Source: FOOTYMAD
Season review: August
The Blades kicked off season 2009/2010 in defiant mood in the league, but they were on the end of the shock of Round One in the Carling Cup... Fri 07 Aug Middlesbrough A League D 0-0 23,541 Rpt Tbl Tue 11 Aug Port Vale H League Cup L 1-2 Sharp 33 7,627 Rpt Sat 15 Aug Watford H League W 2-0 Ward 12; Evans 63 24,638 Rpt Tbl Tue 18 Aug Leicester City H League D 1-1 Treacy 66 26,069 Rpt Tbl Sat 22 Aug Reading A League W 3-1 Quinn 42; Ward 62; Cotterill 90 16,025 Rpt Tbl Sat 29 Aug West Bromwich Albion H League D 2-2 Evans 56; Cotterill 88p 25,169 Rpt Tbl Hopes were high, but Kevin Blackwell's summer signings weren't exactly overwhelmingly brilliant. Ched Evans was the 'big' recruitment in the off season, with the likes of Ryan France, Andy Taylor Kyel Reid, Lee Williamson and Glen Little also securing permanent contracts. Blackburn loanees Mark Bunn and Keith Treacy joined, but none of these signings nowhere near made up for the sales of Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker to Tottenham Hotspur. The latter did come back to Bramall Lane on a season-long loan, though. Rather surprisingly, Matt Kilgallon was still a Blade. United were chosen for live television coverage for the season's curtain raiser at Middlesbrough. Sky Sports' outrageous decision to put the first game of the season to a Friday night caused much controversey. The hype around the game, which involved two clubs who had been relegated from the Premier League in the last few seasons, didn't live up to its hype. Chances weren't a plenty, but Mark Bunn pulled off some stunning saves and a man of the match performance The Riverside. Blades 1:2 Port Vale: Kevin Blackwell opted to chop and change with his squad ahead of a low-key Carling Cup tie with League Two Port Vale. Only 7627 fans bothered turning up, and the majority will have wished they didn't. Vale went ahead through Marc Richards; the striker tapped in from close-range. Billy Sharp clinically equalised with a curler into Anyon's far-corner, but Vale were gifted a place in the Second Round. Stand-in shot-stopper Ian Bennett had egg on his face when he allowed the ball to slip through his hands and agonisingly nestle in the back of the net from a Richards free-kick. United's League Cup dreams went up in smoke just two games into the campaign! Blades 2:0 Watford: The first home clash of the season was only round the corner. The Blades had to forget about the midweek humiliation and be professional enough to record a victory over Watford. The Hornets weren't much cop, though, and United eased past them in the end. Jamie Ward bagged his first of the season on his first appearance of the campaign. The striker was of course suspended for the first two games of the season because of his sending off at Wembley in the Play-Off Final in May 2009 - the suspension continued into the season. Ched Evans secured his first goal in a Blades shirt. Blades 1:1 Leicester: It was Bramall Lane's first midweek home match of the season in the league. League newcomers Leicester City were in town for an intriguing clash. Matty Fryatt put the vistors in front in fortuitous fashion. A free-kick was pelted a Mark Bunn's goal, but the ball took a flick off the Leicester front-man and sent in beyond the goalkeeper. United equalised, and it was a goal which was worthy of winning or drawing any game. Keith Treacy unleashed a pelter from the edge of the box with his 'wrong foot' and it found Weale's far-corner. Reading 1:3 Blades: After three consecutive home games, United were back on the road. Before last season, Reading proved to be a bogey team for the Blades. United just couldn't seem to beat the Royals, but Brian Howard upset the record books and claimed United's first win over the Berkshire club in 11 attempts. This gave the Blades some added confidence going into the encounter at the Madejski. Matt Mills put Reading ahead with a header, but United nicked a valuable equaliser just before half-time through Stephen Quinn at the back-post. United then bossed the second-half, Henderson had a goal disallowed, but the hard work in turning the game on its head paid off. Jamie Ward's dipping and swurving shot was spilled by Federici and it struck the back of his net. David Cotterill put the icing on the cake in added time with a peach! He let rip from outside the box, it left Federici rooted and it flew into the onion bag! Blades 2:2 West Brom: The Blades then finished August off with a creditable draw against recently relegated West Bromwich Albion. Kevin Blackwell's men came from behind twice. All of the goals came in the second-period; Roman Bednar scoring first. Ched Evans immediately replied with his second goal of the season, but Bednar netted again in front of his own fans on the Bramall Lane Lower Tier. 87 minutes had elapsed, United were pressing for a second equaliser, and they got it! Darius Henderson was hauled to the ground by Shelton Martis, this leaving David Cotterill with the duty to convert his spot-kick past Scott Carson, and he did just that. A well deserved draw. The league table at the end of August: 1 West Bromwich Albion 5 1 1 0 3 1 2 1 0 6 4 3 2 0 9 5 11 4 2 Cardiff City 5 2 0 0 7 0 1 1 1 4 4 3 1 1 11 4 10 7 3 Middlesbrough 5 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 1 6 2 3 1 1 8 2 10 6 4 Newcastle United 4 2 0 0 4 0 1 1 0 3 1 3 1 0 7 1 10 6 5 Bristol City 5 3 0 0 4 1 0 1 1 2 5 3 1 1 6 6 10 0 6 Preston North End 5 1 1 0 4 2 1 2 0 5 2 2 3 0 9 4 9 5 7 Sheffield United 5 1 2 0 5 3 1 1 0 3 1 2 3 0 8 4 9 4 8 Sheffield Wednesday 5 1 1 0 6 2 1 1 1 4 3 2 2 1 10 5 8 5 9 Leicester City 4 2 0 0 3 1 0 2 0 1 1 2 2 0 4 2 8 2 10 Blackpool 5 1 2 0 4 1 0 2 0 3 3 1 4 0 7 4 7 3 11 Derby County 5 2 0 0 4 2 0 1 2 4 6 2 1 2 8 8 7 0 12 Coventry City 5 1 0 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 4 5 7 -1 13 Watford 5 0 2 0 3 3 1 1 1 5 5 1 3 1 8 8 6 0 14 Doncaster Rovers 5 1 2 0 3 1 0 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 4 4 6 0 15 Queens Park Rangers 5 0 2 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 4 4 6 0 16 Nottingham Forest 5 1 0 2 5 7 0 2 0 1 1 1 2 2 6 8 5 -2 17 Reading 5 0 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 4 1 2 2 4 7 5 -3 18 Swansea City 5 0 2 1 1 4 1 0 1 2 2 1 2 2 3 6 5 -3 19 Crystal Palace 4 0 1 1 1 3 1 0 1 3 2 1 1 2 4 5 4 -1 20 Scunthorpe United 5 1 0 2 3 5 0 0 2 0 8 1 0 4 3 13 3 -10 21 Plymouth Argyle 5 0 1 2 3 7 0 1 1 2 3 0 2 3 5 10 2 -5 22 Ipswich Town 5 0 2 1 2 4 0 0 2 1 4 0 2 3 3 8 2 -5 23 Peterborough United 4 0 1 1 3 4 0 0 2 1 4 0 1 3 4 8 1 -4 24 Barnsley 5 0 0 3 1 8 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 4 3 11 1 -8 * Teams level on both goal difference and goals scored are initially ordered according to the results of any matches played between one another. Points adjustments 28/01/2010 Crystal Palace Deducted ten points for entering administration. The image used on this article is copyright to Action Images
