Blades win at Hull to go top of the Championship

Sheffield United moved top of the Sky Bet Championship with a professional 2–0 victory at Hull.

Oli McBurnie had gone 43 games without scoring until he struck at Luton last month, but his third goal in as many matches put the visitors in control after 20 minutes.

Sander Berge then added a second with 15 minutes remaining after he pounced upon loose marking inside the right channel of the penalty area.

Berge’s strike might have been fortunate to have taken a sizeable deflection off defender Jacob Greaves, but it was ample reward for a man-of-the-match performance.

The Blades are now unbeaten in the league since the opening day of the season and were, despite a few scares along the way, good value for three points against disjointed hosts.

Hull made numerous eye-catching signings during the transfer window, with optimism high amongst supporters that they now have a squad capable of challenging for the play-offs.

But, ultimately, they paid the price for a sluggish start in front of a big crowd at the MKM Stadium – and never launched a sustained challenge to threaten their well-drilled Yorkshire rivals.

Indeed, Hull ought to have been 1-0 down after 18 minutes when Oliver Norwood’s reaching cross towards the right was expertly volleyed across the face of goal by George Baldock.

McBurnie was, though, caught flat-footed and failed to react to what should have been a routine half-volley from close range.

The Scotland international made amends two minutes later – though Hull goalkeeper Matt Ingram was desperately at fault for Sheffield United’s opener.

McBurnie was allowed by Alfie Jones to squirm into a shooting position towards the left-hand corner of the 18-yard box. His strike was on target, but Ingram somehow allowed the football to scuff beneath his body at his near-post.

Just when United looked set to cut loose following that deserved opener, Hull created their best chances of the game after 27 minutes.

Callum Elder did well to break down an eager counter-attack, from which his clearance found Oscar Estupinan out on his own inside the centre circle. Estupinan drove inside the Blades’ penalty area but looked jaded by the time he shot at Wes Foderingham, who reacted well to the initial effort before doing even better on the follow-up from the Portuguese.

Any momentum Hull had hoped to build after the restart was quickly subdued by a combination of wayward passing and neat possession-based football from Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

Shota Arveladze’s men at least rallied gamely as the second half progressed – most notably once influential playmaker Jean Michael Seri returned from injury as a substitute.

But once Berge quietened the raucous home support with a second after 75 minutes, a routine away win was never in doubt.