Andre Brooks celebrates for Sheffield UnitedRex Features

Andre Brooks scored Sheffield United's second goal within a minute of coming on as a late substitute

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport England

Sheffield United won a feisty encounter against struggling Stoke to leave the Potters still in danger of being relegated from the Championship.

The Blades' automatic promotion hopes were ended on Monday evening when they lost at Burnley, a result which sent the Clarets and Leeds - who had hammered the Potters 6-0 earlier that day - up to the Premier League.

Sam McCallum gave them the lead before the break with his first goal since September, when Rhian Brewster's deep corner was inadvertently headed back across his own goal by Potters sub Bosun Lawal.

Fellow replacement Ali Al-Hamadi forced a fine low save from Michael Cooper in the Blades goal as the hosts pushed for a late equaliser. But Andre Brooks, just on as a substitute, secured the points for Chris Wilder's side with his first touch.

Defeat means Stoke remain four points clear of the relegation zone before Saturday's action.

Sheffield United's third-placed finish was confirmed on Monday and they rested midfielder Gus Hamer and forward Ben Brereton Diaz as they look to make it 10th time lucky in the play-offs.

Blades bounce back as Potters' wait goes on

Sheffield United had looked on course for automatic promotion when they went into April top of the table.

However, Monday's reverse at Burnley was a fourth defeat in five and third away loss in a row as they paid the price of losing form at the worst time of the season.

With their top-two hopes over boss Wilder made six changes and he will have been pleased with how his much-changed side started in the West Midlands, as former Stoke man Tyrese Campbell went close early on.

The forward was then booked for simulation as he went down in the area under minimal contact from goalkeeper Viktor Johansson before the Blades took the lead.

Brewster's deep corner took a deflection, bounced off the head of the unsighted Lawal, before McCallum bravely headed in under pressure from Wouter Burger.

Lewis Baker's well-struck long range curler drifted just wide at the other end as the Potters, who made just two changes from the thrashing at Elland Road, looked to level before half-time.

Stoke fans grew increasingly restless as the second half wore on, with their side offering little in attack prior to Al-Hamadi's introduction.

Cooper saved well from the Iraq international, though, and the Blades then scored a well-worked second three minutes from time to settle the outcome.

United opened the hosts up down their right and Sydie Peck's low centre was converted at the back post by the on-rushing Brooks.

Striker Kieffer Moore, without a goal since 21 December, should have made it 3-0 in added time, but fired a finish over the bar.

Stoke, in 17th place, will hope the weekend results are enough to secure their survival before next week's trip to fellow strugglers Derby, who are four points behind them with a visit to 20th-placed Hull on Saturday. Sheffield United host Blackburn before going into a play-off campaign.

'We wanted to get back to being a winning club' - reaction

Stoke City boss Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"I thought we played well. First of all, they've given all they can give.

"We've had chances, there's no doubt. We've played some good football and tried to be on the front foot against a top three side.

"All you can ask is for them to give you everything and they've done that.

"When we got into good positions to cross we hit the first man and we were a bit slow in the build-up from time to time but generally we tried to move it quickly and get the ball through them, that was pleasing. It's just that last little bit."

(On staying up) "It's still in our hands. We've got one game to play and we've got to go and win it. The only thing we can do is go and beat Derby County next week."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"The energy of the group since Monday night has been outstanding and I thought the energy of the supporters was amazing tonight. They gave us a push tonight and I thank every one of them for that.

"We wanted to get back to being a winning football club. The attitude from when they came back for the first day of pre-season is we want to win. You have to have that.

"I think a lot of people would be thinking we'd be taking it easy and taking our foot off the gas, you can't do that. You can't just turn it on and off, you get hurt when you do that so it was important we went full tilt.

"It was a physical game, I thought there were some big challenges out there, and we never took a backwards step all night and got the result we wanted."

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