Sheffield United 2-0 Hull City

City started slowly. David Livermore replaced Wayne Brown at centre-back but we were otherwise unchanged. From the first minute, we had a lot of trouble stopping them down our left hand side. Cotterill gave Andy Dawson all sorts of problems and Billy Sharp was looking to get in behind Livermore wherever possible. Fortunately, they were wasteful from good positions and we started to gain a foothold in the game. As the half went on, we looked more and more comfortable and we started to put moves together, generally involving the excellent Bryan Hughes. Livermore, for us, and Morgan, for them, were booked for taking down Sharp and Campbell respectively. I thought we were on the wrong end of some soft decisions from the referee, Phil Dowd. He gave them a lot of free kicks where any contact looked minimal. It's hard to recall too many chances in the first half. Billy Sharp headed the only clear cut chance over the bar. That scare aside, we looked comfortable in defence, Livermore took up decent positions and put his 'safety first' attitude to good effect. James Beattie was pretty well marshaled by Ricketts and Turner but won plenty of headers, which would cost us as the game went on. We played some decent stuff and looked the better team going into the break. On half time, Campbell latched onto a long ball and Morgan pulled him back when he was clear. The ref initially allowed the advantage but when there wasn't one, he gave a free kick and, after consulting the Lino, sent Morgan off for a second bookable offence. It should've been a straight red but we won't split hairs.

I was confident at half time. The opposition were down to ten men. City had weathered the storm and grown in belief as the half went on. It wouldn't be easy but if we played like we have recently, we'd nick it, I was sure.

What happened was an absolute nightmare. Sheff United were galvanized by the sending off. They marched onto the pitch with the bit between their teeth and with steely determination in their eyes. City didn't even turn up. They attacked with pace and verve, looking for all the world like they had 2 extra players, not 1 less. Only a wonder save from Myhill kept the scores level after they ripped us apart down our left before they scored with their next attack. It was a stupid goal to concede. I'm sure Phil Brown will be furious. They crossed from our left (again), Beattie out-jumped Ricketts to head across goal and Sharp nodded down for Stephen Quinn to arrive at speed and hit a fantastic volley away from Boaz and into the net. City let a cross come in far too easily, lost the first aerial battle, got nowhere near Sharp and then watched Quinn float into the area unmarked. For much of the rest of the game, we were in control. We had lots of possession and space out wide but we rarely created a chance. We didn't pass the ball quickly or accurately enough and our delivery from set pieces and wide positions was poor. We brought Pedersen on for Fagan and then Windass for Dawson. Ped went to left back and Windass made a three up front. It didn't really make a difference. Our service into the front guys was poor. Sheff United defended well, they sat deep and left no space in behind. They were happy to let us have the ball and pass it, knowing we would struggle to get in behind them. We tried to match their three in the midfield, leaving space wide for Ricketts and Pedersen to attack, which they did quite well but didn't produce anything through a mix of poor delivery and good defending. In the middle of all that, Sheff United had another spell of pressure, winning several corners. From one attack, Sharp nipped in behind Livermore in the box and Livermore fell on top of him. Beattie scored the penalty. Myhill went the right way but it was hit far too hard and accurately. We continued to attack but it was all too predictable. We kept the ball for a spell, Hughes and Marney looked for openings but failed to find them and we ended up hitting a hopeful diagonal ball. There's nothing wrong with hitting the big diagonal, Sheff U did it at times with great effect as Beattie pulled wide and then got a run on the defenders to head towards the box. When we did it, however, the balls weren't long enough or accurate enough so Folan or Windass pulled wide and then couldn't get anywhere near the balls. Marney hit a right foot shot just wide with 20 minutes to go. We really needed that to go in. Folan headed just wide and Windass had a free kick saved, that was about the total sum of our second half efforts.

Myhill was one of the few players to come out with any credit. He took his share of crosses and made a world class stop at nil all. Ricketts had a tough time as Beattie pulled onto him when he could. He was found wanting a little bit. He attacked well but couldn't produce in the last third. Dawson struggled to get anywhere near Cotterill in the first half and was the obvious choice to be replaced. He passed poorly and crossed worse. Livermore had a decent first half against a tough opponent. Billy Sharp is a comedy finisher but a decent footballer. They were looking to release him and Cotterill with diagonal balls throughout the first half. Livermore dealt quite well with them. In the second half, there wasn't as much to do defensively but he still did OK and he brought the ball out of defence well. The penalty was naïve; I don't think Wayne Brown would have ended up in that position. Turner looked shaky with Livermore alongside him, perhaps as though he felt under pressure to perform better than usual. He didn't judge the ball in the air as well as he does and he was out-jumped by Beattie on occasion.

Fagan had another poor game. He saw more of the ball than he did on Tuesday and made the occasional decent lay-off but generally failed to get beyond his full back, particularly in the second half when he was one-on-one with him twice and tried to run through him. He was unsurprisingly pulled in the second half. Hughes had a good game; he was the pick of our team. He looked lively in the first half and in the second, he was about the only player who looked like he might unlock their defence. He was calm in possession, made the best decisions and had the skill and swerve to beat a man. Had the rest of our midfield played as well as him, we would've been out of sight. Ash and Marney had similar games. They didn't get into Sheffield United enough, at times they let players run at us and they failed to track Quinn for the first goal. In possession, Ash did the simple things, as he does, but Marney needed to perform as well as Hughes and he didn't. He didn't drive from midfield. He didn't look like he believed he could run through them or make decent passes. He looked short on confidence, which is incredible considering the game he had on Tuesday. Pedersen came on and looked better than Dawson at left back and looked our best chance of making a breakthrough.

Up front, we worked hard but were starved of decent service. Folan held up the ball well first half and linked up well with the midfield but second half, we struggled to get him in the game. Campbell had nothing to work with, save the chance he was denied by Morgan's professional foul. He needs to make better decisions around the box; he makes good runs but can try and beat one man too many instead of playing the ball to a mate. Windass had a poor spell. He gave away a stupid free kick for a foul on Kenny when Marney had put in the best cross we managed all game. He got a stupid booking and he failed to impact the game at all.

I've no problem with Phil Brown. He picked the team I would've picked given the circumstances and made decent substitutions, on paper. On grass, they failed to change the tide at all. I wouldn't be surprised to see Pedersen start next week, perhaps at left-back, and Fagan will drop to the bench.

Without wishing to be the prophet of doom, I think automatic promotion disappeared today. We had to match Stoke's result because they'll win both the last two games. They must, they are easy games. We'll have to lick our wounds and reflect on a great opportunity wasted today. We had to come out fighting at half time but we were weak instead. Standing in the away end, being taunted by supporters whose team have been garbage this season, surrounded by every brainless mutant in Hull, making their annual away trip, fighting amongst themselves and wowing us with their intelligent input, sorry, I meant unintelligible input, and watching City self destruct. A great day, I'm sure you'll agree.

Ratings: Myhill 7, Ricketts 6, Dawson 5 (Windass), Turner 6, Livermore 6 (France), Fagan 4 (Pedersen), Hughes 8, Marney 5, Ashbee 6, Folan 6, Campbell 6.