A Gustavo Hamer-inspired Sheffield United continued their good start to the EFL Championship season with a good victory away at Hull City on Friday night.
Chris Wilder’s side came into the game having won two and drawn two of their opening fixtures, while Hull City were yet to win a game themselves.
The Blades started off very much on the front foot, and it took just a quarter of an hour for them to strike: following a disappointing Hull City corner, Bachir Belloumi, signed from Portuguese side Farense in the summer, was caught napping by the electric Callum O’Hare, who raced through the middle, creating a three-on-one for the away side.
O’Hare deftly played the ball into the path of Gustavo Hamer, who still had plenty to do – he could have squared the ball, but instead fired the ball beautifully into the opposite corner of the net.
It was 1-0, and it was two players that worked together so beautifully in Coventry City’s journey to the 2023 play-off final that were working together once again.
Combining once again 🔗✨ pic.twitter.com/TQOwMDzKVp
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) September 13, 2024
Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear said in the week, speaking to The Square Ball podcast, that the Blades had labelled him “not for sale” this summer, and the Brazilian maestro was showing the world exactly why.
United continued to pile on the pressure for the remainder of the first half, but the finishing touch just wasn’t there.
However, Hull City could also have created some chances of their own – the final touch just wasn’t there, with the final pass always just too short, too close to the defender, too rushed.
Liam Millar and Cody Drameh replaced Abu Kamara and Ryan Giles at half time for the hosts, as Tim Walter looked to get his side back into the game.
However, it didn’t seem to work immediately, and Vinicius Souza could easily have doubled the lead early in the second half, with the ball dropping from a corner to give him a good opportunity on the half-volley, but it was saved well by Ivor Pandur in the Hull City net.
Hamer was forced off the field on the hour mark due to injury, and his side-kick O’Hare also came off as part of a triple change by Wilder, which included the introductions of Andre Brooks and Sam McCallum.
62′ – Triple change for the Blades. 🔁
🐯 #HCAFC 0-1 #SUFC ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ZglZ69l7N7
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) September 13, 2024
That came moments before a terrible Hull corner was followed by a cross from Belloumi that almost found its way into the net, forcing a scrambling Michael Cooper to send a desperate hand high, redirecting the ball over the crossbar.
Soon after, it was an unbelievable counter from United: Kieffer Moore put in the hard yards to chase a long, driven ball from a Hull corner, where Brooks backheeled the ball into the path of another former Coventry City man: stretching, McCallum poked the ball into the back of the net.
Sublime. 🤌pic.twitter.com/VwRHysQxb1
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) September 13, 2024
Wilder’s changes had, almost immediately, been shown to be inspired, and the Blades had breathing room.
This didn’t stop the hosts from trying to get one back, and a ball into the middle, around 15 minutes from time, saw a fantastic run from Millar that should really have resulted in a goal – his powerful header slammed against the bar, much to the relief of McCallum, whose defending there had left much to be desired.
Fancy another former Coventry man getting in on the action? Soon after this, a wonderful whipped ball from new signing Kasey Palmer could have also easily resulted in a goal for the Tigers, but Chris Bedia couldn’t direct the ball goalwards.
Naturally, Hull City, 2-0 down in the closing stages of a game at home, were on the front foot for much of the final ten minutes of the game, but the Blades rarely looked concerned.
Jamie Shackleton came on with minutes to go, making a debut for the club after leaving boyhood club Leeds United, and he helped to see the game out.
The win sees the Blades move up to third, at least for tonight, with the rest of the Championship set to play over Saturday and Sunday of this weekend.
Final score: Hull City 0-2 Sheffield United
GOALS: Gustavo Hamer (’15), Sam McCallum (’66)
Featured image credits: Magnis Manske via Wikimedia Commons
