Aune Heggebo’s rich scoring streak and a thunderous Karlan Grant finish lifted the pressure on Ryan Mason as West Bromwich Albion beat Sheffield United 2-0 at The Hawthorns to halt the visitors’ six-game unbeaten run in the Championship.
After a first half in which the Blades created the clearer chances, Albion seized control after the break. Heggebo’s seventh goal in seven games and Grant’s emphatic second, controversially allowed to stand despite contact with Mark McGuinness, moved West Brom back up to 14th and within three points of the play-offs, while United stay 17th after their first league defeat since early November.
Blades Start Brightly but Fail to Punish Vulnerable Hosts
The opening 45 minutes reflected the contrasting moods around the two clubs. Mason came into the night under scrutiny after successive defeats at QPR and Southampton and six losses in ten, with Albion slipping into the bottom half and their poor away record casting a shadow over their season. Sheffield United, by contrast, arrived unbeaten in six and sensing an opportunity, with Chris Wilder making six changes from the midweek draw with Norwich but keeping momentum and belief.