Another thrilling game at Bramall Lane on Saturday as Sheffield United and Norwich City continued their winless runs with a 2-2 draw.
The result could have been so different had Teemu Pukki dispatched his penalty and completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute.
Both sides were heading into the match desperate for a win, despite sitting in the playoffs prior to kick-off. The Blades were winless in their last five league matches, and the Canaries hadn’t won in their last four.
Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom made four changes to his side’s midweek defeat away to Coventry City, as Billy Sharp, Rhian Brewster, John Fleck and James McAtee all returned to the starting eleven.
As for Norwich, Dean Smith handed summer signing Isaac Hayden his first start of the season after the midfielder missed the opening games through injury. Todd Cantwell and Dimitrios Giannoulis started from the off as well.
It didn’t take long for the opening goal to go in, but it was scored in bizarre circumstances. Goalkeeper Davies was put under pressure by Pukki, and his attempted clearance cannoned off the Norwich City forward’s foot and into the back of the net.
United found it hard to grow into the game, and their afternoon was made worse when Aarons played a long ball in behind Egan, who lost a race with Pukki to the ball. The Canaries striker bagged his brace with a cool finish across goal into the bottom left corner, and it was no more than they deserved.
Sheffield United couldn’t fashion any clear-cut chances in the first half. Their best attempt was a Brewster header over the bar.
Halftime can always be a caveat for teams to find some momentum, and this was exactly the case for the Blades.
They started the second half on the front foot and after some dangerous attacks and half chances, found a way to break the Norwich defence.
Sharp found himself in the penalty area, and his strike deflected towards Osborn, who hammered home from close range and put life back into the Bramall Lane faithful.
Norwich then struggled to get out of their half, and United piled on more pressure. A floated ball to the back post found Egan, who headed back across goal, and substitute McBurnie slid the ball home to send Bramall Lane into raptures.
The drama was far from over as Egan tripped up Norwich substitute Gibbs in the penalty area, and Pukki had the perfect chance to seal his hat-trick and all three points for the Canaries.
But Davies atoned for his error in the first half by diving low to his left and tipping Pukki’s penalty wide.
The game ended all square leaving both sides still waiting to end their winless runs. It was the definition of ‘a game of two halves’, which could prove to be a vital point for either team in the race for promotion later on in the season.
Sheffield United: Davies; Ahmedhozic, Egan, Basham; Baldock, Norwood, Fleck (Doyle 58’), Osborn; McAtee (Ndiaye 45’); Brewster (McBurnie 64’), Sharp (Khadra 80’).
Norwich City: Gunn; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Giannoulis (Springett 71’); Ramsey (Gibbs 75’), Hayden (Hernández 75’), Nunez (Sinani 90’); Cantwell, Pukki, Sargent.
