Thomas Smith at The Hawthorns
Sheffield United reclaimed second place in the SkyBet Championship with a 1-0 win at fellow promotion chasers West Bromwich Albion.
Kieran Dowell’s 14th-minute header proved the difference as the Blades recorded their eighth victory in their past 12 league outings.
Albion thought they had snatched an equaliser six minutes from time, but Jay Rodriguez’ effort was correctly ruled out for handball.
Defeat means West Brom failed to close the gap on Norwich City and Leeds United and remain without a home success since Boxing Day.
At the top of the tale it was Rodriguez who was first to threaten either backline when he tried his luck with an ambitious long-range half-volley, before going a little closer with a header from a Mason Holgate cross. Although the best chance inside ten-minutes fell to Kieron Freeman who slashed over following a cute Billy Sharp lay off.
The Blades’ leading marksman had been picked out by overlapping centre-back Martin Cranie and it was from another of his inviting deliveries just five minutes later that the deadlock was broken.
Cranie appeared to have given up hope of reaching Freeman’s heavy pass and almost half-heartedly clipped the ball into the box on the slide. However, his delivery was met wholeheartedly by the leaping Dowell who timed his climb perfectly to guide a measured header beyond the stretching Johnstone.
The recalled David McGoldrick was next to find himself wrestling with possession on the byline but selfishly opted for an attempt to thunder a second United goal through the tightest of margins. It was soon to be by the finest of those all crucial margins that Dwight Gayle, upon his return from a two-game suspension, missed out on diverting Rekeem Harper’s shanked strike to level matters.
A nervousness that had blighted Albion continued after the interval and when Hegazi stalled on a clearance Sharp was a split second away from pouncing to double the lead. His counterpart Gayle did briefly allude a dozing United defence but was swiftly shut out by Edna Stevens; and even when he did escape all of the the visitors’ clutches his low cross was gobbled up by Dean Henderson.
The Blades were in reality no less culpable for carelessness in possession but manager Chris Wilder should be delighted with their desire and persistent energy levels to snatch it back so routinely.
Although when they did get their foot on the ball a series of neat interchanges presented promising openings, one of which saw Sharp put his first real chance wide of the mark. Another, created by the outstanding Dowell, tested the handling of Johnstone when Madine went for placement over power.
It became increasingly apparent that the Baggies would require something of a helping hand to breakdown a stubborn United rearguard and had it not been for the eagle eyed officials they may have just got that. But Holgate, whose deliveries were Darren Moore’s sides best threat, had his cross turned in by the flailing right arm of Rodriguez to lengthen Albion’s home stumblings.
West Bromwich Albion: 1.Sam Johnstone, 68.Mason Holgate, 25.Craig Dawson, 26.Ahmed Hejazi (24.Tosin Adarabioyo 64′), 3.Kieran Gibbs, 18.Gareth Barry (c), 8.Jake Livermore (21.Kyle Edwards 87’), 34.Rekeem Harper, 10.Matt Phillips(15.Jefferson Montero 64’), 16.Dwight Gayle, 19.Jay Rodriguez.
Unused Subs: 23.Jonathan Bond, 5.Kyle Bartley, 28.Sam Field, 6.Stefan Johansen.
Sheffield United: 1.Dean Henderson, 3.Edna Stevens, 28.Martin Cranie(6.Chris Basham 75’), 12. John Egan (19. Richard Stearman 45’), 18.Kieron Freeman, 4.John Fleck, 8.Kieran Dowell, 16.Ollie Norwood, 22.Marvin Johnson, 10.Billy Sharp, 17.David McGoldrick (14.Gary Madine 64’).
Unused Subs: 25.Simon Moore, 15.Paul Coutts, 21.Mark Duffy, 11.Scott Hogan.
Referee: Oliver Langford
Bookings. Dowell,
Attendance: 24,928
Derby Uni Footy Journos 
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