Sheffield United (U18s) 5-1 Colchester United (U18s)

Sheffield United (U18s) 5-1 Colchester United (U18s)

Premier League Professional Development League Semi-Final

Sunday 15th May 2022

It was a privilege to be at Bramall Lane to witness this Sheffield United team put in such a high quality, impressive and hard-working performance as they came from behind to demolish Colchester United in this Professional Development League Semi-Final.

Trailing 1-0 due to a somewhat fortuitous goal just before the break, the Blades knew they had work to do in the second half - and they duly responded with a phenomenal showing in which they oozed quality, class, character and charisma.

With Oliver Arblaster popping the ball around for fun from his deep-lying midfield position and so much quality and movement ahead of him, it turned out to be a devastating onslaught of pressure. The Blades were ruthless and rampant as Josh Smith got two goals - the second of which was absolutely superb, Sydie Peck poked home another (and got a SUPERB assist), Finley Potter bagged for the first time since his injury and Theo Williams completed the rout with a well-deserved goal in the closing stages.

Had Bramall Lane been packed to the rafters, the place would have been bouncing because it was a performance worthy of appreciation and respect. The best trait a team can possess is having that sheer desire to work hard; it's something that has to come from within and these boys have it in abundance, along with some quality players who are capable of causing utter carnage.

It must be said that Colchester didn't actually play particularly badly. They had players who could (and did) pose problems but the Blades were just a class above and perform in such accomplished style.

Overall Thoughts

It was a joy to watch this game and see the desire, intensity and pure commitment on show. The scoreline was reflective of the graft and energy which was put in.

Players can possess all the talent in the world but having the character and desire to work hard, make certain sacrifices and do things to make the very most of that talent has to come from within. These boys

demonstrated that inner-desire by giving 100% (for the player next to them as much as themselves) in this performance. There was a willingness to chase lost causes - evidenced on multiple occasions, press and work hard off the ball and make runs (even when they didn't come off). Standards never dropped and there was no moaning by anyone; every player was on the same wavelength and that over-riding commitment to work hard shone through as much as the quality on show. It was a high quality display and they did themselves, their team-mates, their coaches and their club proud.

To sum it up, Oliver Arblaster was as good as anyone. The definition of a playmaker, his passing was excellent whether it be short passes, long passes, using his left or right foot. He read the game exceptionally well (example: skipping a challenge under pressure early in the second half when in a deep position) before nonchalantly driving forward with the ball. His contributions were vast and he was a class act in this performance, yet his best attribute was, at 4-1 up and with players waiting for the game to re-start after the fourth goal, he was encouraging his team-mates to 'go again' and make sure standards didn't slip. 

There was plenty of quality and it was a pleasure to witness it; likewise the display from Josh Smith was excellent as well. He epitomised energy and the two goals were fully deserved, his technique was good and he linked up well with those around him to cause all manner of problems.

This was my first time 'live' watching Will Lankshear and Sydie Peck and they both made good initial impressions which always counts for a lot.

Although he didn't score, Lankshear held the ball up well, used his frame to positive effect, demonstrated a good first touch, caused defenders problems and could have had a penalty (was it or wasn't it... who knows?). His movement was good and he offered a lot more than any stereotype of him just being a 'big frontman' which some people might initially think him to be when they view him before actually seeing him play. He has qualities as a captain and it showed.

I know a little bit more about Peck, particularly the Arsenal background, and having taken some time to grow into this game then he ultimately didn't disappoint. He's technically very aware and always seemed to find space and areas to exploit, ventured to the left, went out to the right, was a central threat at certain points, and it was exceptionally hard for Colchester's players to mark that movement. He showed an abundance of talent to go with all the other quality which was around him on the pitch. The assist (left-foot) for the equaliser was absolutely 'eye of a needle' and sublime but even early in the game when he twice chased lost causes (the second of which where he went tumbling over the advertising board) it was a really good blueprint of what I've heard he's all about. His yellow card for time-wasting was harsh, particularly when the referee let a Colchester player get away with exactly the same thing 10 minutes earlier (consistency would be nice!), but he made a good 'live' first impression which will stick in the memory.

Elsewhere, considering he was booked early on, Theo Williams played with an exciting edge and tenacity to the game and made two brilliant contributions for the second goal for which he ought to get a lot of plaudits. Direct, pacey and problematic, it was pleasing when he finally got a goal in the latter stages of the game which his work ethic and good attitude merited.

Finley Potter will be relieved to have bagged a goal which is due as much to his injury lay-off as his mistake in the first half which led to the opener - again something which happens (even to the best players) and will be one to learn from, but the response to it was excellent.

