Sheffield United 2-1 Portsmouth: Jesurun Rak-Sakyi steers Blades back to second

Substitute Jesuran Rak-Sakyi grabbed the winner for Sheffield United as they moved up to second in the Championship with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth.

Gustavo Hamer struck first for the Blades before Connor Ogilvie's quickfire equaliser, with Crystal Palace loanee Rak-Sakyi condemning Pompey to a seventh consecutive away league defeat.

John Mousinho's side came into the game three points clear of the relegation zone but made a bright start against the promotion chasers. Callum Lang's low free-kick was blocked by the wall, before goalkeeper Michael Cooper had to spring off his line to deny Colby Bishop.

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The game was brought to a halt in the 15th minute as the whole of Bramall Lane came together to observe a minute's applause in tribute to young Blades fan Harvey Willgoose, who tragically lost his life in Sheffield this week.

Portsmouth should have taken the lead when Bishop flicked Josh Murphy's cross towards the back post and the unmarked Lang volleyed over from close range.

But it was the Blades who went ahead in the 24th minute as Hamer marked his return from a two-match suspension to score his seventh goal of the season. He was afforded space on the left side of the box and cut inside to curl his effort into the far corner.

Portsmouth equalised within three minutes as left-back Ogilvie stretched to meet Murphy's driven cross, beating Cooper at his near post as Pompey finally made their early pressure pay.

Murphy was a whisker away from putting the visitors in front, driving infield and bending a shot against the crossbar from 25 yards.

Another chance went begging with three first-half minutes remaining as Ogilvie fired over the crossbar with an open net to aim for from another dangerous Murphy delivery.

Harry Clarke came close for the Blades on the stroke of half-time, with Nicolas Schmid saving smartly down to his left to keep out the Ipswich loanee's header.

Portsmouth piled on the pressure at the start of the second half, with another long-range Murphy effort tipped over by Cooper.

United did come close when Clarke was allowed to go for goal inside the box, but his left-footed strike comfortably missed the target. Hamer then whipped in a cross that just evaded the head of Tom Cannon.

Another well-worked attack saw Bishop lift a shot over the crossbar, before Sheffield United restored their lead in the 73rd minute. Substitutes Rhian Brewster and Rak-Sakyi combined, with the latter timing his run to meet Brewster's low cross and find the net.

Rak-Sakyi was played through one-on-one with Schmid in stoppage time and hit the crossbar as the Blades held on to win and move within two points of leaders Leeds.

The managers

Sheffield United's Chris Wilder:

"I don't think we deserved anything from the game. We were second-best all over the park. We need to be better, but there hasn't been many times this year where we've had that feeling.

"I felt maybe the team just didn't realise what Championship football is all about. Portsmouth outran us, they outfought us, they won more first and second balls. And that allowed them to control the game.

"First half we should have been two or three down. We defended really poorly, everybody individually and as a unit. We didn't see out corner runs, we didn't stop crosses, we didn't defend inside the goal. If they had been more clinical then they would have put us to bed.

"Second half was a bit better. We had the luxury of being able to change it around, which we haven't, and brought about parity. Bringing on Rhian Brewster and Rak-Sakyi gave us a little bit of a spark and a bit of life.

"So we're second best, didn't deserve anything in the game, but I've got a wonderful, beautiful habit of winning games of football."

Portsmouth's John Mousinho:

"I was delighted with the performance. "We just didn't put the ball in the back of the net and that's the only criticism I have of the boys.

"I've been trying to instil into the lads all season that they need to have the belief that they belong at the level. If that doesn't give them the belief then I don't know what will, because we've taken Burnley all the way last week and probably should have won the game in the back end of it.

"I thought we deserved to win the game today. I thought we were the better side.

"We didn't in the end, we didn't put the ball in the back of the net and that's fine, but my take is if we play like that for the rest of the season, then we'll be absolutely fine. The key is that consistency.

"I thought there were a couple of difficult chances in the first half, the ones that got flashed across the face of the goal.

"Connor Ogilvie and Callum Lang's end up looking like open goals, but they're difficult chances. I think Colby (Bishop) will definitely want to put the ball in the back of the net on another occasion.

"So we can definitely be better, but goalscoring hasn't really been the issue for us this year. Today it was, this year it's been defensive solidity, particularly away from home.

"I thought we looked a really good outfit today in terms of the press and in terms of being solid defensively."

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