Goals from Callum O’Hare and Andre Brooks having given Sheffield United a 2-0 half-tme lead over the Blues at Bramall Lane.

Town made five changes from the team which beat Bristol City 2-0 in midweek with new signing Anis Mehmeti on the bench.

Jacob Greaves came in at left-back and Jack Taylor returned in midfield, while Sindre Walle Egeli was on the right, Sammie Szmodics the number 10 and George Hirst the number nine. Leif Davis, Jens Cajuste, Wes Burns and Ivan Azon dropped to the bench.

Marcelino Nunez missed out due to the ankle injury he suffered on Tuesday, while Jaden Philogene (knee) and Chuba Akpom (groin) remained absent.

Mehmeti was among the subs having signed from the Robins on Friday with Elkan Baggott on the bench for the first time in the Championship this season.

Ashley Young was not included and appears to have been the player Kieran McKenna was referring to when he mentioned an injury suffered in training this week.

Sheffield United made six changes with Femi Seriki, Sam McCallum, Gustavo Hamer, Brooks, Tom Davies and recent Town target Patrick Bamford, who skippered, coming into the team, with Ki-Jana Hoever, Harrison Burrows, Oliver Arblaster, Tahith Chong, Tom Cannon and Tyrese Campbell all among the subs.

On-loan Town wideman Chieo Ogbene was unavailable against his parent side, while ex-Blues loanee Mark McGuinness began at the heart of the Blades’ defence.

After Szmodics had been caught late in the centre circle by Davies, Bamford smashed an early shot well wide from the left of the area.

The first big chance fell to the Blues in the fourth minute. Darnell Furlong’s cross looped up in the air, Hirst challenged with two defenders and the ball reached Jack Clarke at the back post, but former Sunderland man volleyed over with the outside of his right boot.

Town had another huge chance within a minute. Walle Egeli caught Ben Mee in possession a third of the way inside the home side’s half. The Norwegian brought the ball on to the edge of the area before hitting a low shot which Michael Cooper tipped past his post, although it looked on its way wide in any case.

There was massive let-off for the Blues in the 13th minute when Greaves’s ball back towards Christian Walton was read by Brooks. The winger looked to cut across to Bamford but Walton got enough on it to divert it away from the former Leeds man but only as far as O’Hare, but the ex-Coventry man’s shot was blocked on the line by Town skipper Dara O’Shea. The grateful Greaves cleared.

On 19, there was another big scare for Town. A low Femi Seriki cross from the right was inadvertently deflected towards the far corner by Azor Matusiwa, Walton diving to his right to palm it away from goal. The loose ball ran out to Hamer, whose powerful strike aimed at the roof of the net was batted away by the Town keeper.

Proceedings were held up as it approached the 10-minute mark after Cedric Kipre and Seriki collided with the Town central defender receiving treatment at length before continuing.

The game was surprisingly open as it approached the half-hour mark with the Blades showing more threat than the Blues until some sharp passing on the left left to Clarke beating his man and crossing low towards Szmodics, whose shot was blocked behind for a corner.

In the 36th minute, a long throw from the left bounced nicely for Mee, who looped an overhead kick over.

A minute later and the Blades twice had keeper Michael Cooper to thank for keeping the scores level. Clarke was played in on the left and crossed low to Hirst, who turned the ball goalwards only for Cooper to save. The ball ran out to Szmodics on the right and the Irish international’s powerful shot was batted away from goal.

And following the result Town corner, the home side went in front. After the ball had been cleared, Clarke’s header fell to Hamer, who hooked a pass down the middle for O’Hare to chase. The one-time Coventry man slotted past the advancing Walton and into the net to send the home fans into raptures.

O’Hare collided with the advancing Walton, the Blues keeper’s knee appearing to catch O’Hare in the former England U20 international in the head. While O’Hare was being simultaneously congratulated and treated by his teammates, some remonstrated with Walton with the keeper protesting his innocence. Referee Tom Nield subsequently booked the keeper and, having been bandaged up, O’Hare was able to continue.

The momentum was firmly with the Blades in the final minutes of the half and four minutes into time added on, they added to their lead.

Walton saved Bamford’s initial shot from the left of the area, Seriki beating Greaves to the loose ball and hitting another effort which the Town keeper again batted away. This time it fell to Brooks just outside the box from where he struck a low shot which Walton looked set to save until it struck Matusiwa and deflected into the corner of the net.

While the home fans celebrated, Furlong was booked for a foul in the build-up to the goal.

It had been a tetchy half in keeping with Town-Sheffield United games of the late nineties and following the whistle it threatened to boil over.

Hirst had gone to ground, presumably due to an injury, and Sydie Peck appeared to say or do something which annoyed the Town players, the midfielder running away towards the tunnel with Blues players in his wake with Szmodics looking particularly incensed.

The Irish international was held back by keeper-coach Rene Gilmartin, while Bamford sought to involve himself in the incident and was dragged back by Furlong.

Eventually, with the benches also having exchanged words, everyone made their way off the pitch.

Town will have left the field wonder how they found themselves 2-0 behind. Having begun the game on the front foot, they had had two very good chances to go in front.

The Blades came into it more and spurned perhaps an even better chance before the Blues’ double opportunity with Cooper making two very good stops.

Town then conceded a Sunday morning counter-attack from their own corner and then failed to properly defend the half’s final opportunity to give themselves a mountain to climb in the second half.

Sheffield United: Cooper, McCallum, Hamer, O’Hare, Brooks, Mee, T Davies, McGuinness, Seriki, Peck, Bamford. Subs: A Davies, Arblaster, Cannon, Hoever, Burrows, Campbell, Chong, Matos, Sasnauskas.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves, Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle Egeli, Szmodics, J Clarke, Hirst. Subs: Palmer, Baggott, Davis, Johnson, Cajuste, Burns, McAteer, Mehmeti, Azon. Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire).

Photo: Matchday Images