Charlie Staniland added an extra dimension to the play when he was introduced at the break and that didn't go unnoticed, whilst a special mention must also go to Callum Hiddleston who got down low to make a save on 68 minutes when Colchester's left-back was left unmarked in the box (and thus allowed the opportunity to have a shot) after the No.9 held the ball up very well from a long throw. It was an important save at a crucial time because had that gone in, it'd have been a sloppy and frustrating goal to concede and things could have panned out differently though.

Ultimately, the result was quality and it's got to be remembered that all five goals were scored in a 20-minute period (and against a team who've excelled in the South this term). If that ruthlessness was replicated over the course of a game, the scoreline would be well into double figures and it's all down to the players having that good attitude and inner-desire to work relentlessly for each other by doing the 1% things which collectively add up to something special.

All of these lads have had a brilliant campaign; that's why they've been unbeaten, won the league, performed admirably when they've stepped up and into the U23s and they now have an even tougher game against Charlton Athletic to look forward to next weekend as the season reaches its climax.

They'll know in the context of football (in the bigger picture) they haven't achieved anything in their careers just yet; they've only made an extremely good start and have lots to feel proud about. 

As long as they keep striving, working hard, listening to the coaching staff and demonstrating that undisputed work ethic (plus having that little bit of luck along the way which every professional footballer needs), they'll give themselves a great chance of perhaps one day either scoring or creating a goal infront of The Kop, and causing utter pandemonium amongst 30,000 fans.

What an unimaginable feeling that must be!

Match Report

Despite having not previously seen Sheffield United's U18s 'live' this season, I've read plenty about them thanks largely to the coverage that the club provides on Twitter (which is miles better than most other clubs locally provide).

On the pitch, the Blades been invincibles in the Professional Development League and, unsurprisingly, their great record ensured they topped the North Division table. Furthermore, both Sydie Peck's and Will Lankshear's faces (and occasionally others) have crept into my subconsciousness by virtue of how frequently they've appeared on my Twitter timeline - usually because they've scored another goal.

Both Peck and Lankshear, along with a string of other familiar names, were named in the starting xi with the latter skippering the side as they sought to set up a date with Charlton Athletic in the National Final next weekend.

The intensity about the game was excellent from an early stage.

After a few near openings in the early minutes when Oliver Arblaster was putting balls to feet in dangerous positions, Colchester got to grips with things and responded with a nice five-minute spell of pressure of their own during which Brad Ihionvein headed wide after a deflected cross and also hit a speculative low shot from outside the area straight into the body of the Blades 'keeper.

Beyond the quarter hour mark, United began to get on top and dictate possession again with Colchester more or less happy to sit in, maintain their shape and allow that to happen.

Peck began to make some good contributions; the first of which saw him chase what initially seemed to be a lost cause and win a corner, although his momentum in doing so took him over the advertising boards. No damage was done and he was fine to continue and although the initial delivery into the box from the resulting set-piece was cleared, Arblaster did well to recycle things with a ball in towards Josh Smith whose effort was deflected over. The ball from the next corner was then claimed by the 'keeper.

As the Blades continued to enjoy plenty of possession, what they needed to do was convert that into chances and there was a momentary belief that the referee might be about to award a penalty on 25 minutes. Peck floated a good ball into the area towards Lankshear and the big man brought the ball under control excellently, via his chest, and went to ground under a challenge. There looked to be some contact; although how much exactly is debatable, and the referee waved play on.

Still goalless at this point, the visitors' game-plan was working and they showed occasional glimpses of what they could do going forward. Price (No.3) had an explosive burst down the left flank which culminated with a ball into the box in one instance, whilst Ihionvein (No.9) was a threat and good with his feet, whilst Samson Tovide (No.10) was more about strength and power.

Nevertheless, the Blades continued to carve out the better openings and Theo Williams enjoyed probably the clearest chance up to this point when he was put through on goal thanks to a delightful lofted ball over the top by Arblaster. In-behind albeit with plenty still to do, he unleashed a stinging drive from just inside the area that required a good save from the 'keeper who tipped it behind for a corner. In retrospect he could have perhaps taken another touch and got closer to goal before unleashing an effort but, in any case, he didn't and the resulting corner came to nothing.

As the game approached half-time, Smith, who seemed full of energy, took centre stage with a lovely bit of skill which culminated in another chance. He received possession and burst like a man possessed into empty space with the ball at his feet before knocking a ball through to Lankshear. His touch was decent but his shot was met with the same outcome as those before them and the Colchester 'keeper made a save.

It was perhaps ironic that just moments later, the goal did arrive but instead of what would have been a deserved opener for the Blades, it was a goal infront of The Kop for Colchester instead.

