To have led twice and still be level going into the fourth and final minute of injury time, leaving Bramall Lane empty-handed shouldn’t have been on the cards for the Whites, writes Pete Oliver.
But a cruel 94th-minute winner determined the outcome as Wanderers’ superb second-half performance ultimately counted for nothing.
The two disappointments of the night were the failure to hold onto the lead for more than a few minutes combined as first Xavier Simon’s lightning-fast goal and Sam Dalby’s second-half header were cancelled out.
The positives – and lessons learned – shouldn’t be forgotten, though, as Steven Schumahcer’s men underlined their Championship credentials before the pain of a second successive defeat.
Wanderers made three changes to their starting line-up following last Saturday’s first league loss and it was one of those restored to the ranks who made an instant impact with a goal after just 24 seconds.
Simons’ last visit to the Steel City had seen the midfielder sent off in the season-opening Carabao Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday.
Back from a three-match ban, the midfielder showed no rustiness as he hooked home a controlled finish to register a first Championship goal for Wanderers after Thierry Gale had been released on the break and punched a hole in the Blades’ defence.
That silenced the home crowd who had barely finished their rendition of ‘greasy chip butty’ but, crucially, Wanderers didn’t hold onto their lead for more than a few minutes.
Gaizka Larrazabal, another back in the starting line-up, conceded a free-kick and when Sydie Peck swung it in, United captain Japhet Tanganga got the wrong side of the Whites’ defence to head home.
The Whites were then own worst enemies for a spell as they gave away cheap possession and invited United on, only an excellent goalline clearance from Chris Forino preventing Patrick Bamford giving the hosts the lead.
But United weren’t exactly rock-solid at the back either and more trickery from Gale presented John McAtee with a chance to level which he hit at defender Mark McGuiness inside the six-yard box mid-way through an opening half which surprisingly didn’t yield another goal.
Gale had been Wanderers’ greatest attacking threat against makeshift right-back Hamza Choudhury and within moments of the re-start he nearly repeated the trick of a quick-fire goal with an effort which had goalkeeper Michael Cooper at full stretch.
Sam Iling-Junior then joined in when coming off the other flank to make space in the box for an angled shot which failed to find the target before Ben Brereton Diaz headed wide at the other end after Jack Bonham had mis-judged a Romelle Donovan cross.
Wanderers were giving as good as they got, though, and another burst into the box from Gale ended with a shot that flew over the top and when McAtee swung a leg at a ball that dropped to him in the penalty area he sent an effort only inches wide.
The momentum and belief was growing and with 25 minutes to go the Whites regained the lead with an excellent goal. Akin Famewo’s floated pass released Gale and this time the wingman crossed perfectly for Dalby to climb and head powerfully home.
Wanderers looked to be taking a grip but the advantage lasted for an even shorter period this time as the unbeaten Blades were again allowed to hit straight back within a minute.
Chris Forino blocked Donovan’s initial ball in but when the wideman had the chance to try again, Bamford was in the right place to force home the low cross.
It was another blow for the Whites but they responded gamely and with a quarter of an hour to go thought they had gone in front for a third time when Simons’ cross was met by McAtee with a header which Cooper half-saved but needed the woodwork to come to his rescue to complete the stop before the ball bounced agonisingly wide off the keeper’s head.
There was seemingly no settling for a point as Schumacher made positive changes from the bench and captain Josh Sheehan, who again led by example with a classy showing, forced Cooper into another save and Iling-Junior also tested the busy Blades’ keeper in a power-packed finish.
That point would have felt precious, though, when deep into injury-time United pinched a winner to claim their first league win of the campaign.
The two number 11s had been the game’s eye-catchers and it was the Blades’ version who settled it when Wanderers lost the ball in the middle of the pitch, Kalvin Phillips released Donovan and he raced into the box to lash a shot just inside the post and into the top corner of the net. Cruel indeed.
Wanderers: Bonham; Larrazabal (Brunt HT), Forino, Davies, Famewo (Conway 81); Iling-Junior, Simons (Erhahon 90), Sheehan, Gale (Nelson 81); McAtee (Rodrigues 75), Dalby. Substitutes: Bazunu, Dong, Toal, Hardie.
Booked: Larrazabal, McAtee
Sheffield United: Cooper; Choudhury, Tanganga, McGuiness, McCallum (Norrington-Davies, 86); Donovan, Peck (Arblaster 61), Riedewald (Phillips 61), Brereton Diaz (Shackleton 80), Bamford, Campbell (Cannon 61). Substitutes: Davies, Doherty, Rothwell, Baptiste.
Booked: None
Referee: Tony Harrington
Attendance: 25,714