Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom thought his side would go on to win against Blackburn Rovers at half-time despite the fact his side were 1-0 down at that point, making this admission to The Star after yesterday's game.

The Blades were undone by an excellent team goal in the fifth minute by Harry Pickering, who scored his first goal of the season at a perfect time to deal the automatic promotion favourites a setback.

However, United didn't give up and almost equalised in the 23rd minute through an excellent solo run from Chris Basham, but he was unable to match an amazing run with a ruthless finish.

 

 

Despite this, United still had the second half to try and mount a comeback, something they were capable of doing following their victory over Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.

But they were unable to get themselves on the scoresheet in the end despite the quality they had at the top end of the pitch - and that has allowed promotion rivals Middlesbrough to reduce the gap between the two sides to four points following their 5-0 victory against Reading.

Despite Blackburn's current place in the promotion mix and their excellent home record, Heckingbottom thought his side would take all three points back to South Yorkshire, even when they were 1-0 down at the interval.

He said: "At half time I thought we would win it. We know what they are and that’s why it is a tough one to take.

"They have pace all over but to fall behind in that fashion is what’s cost us.

"We’ve got some real good players who have won us games with big moments, and too many of our players didn’t play with the same quality on the ball. And that’s why we struggled to create too many chances."

The Verdict:

They were certainly capable of getting back into the game with the assets they had on the pitch - but losing away at a side that have been in good form recently isn't the biggest crime.

They just need to ensure they are as consistent as they possibly can be from now until the end of the season - because that's the only way they are going to stay above an excellent Boro side.

Upcoming opponents Reading have been excellent at home but it would be a bit of a concern if they don't pick up all three points from this game considering how comfortably Boro beat them yesterday.

They also face Luton Town and Sunderland before the international break, with the game against the Black Cats likely to be particularly tricky considering they are away from home for this match.

Rob Edwards' Hatters will also be difficult to beat though - but they can't have any excuses. Nine points from a possible nine will be required to put them in a strong position going into the interval.