, Lewis-Potter, Longman, McLoughlin, Fleming, Slater (Jones 71), Forss (Eaves 55). Unused: Docherty, Moncur, Bernard, Cartwright.