Sheffield United climbed out of the Championship’s bottom three with a convincing 3-0 win over a ten-man Portsmouth side. The result provided a positive backdrop on a day when the club’s ownership reaffirmed their long-term ambitions for top-flight football.
The breakthrough came late in the first half when Portsmouth’s Terry Devlin was dismissed for a handball on the goal line. Sydie Peck converted the resulting penalty, marking his first senior goal for the Blades.
Patrick Bamford, making his full debut, doubled the advantage early after the restart by pouncing on a loose ball, scoring his first goal in 19 months. Substitute Gus Hamer sealed the comprehensive victory with a spectacular 25-yard curler, securing back-to-back wins for Chris Wilder’s squad.
Earlier, the club’s co-owners addressed speculation about potential mergers, stating their unwavering commitment to establishing Sheffield United as a Premier League fixture, describing the process as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
In other Championship action, Sheffield Wednesday’s struggles continued with a 1-0 defeat at Millwall. Femi Azeez came off the bench to head the winner for the Lions, who recorded their first victory in five outings.
Queens Park Rangers continued their upward trajectory with a 1-0 triumph at Blackburn, where Paul Smyth’s late header secured all three points. The defeat marked Blackburn’s sixth home loss of the campaign.
Birmingham fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against West Brom in a fiercely contested West Midlands derby. Alex Mowatt’s early strike for Albion was canceled out by Marvin Ducksch’s 78th-minute header.
Elsewhere, Wrexham secured a 2-0 home win against Bristol City, with Nathan Broadhead opening the scoring before a second-half own goal sealed the points for the promotion-chasing side.
