Match Report
Sheffield United (0) 3-3 (0) Fulham
Premier League Match Day 30 23/24 at Bramall Lane, Sheffield
Saturday 30th March 2024 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
|
An incredible second half saw Fulham and Sheffield United play out a 3-3 draw at Bramall Lane.
The Whites dominated the opening 45 but went in level, and were then punished when Ben Brereton Diaz netted.
Joao Palhinha responded immediately, but goals from Oli McBurnie and another from Brereton Diaz put the Blades in control.
The turning point then came when another McBurnie strike was ruled out by VAR for offside, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid able to reduce the deficit at the other end.
A goal of the season contender from Rodrigo Muniz in stoppage time earned a point as his overhead kick found its target, the only frustration being that we couldn’t nick what would have been a deserved winner thereafter.
With the international period throwing up no new injury problems, Marco Silva was able to name an unchanged side to the one that defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 a fortnight previous.
Fulham controlled the early proceedings without creating a plethora of chances – Antonee Robinson stinging the palms of Ivo Grbic from range the only shot on target we had to show for our dominance in the opening 20.
If anyone was going to break the deadlock, Muniz would have been a good shout, and he almost did just that in the 38th minute, poking goalwards from close range, requiring Grbic to push it onto the post. The ball came back to Muniz but at an impossible angle, and he sent his rabona off target.
We hadn’t seen much of United at all in the first half, but a well struck Gustavo Hamer hit from the edge of the box sailed just a yard wide to give the home fans something to applaud.
That Muniz rabona showed the confidence of the man, and he twice went close to the opener in the opening stages of the second half with lovely attempts. First his volley from an Andreas Pereira corner was deflected behind, and then his looping header from the same teammate’s cross had Grbic beaten but came back off the post.
It had been a good start from the Whites, with a decent opportunity falling Sasa Lukic’s way in the area following positive running from Willian, but Ben Osborn made a crucial block to repel the strike.
Similarly last ditch defending then denied Alex Iwobi, as Fulham continued to turn the screw.
But, out of nowhere, the hosts went in front. Tosin’s pass out of defence was intercepted, leaving our backline exposed, and Brereton Diaz could not miss after McBurnie put it on a plate.
The Fulham response was immediate, though. Andreas’ corners had been dangerous all afternoon, this time Palhinha ran across goal to meet it and guide his header over Grbic and inside the far post.
We hoped that would put us back in the ascendency, but another suckerpunch saw us fall behind once more. The roles were reversed this time, with Brereton Diaz latching onto a quick free-kick and squaring for McBurnie to tuck in.
| Match Stats |
Sheff Utd |
Fulham |
| Goals |
(0) 3 |
3 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Brereton 58 |
Palhinha 62 |
|
McBurnie 68 |
De Cordova-Reid 86 |
|
Brereton 70 |
Muniz 93 |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
8 |
24 |
| On target |
4 |
9 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
50% |
38% |
| Possession |
26% |
74% |
| Passes |
215 |
592 |
| Passes Success |
62% |
86% |
| Crosses |
10 |
41 |
| Crosses Success |
30% |
32% |
| Corners |
2 |
15 |
| Tackles |
19 |
9 |
| Tackles Success |
58% |
67% |
| Saves |
6 |
1 |
| Fouls |
10 |
13 |
| Offsides |
2 |
0 |
| Yellows |
4 |
1 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
Things then went from bad to worse as Hamer’s deep cross was converted at the back stick by Brereton Diaz.
McBurnie thought he’d grabbed his second, jabbing home when Fulham failed to clear a free-kick, but VAR spotted an offside in the build-up.
Tom Cairney and De Cordova-Reid had come on to try and find a way back into things, and they combined to do just that when our skipper teed up the winger who lashed in accurately from 20 yards.
Fellow substitute Adama Traore skewed one wide as we approached the end of normal time, with the announcement of 14 added minutes buoying the away fans and irking the home.
Muniz only needed three of them to make his mark, sending an incredible overhead kick into the corner of the net from Traoré’s clipped cross.
