Chris Wilder: My Blades had the edge at Portman Road

Posted Sunday, March 11, 2018 by PA

Chris Wilder thought his Sheffield United side just about shaded the goalless draw at Ipswich and enjoyed the best of the limited chances.

It was a game of few clear-cut opportunities, with neither side able to muster much in the final third.

It meant the Tractor Boys have now failed to score a goal in four straight home games, and left them languishing in 12th place – nine points off a top-six spot – with United ninth, five points adrift of a play-off berth.

“There were two honest teams and both were going for a result but the wicket wasn’t the best,” said Blades boss Wilder.

“It’s uncompromising and relentless is the division, and the schedule, and I thought my players in the second half really dug in and were positive in trying to win the game.

“I think we’ve spurned a couple of chances to win the game and I think if we had got our noses in front I believe we would have won.

“Billy (Sharp) has had a chance in the first half and we’ve hit the post and it’s come back to Billy.

“I’m looking at John Lundstram when he’s in front of goal and he’s tried to square it to Ched (Evans) and (David) Brooks late on and he’s seven or eight yards out on his left foot and he’s tried to put someone else in.

“The final bit decides Championship games but we just keep going – there’s still a lot of games and it’s a huge week for the football club leading up to the international break, with two home games on the trot.”

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy said: “I thought it was a right royal scrap from two teams who commit themselves to everything they do.

“Was there a great deal of quality? I’m not sure the pitch gives us the ability to have that quality to be quite honest, it’s not wearing well.

“I thought we were good in the first half, in the second half I thought they were better than us but I’ll take a goalless draw, they can’t take that off us.

“I always take the positives out of it, not the negatives.

“It was not a great pitch – it’s in poor shape at the minute – but it was a tough ferocious game.”