by After a summer of upheaval and uncertainty at Bramall Lane – and it’s not over yet – Chris Wilder couldn’t have asked for a better first five days of his new start in the Championship for Sheffield United.
Wilder himself admitted in the build-up to last weekend’s big kick-off that his squad was not where he wanted it ahead of last Friday night’s Championship opener against Preston North End. 16 experienced players are out, only a handful are coming from the other side and there is still no end in sight to the takeover saga that has been going on all summer.
But one thing Wilder always does well as a manager – especially here, at the club he cares so much about – is exceeding expectations. And in that regard too, the early signs look incredibly promising, with a deserved win over Preston on Friday backed up by a comfortable place in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
Wrexham was a tough challenge, something the Blades know all too well from their two FA Cup encounters a few years ago where there was a lot of tension and controversy. But there was really none of that on this occasion as the Blades fought back from a slow start and a goal down to be a deserved winner.
“I’m delighted. It was a good night for us,” said Wilder. “I liked the attitude towards the deficit we fell behind with. We had to be patient but we kept our discipline. Things loosened up a bit in the second half and I’m glad we took our chances. We absolutely deserved the result.”
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Summary: Adams Fleetwood shocks West Brom
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Charlie Adams Fleetwood Town scored a surprise 2-1 win over West Brom in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. First-half goals from Ryan Graydon and Ronan Coughlan gave the League Two side a famous victory after Modou Faal had given the Baggies an early lead.
Watford defeated MK Dons 5-0, with Tom Ince scoring a hat-trick, while Blackburn won 6-1 in Stockport, Sammie Szmodics scored twice. Preston defeated Sunderland 2-0 in their first game since the departure of manager Ryan Lowe, while Ellis Simms scored Coventry past Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Norwich were put under pressure by Stevenage until the end before winning 4-3 at Carrow Road, with Onel Hernández scoring twice. QPR won 2-0 at Cambridge, Cardiff defeated Bristol Rovers by the same score and League Ones Birmingham achieved a narrow 1-0 win against Charlton in the Valley.
Wimbledon beat League Two newcomers Bromley 2-1, with Josh Kelly and Joe Pigott scoring the goals after Levi Amantchi had put the hosts ahead in the first half. Derby won the local duel against Football League returnees Chesterfield 2-1, with Kayden Jackson scoring the winning goal in the second half.
On a night in which more than 100 goals were scored, several matches ended in penalty shootouts. Barnsley They defeated Wigan 4-2 in a shootout. Bolton held Mansfield 5-4 on penalties and League Two’s Colchester Reading were beaten 4-3 on penalties, Grimsby defeated Bradford 9-8 in a marathon shootout.
More good news also appears to be on the horizon for the Blades, with Plymouth goalkeeper Michael Cooper and Crystal Palace’s Jesurun Rak-Sakyi both in attendance at Bramall Lane ahead of completing their respective moves to the club in the coming days. This will provide a much-needed boost to Wilder’s squad, which has plenty of talent but lacks depth.
Wilder and opposite number Phil Parkinson made a total of 21 changes from the opening day victories, with Wrexham’s James McClean the only one left in the squad. This led to a fairly scrappy game for much of the first half, but the visitors took the lead when Will Boyle converted a McClean corner to put the League One side ahead.
Wilder had admitted before the game that he had made so many changes out of necessity and one wondered if his young side could be vulnerable to an upset. But they responded well and equalised on the stroke of half-time when Auston Trusty’s header crossed the goal line to put the Blades level.
And if the first half was chaotic, the second half was much more decisive in favour of the Blades, who secured their first home win of the year. Lewis Brunt tipped Rhian Brewster’s cross into his own net on the hour mark before Callum Burton saved a penalty from Brewster, but Louie Marsh was there to convert the rebound.
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Three became four when Anis Slimane converted from close range and what had been a fairly even tie in the early stages was now fairly one-sided and the Championship side won comfortably. But one thing we have come to expect from Parkinson’s Wrexham since their promotion to the league is that they are not easily defeated.
They fought to the end and were rewarded when Seb Revan’s fine finish gave the result a touch of respectability. Their attention now turns to their third successive promotion and building on last weekend’s opening win against Wycombe Wanderers.
“A lot of our guys need this game tonight in terms of playing time,” Parkinson said.
“But their goal gave them a boost and they played well in the second half, you have to give them credit for that. But we stuck with it and that night we knew we had to defend better at certain moments. It wasn’t meant to be, but the boys gave us a lot.”
