Sheffield United climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with a 3-0 win over 10-man Portsmouth, a result driven by Sydie Peck’s first senior goal, Patrick Bamford’s long-awaited strike and a spectacular late effort from Gus Hamer. The contest hinged on Terry Devlin’s red card for handling Japhet Tanganga’s goal-bound header on the line shortly before half-time, handing the Blades a penalty and a numerical advantage they would never relinquish.
Peck converted from the spot after Bamford, on his first start for the club, passed him responsibility, before the former Leeds striker finally broke a 19-month scoring drought by scrambling in a rebound early in the second half. Substitute Hamer then stepped off the bench to curl in a brilliant third from distance, sealing back-to-back victories for Chris Wilder’s side and extending Portsmouth’s worrying run of form.
The Blades arrived buoyed by a resounding 3-0 Steel City derby triumph at Hillsborough on Sunday and seeking only their second home win of the season. They took seven points from the last nine available with this victory and, in truth, always looked the likelier winners in a meeting of two teams trying to pull clear of early-season trouble.
For John Mousinho’s Portsmouth, this was a night that underlined both their fragility and the fine margins at this level. They had won just one of their previous seven league matches before kick-off, and although the Portsmouth manager felt there had been “absolutely nothing in it” before the red card, set-piece frailties and a lack of aggression at key moments once again proved decisive. The defeat leaves Pompey only a point above Sheffield United and two clear of the bottom three.