Bonfire night may have lead to there being plenty of fireworks off the pitch last night, but at Bramal Lane there was plenty on it. Championship leaders Burnley were battered 5-2 by promotion rivals Sheffield United in a tough away day for Vincent Kompany’s men.
Burnley initially took the lead through summer signing Manuel Benson, a curling effort which took a massive deflection off Jack Robinson, who put it into his own net.
Iliman Ndiaye equalised for the Blades on the half hour mark from a corner, the ball came to Oli McBurnie first who headed the ball back across the goal and Ndiaye was there to tap it into the net. Just before the end of the first half, Robinson gave the ball away to Benson who then coolly slotted it away, ending a tough first half for Sheffield and Robinson.
Sheffield United came out fighting in the second half and Burnley were undone by another set piece.
A cross into the box was initially met by Anel Ahmedhodzic but McBurnie was there to steer it home to draw the game level.
Not long after the hour mark and United scored from their third corner of the game.
The corner came in from the left, Ahmedhodzic met the ball first but his header rocketed against the crossbar, after the ball bounced around in a crowded penalty box Robinson poked the ball past Muric in the Burnley goal to give the blades the lead.
Ahmedhodzic made up for the earlier miss and scored Sheffield’s fourth of the game, the goal coming from Burnley failing to deal with another Sheffield United corner.
With about 25 minutes to go, Sheffield United scored their fifth. George Baldock had his effort saved by Muric but the ball came back out to McBurnie who put away the rebound, his hernia seeming to be no hindrance as he scored his second goal and his teams fifth.
This defeat brought Burnley’s 16 game unbeaten run to an end and now leaves them only two points clear at the top of the table, when it could have been nine.
Sheffield United however, ended their four game winless streak at home and moved them up to third in the table, three points off Burnley who stayed top of the league despite the loss.