In a goal which bore similarities to this one in the Manchester Derby in 2002, Finley Potter was the player at fault as he kept the ball in play as opposed to launching it down the line and was dispossessed by Ihionvein. The Colchester forward then drove his way from the touchline into the area where he poked the ball low beyond Callum Hiddleston to put the visitors 1-0 up. Potter probably wanted the ground to swallow him up at this point. It was a mistake; these things happen (even to players like Gary Neville as seen in the video) and you have to get on with it.

It's how mistakes are responded to which are important and knowing the quality they possess in their ranks, the Blades' crop probably never have doubted themselves for one second that they could get back into the game.

However, even by their own exceptionally high standards, what they produced in the second half was on another level altogether. It was phenomenal. It was sublime!

Now attacking towards The Kop and with Charlie Staniland having also replaced Owen Hampson at the break, a couple of early warning shots were fired in as Williams hit a shot straight at the 'keeper who then did very well to smother the ball at the feet of the Blades' attacker six minutes later when he was put through on the back of a slick, slalom midfield run by Arblaster that saw him open up and drift effortlessly into dangerous space. 

Had it not been for an unfortunate 'double touch' upon receiving the ball in that instance, Williams might have scored but an equaliser duly arrived on the hour mark.

Although Arblaster popped some fantastic balls around the pitch, he was perhaps upstaged in the quality stakes by Peck's wonderful assist in this goal. Using his weaker left-foot from a central berth just inside the Colchester half, the midfielder threaded a piercing through ball for Smith to latch onto and the striker read the situation brilliantly and fired home with venom. The finish was good but the assist was exceptional; defence-splitting, purposeful and delightful to watch. Worthy of respect!

Clearly buzzing with confidence at having got the equaliser, Peck went from provider to scorer within a matter of minutes as the Blades completely turned things around and opened up a 2-1 cushion.

Williams was at the heart of things this time as his exquisite movement, touch and ball control allowed his team-mates the chance to spring a quick attack down the right channel. He played a simple pass to Lankshear, who'd drifted wide, and himself drove purposefully into the box. With the Colchester defence stretched, Lankshear then cut inside and played a dangerous cross into the goalmouth which was superbly 'dummied' by Williams whose off-the-ball movement took a defender with him; thus allowing it to reach Peck who was able to poke it home under pressure. It was another high octane, high quality goal and a great example of devastating, intelligent, ruthless and incisive play with so many good aspects to it.

Instead of being able to sit off and soak up pressure, the quickfire goals meant Colchester now had to be more expansive and adventurous if they wanted to get back into the game and there was soon a warning sign that they weren't going to give up - so much so they ought to have equalised themselves when their No.3 was left unmarked in the box whilst the Blades were penned in deep following a long-throw and his low drive needed to be tipped round the post by Hiddleston.

Had that chance been converted then it might have been a very different final 20 minutes. 

Instead, after Arblaster received treatment on the pitch for a few minutes having received a blow in the face, the Blades ramped things up and produced a merciless 10-minute period of pure and unadulterated devastation and destruction infront of goal which would have sent a full Bramall Lane into pandemonium!

Smith bagged his second goal of the game (and the pick of the bunch) thanks to some brilliant technique when he received the ball and drove with it meaningfully past three players to get into a shooting position inside the box. Although the angle initially looked against him, he unleashed a rasping drive with venom into the far corner and was duly mobbed by his delighted team-mates.

It was perhaps only now at this point that Colchester were beginning to look like a beaten team but there were no signs that the Sheffield United 'juggernaut' was about to stop laying siege on goal in an effort to make the scoreline as emphatic as possible.

A fourth goal arrived on 77 minutes. Lankshear initially forced a low save to win a corner and Peck's subsequent delivery was met with a powerful headed connection at the back-post which resulted in the ball looping upwards and dropping at the opposite post where Potter gambled ahead of everyone else and steered it into the unguarded net.

A scintillating showing then became a five-star performance by the Blades because, two minutes later, the ball was in the net once again. Arblaster was this time the mercurial midfield maestro; left-foot or right-foot, his passing was exceptional and having exchanged a tidy one-two with Smith, his nonchalant right-foot pass through to Williams was finished with aplomb by the Blades striker.

It was perhaps fitting that after such a glowing second half performance, the Bramall Lane floodlights were switched on to illuminate the young stars in the closing minutes and a sixth goal almost came to fruition in injury-time when Fernando Macedo had a shot saved by the visiting 'keeper.

Team: Callum Hiddleston, Sai Sachdev, Tom Angell, Owen Hampson (Charlie Staniland), Levis Pitan, Finley Potter, Sydie Peck (Fernando Macedo), Oliver Arblaster, Will Lankshear, Josh Smith, Theo Williams. Unused Subs: Henry Hampshaw, Ben Drake, Connor Barratt.