Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Sheffield United
The Blades are punished for not taking their chances at Ewood Park
The Blades were beaten at Blackburn on Sunday as the start of the season moved from “frustrating” to “shaky”. After three games, United have just a single point – earned against one of the only other teams to fail to win a game this season – and have made a habit of shooting themselves in the foot.
I have to give some credit to Blackburn for the way in which they built up a head of steam in the second half at Ewood Park and could have put the game out of sight with a number of counterattacks. However, this was a game that United not only should have had wrapped up long before, but then threw away with some defensive mistakes.
It was also a pretty fun game to watch with lots of goal-mouth action, plenty of good saves and both teams getting forward quickly for the most part. So, there’s that. However, this one definitely feels like it should have been United’s first win of the season, even if it ended with Rovers in the ascendancy.
The good: United created a ton of chances in this game, hitting the target plenty of times. The bad: they more-or-less gave Blackburn both goals and ended up being indebted to keeper Fran Stenson for some big saves to keep hopes alive heading into injury time.
One other thing this game confirmed for me: Isobel Goodwin is real good. United have found one there. Aston Villa’s rise is the Blades’ gain: with Carla Ward’s side becoming a serious player in the top flight and stacking their attack, opportunities were likely to be limited for Goodwin – who probably recognised this in reaching a mutual termination of her Villa contract in January to drop to Coventry.
Goodwin got her first goal for United against Rovers as part of six – count ‘em – shots on target for her alone across the 90 minutes. She also hit the post from the edge of the box. She was relentless, with most of those chances self-created with a burst of pace or good run. I don’t claim to be an authoritative voice on the second tier of the English women’s game but everything I’ve seen from Goodwin suggests she could be an absolute star at this level at the very least.
After the disappointing home defeat to Sunderland last week, United made three changes. Fran Stenson returned in goal, Molly Graham partnered Tara Bourne at the back and Ella Kinzett came into midfield. That meant a bit of a reshuffle: Charlotte Newsham moved out to left-back, with Jodie Hutton moved into a more attacking role. It did also mean that Ash Hodson – who I thought was the standout player last week – surprisingly dropped to the bench.
For the first half, it appeared that head coach Jonathan Morgan had struck gold. United took the lead almost immediately, as Graham’s first-time pass allowed Kinzett to touch it wide for Rachel Brown to charge forward; she combined with Sophie Haywood and the latter’s cross was hooked in by Isobel Goodwin for her first Blades goal.
It was a nice bit of quick thinking from Goodwin, although one the Blackburn keeper will definitely want back as it squirmed through her hand and over the line.
Goodwin led the press through this period, and I’ll use this to highlight just how aggressive United were at times in the first half. Just a few minutes after the goal, Goodwin forced the Blackburn defender backwards, Haywood joined her, Hutton cut off the release-ball to the goalie and Barker and Rayner both flooded the middle:
Haywood and Goodwin ended up trapping the defender and winning it back: Goodwin ran into the box and put in a good cross which Kinzett blazed over from ten yards. Not long after, Hutton – who had her best game since signing – drove powerfully to the byline and fired a great ball across the six yard box which only just evaded Haywood.
Blackburn had a couple of moments at the other end, with ex-Blade Georgia Walters twice dragging shots wide when well-placed in the box. United went straight back on the attack, though, and could have put the game to bed then and there after more good pressing from Hutton and Newsham down the left.
Goodwin got on the ball 25 yards out and cut inside onto her right foot; she hit a low shot that beat the scrambling keeper but came back off the post. The ball bobbled back to Haywood six yards out with nothing but 24 feet of empty net in front of her but she miscontrolled. It was really poor from Haywood, who immediately put her head in her hands.
She almost atoned moments later, getting on the end of a superb ball in behind by right-back Rachel Brown – who also had her best game of the season – and squaring it for Goodwin whose first-time shot was deflected behind. In the next few minutes Goodwin was denied at the near post by a good save and then hit the target yet again from a Hutton pull-back.
United were swarming all over Rovers at this point, but the home side were handed an absurdly soft penalty out of nowhere as Brown was penalised for… it’s actually hard to say. She put an arm on Lucy Shepherd who hit the deck while trying to bring a bouncing ball under control, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Helen Seed’s penalty was firmly struck but Stenson made an excellent save to her right, and United had dodged a bullet to take a deserved 1-0 lead into half-time.
I didn’t get the sense that there was any particular half-time tweak that led to this game turning on its head; more that United started making mistakes with the ball. First, there was a warning shot as Graham gave it away inside the Rovers’ half. A brilliant through-ball by Walters released Shepherd who took it round Stenson but put it wide of the empty goal.
Minutes later: a highly-avoidable equaliser for the hosts. Barker gave it away on the edge of the box, undercooking a first-time pass towards Graham, but it also wasn’t a great decision by Bourne to fire it into Barker’s feet with two players bearing down on her. Meg Hornby pounced and fired a powerful early shot that whistled past Stenson.
United responded by bringing on Hodson for Haywood, but the mistakes kept coming. Barker miscued one backwards into her own box and was quite fortunate that Walters miscontrolled herself. That was only a temporary reprieve though as Newsham played a poor ball into midfield on her weaker foot. The ball was sent down the right for Hornby who picked out Lauren Thomas for a tap-in.
You could maybe give United a pass for the goal Sunderland scored last week (although that was also avoidable), but I make that three out of the four goals conceded so far this season that have come from really poor giveaways inside the Blades’ own half. They haven’t even been as a result of good pressure or ball-winning from the opposition, they’ve just been straight-up turnovers of possession out of nowhere.
It puts coach Morgan in a bit of a quandary: he clearly wants his team to build from the back, utilising the passing of Bourne, Graham and the deep-lying Barker, but it’s that approach that has also led directly to opposition goals.
And if United move away from this patient build-up, what’s Plan B? The Blades have spent a lot of time trailing so far this season (around 60% of the 270 minutes played, not including injury time) but have had spells where not much has happened and the opposition have held them off quite easily, as Blackburn did here for the next 15-20 minutes.
I like Goodwin as a focal point of the attack but she probably needs some effective support up top if United ditch the methodical build-up in favour of going more direct – and no one has really staked a claim yet after three games, not helped by Jess Sigsworth’s straight red last week.
United had a late flurry of efforts in a bid to equalise. Rayner almost levelled with a dipping 25-yarder that was really well saved. Goodwin’s fifth shot on target forced an excellent reaction stop, with May offside from the rebound, before the striker ran onto a lovely lofted pass from Rayner and forced yet another save at the near post.
At the other end Graham’s desperate slide prevented a certain third for Blackburn, Hodson curled one wide from the edge of the box, but that was that. A second defeat in a row for the Blades, who really need to set things straight next week when they welcome the bottom side, Lewes, to Bramall Lane.
Lewes (H), Sunday September 17th, 12:00 kick-off
Like United, Lewes have just one point from their first three games – so this is an excellent chance for the Blades to get a first win of the season when they host the 12th-place side at Bramall Lane on Sunday lunchtime.
Lewes drew 0-0 with 11th-place Birmingham last weekend and have scored just once so far this season, shipping six. They’re 0 for 1 on the road, having lost to a Durham side that just got smoked 9(nine)-1 by Crystal Palace on Sunday. Northern Ireland international Caragh Hamilton will miss the game after picking up a red card against Birmingham.
That hammering for Palace cements their place at the top of the early Championship table, with Sunderland the only other unbeaten team – the Black Cats inflicted a first defeat on Southampton on Sunday. United already lag six points behind but could climb the table quickly with a first win on Sunday.
Thanks for the detailed match reports Ben. Very insightful.