With plenty of time still to play, the ball did not leave the Blades half as Fulham tried everything to snatch a dramatic winner. Muniz and Cairney each drew saves from Grbic, but in the end we had to settle for a point on a remarkable afternoon in South Yorkshire.
Fulham head coach Marco Silva said: "I have to say it was an exciting game for the people who were here, but I have to be honest, it was a disappointing result for us.
"When you are dominant from the first minute like we were, the team who created more clear chances to win the game, it is disappointing.
"Of course the reaction as a team, it was fantastic. We refused to lose this game because of the way we dominated.
"We showed the quality to come back from 3-1, scoring two great goals and creating more chances even to win the game in the last minutes."
Sheffield United : Grbic, Holgate, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Bogle, Souza (Trusty 85), Arblaster (Norwood 85), Hamer, Osborn, McBurnie (McAtee 90), Brereton
Unused substitutes: Foderingham, Ben Slimane, Larouci, Curtis, Osula, Brooks
Goals:
Brereton-Diaz 58 (This had not been coming!
Fulham have dominated this second half, with a goal feeling just a matter of time... and then Tosin gifts Sheff Utd the ball in his own half.
McBurnie punishes him, racing into the box before producing a great cross for his strike partner.
Brereton-Diaz just has to tap the ball into the empty net - and Sheff Utd's survival hopes receive a huge boost!
FPL Assist: McBurnie)
McBurnie 68 (An assist and now a goal for McBurnie!
Again it's sloppy from Fulham, who are sleeping as Sheff Utd take a quick free-kick inside their opponents' half.
Brereton-Diaz is slipped into the area and he returns the favour for his earlier goal, sliding the ball across to McBurnie to fire into the net.)
rereton-Diaz 70 (INCREDIBLE! Sheff Utd can almost touch the three points now!
But this is being checked for handball...
Hamer delivers a great inswinging cross from the left and picks out Brereton-Diaz at the back post.
The forward bundles the ball past Leno. It's an untidy finish and there's suggestions it came off his arm.
In the celebrations, Wilder went charging down the touchline and booted a bottle into the stands!
FPL Assist: Harmer)
Booked: Holgate (61,f), Norwood (98,dis), Hamer (99,arg), Bogle (102,f),
Fulham : Leno, Castagne (Tete 85), Tosin (Jimenez 85), Bassey, Robinson, Palhinha, Lukic (Traore 63), Iwobi (Cairney 74), Pereira (De Cordova-Reid 85), Willian, Muniz
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Reed, Wilson, Ream
Goals:
Palhinha 62(Terrific header!
This is awful from Sheff Utd. Pereira swings in a right-wing corner and Palhinha has the freedom of Bramall Lane to guide a near-post header inside the far corner.
Grbic has no chance - and is entitled to ask his defenders what on earth they were doing.
"It is so, so cheap, it is just a corner and Palhinha just walks into the six-yard box, a free header and Wilder will be livid."
FPL Assist: Pereira)
De Cordova-Reid 86(WOW, what a strike from distance and could Fulham still be in with a chance in this game? Surely not!
But from a quickly taken free kick by Cairney, the hosts are caught out as the midfielder drives towards goal and then lays the ball off for Reid, who then finds the bottom lefthand corner of the net with a low drive from the edge of the box.
FPL Assist: Cairney)
Muniz 90+3 (INCREDIBLE!! WHAT A GOAL!!
Unbelievable, just unbelievable.
The Blades think they have dealt with the danger, but Fulham rework the ball out to the right for Traore, who works himself some space, before floating the ball into the heart of the area where Muniz pulls off a ridiculous overhead bicycle kick that flies past a motionless Grbic.)
Booked: Bassey (99,arg),
Referee:
Tim Robinson (West Sussex)
Attendance: 30,010
Fulham are next in action away at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Tuesday; kick-off 7.30pm. Marco Silva's side then play Newcastle United at The Cottage on Saturday 6th April kick-off 3.00pm