After seemingly navigating a difficult stretch of games in the last week; Sheffield United were unable to build on recent improvements in both results and performances as they failed to beat lowly Blackpool at Bramall Lane tonight.

With 4 out of 5 home games to come, the Blades will have reckoned that a game against the struggling Seasiders will have been the start of consolidating a playoff place and even putting pressure on the teams above them in the race for automatic promotion. However, a desperately disappointing evening brought back memories from recent displays against local rivals Doncaster and Sheffield Wednesday and the Blades now can realistically forget any faint hopes they had of securing a top two place.

Despite getting a perfect start by registering an early goal the Blades failed to build on this and after letting the visitors back into the game, they eventually conceded a deflected effort on the stroke of half time and then gave away a poor goal early in the second half. A penalty saw them finally back into the game but in truth United did not do enough to win the game as lowly Blackpool gave as good as they got and actually played enough football to deserve the point they eventually garnered.

United made one change with Cotterill coming in for Howard as the game began without some of the stadium lights fully operational. United began the game on the front foot and were ahead after only five minutes as Cotterill's inswinging corner was flicked by defender COID past keeper Rachukba into his own net to give the Blades the perfect start. United tried to build on this but Webber was crowded out and Kenny had to be on his guard to field an effort from Blackman.

United were trying to use both flanks with Cotterill and Halford swapping flanks constantly but were unable to test Rachukba further. United started to let the visitors back into the game and at times they showed some neat interchanging football and the Blades had to be on their guard to prevent Adam and Blackman getting in on goal. However, they failed to heed the warning and poor defending by Kilgallon let in Campbell who played in BLACKMAN who hit a speculative long range effort that hit a defender and looped up over Kenny and into the net. Blackpool's efforts over the final stages of the half had perhaps seen them deservedly level as they punished complacent and sloppy United defending.

Halford had been limping and was replaced by Beattie but it was a surprise that he was employed on the left side instead of up front alongside Henderson.

The Blades had been pegged back on the stroke of half time and will have hoped to have forced the initiative in the second half but they were further dented by yet another dreadful defensive mistake. Morgan had two opportunities too clear but was unable to do so and the ball fell at the feet of CAMPBELL who made no mistake when offered the chance and drilled expertly past Kenny's right hand.

This goal has stunned United's players and fans who now knew that they were incredibly behind the strugglers. Webber almost equalised immediately after Henderson's knock down but shot wide when he really ought to have scored. Henderson then headed at Rachukba who tipped round the post when the big striker really ought to have done better and Morgan volleyed wide with the keeper grasping air from the resultant corner. Ward then came on for Webber and instantly was involved with a chipped effort the keeper saved.

However despite United trying their utmost to get back into the game it really should have been over just after the hour as Montgomery's miscontrol led to a precision through ball to Campbell who was in on Kenny. The striker perhaps took too long and eventually Kenny made a smart reaction save to keep the Blades in the game.

Fresh from this let off United went back on the attack and Quinn's through ball found Ward who was suddenly in on goal. He went round the keeper who clearly brought him down. It seemed an obvious red card but unbelievably he only gave Rachukba a yellow card when it seemed the most blatant of goalscoring chances. COTTERILL took the kick and sent the keeper the wrong way to level proceedings.

Untied now knew they had to go for the winner and Ward was involved in most things of note showing real ingenuity and cleverness in many of the attacks. However, Adam hit a viscous free kick that Kenny beat away before the same player hit a low shot not far wide to show Blackpool were a genuine threat on the break. United continued to pile men forward but were relying on percentage stuff rather than utilising the dangerous Ward or Cotterill. Ward managed to get on the ball again but his effort was saved well by Rachukba just before the referee signalled four extra minutes of stoppage time.

Bizarrely, Blackwell took off United's main attacker Henderson when inevitably with only minutes remaining most of the balls forward would be aimed long and rely on flick on's or aerial strength. However, despite this strange move it nearly paid dividends as from Naughton's cross, Henderson's replacement Lupoli nodded narrowly wide.

Not long after the final whistle went and United's players looked to the sky as they knew it was definitely a case of two points dropped as the poor home form once again came back to haunt them.

United

Seems like it is one step forward, one back at the moment. It seemed like United had turned the corner after recent improvements against Hull and then the Birmingham win followed by 2 fairly solid performances and results on the road but today United and their fans were brought right back down to earth once again. They got a great start that should have relaxed them but seemed to get worse as the game went on and instead of using the goal start to go on and dominate the opposition they actually sat back and let Blackpool back into it.

The visitors had the best of the last 20 minutes and deserved to be back in the game, even if it was a deflected effort. Terrible defending led to Blackpool going ahead and then they had a lead to defend and could pack the defence and midfield. We huffed and puffed and eventually got the penalty but even after this it was only half chances or efforts from pressure football rather than getting the ball wide and trying to pass the ball instead of long, aimless diagonal punts. When we did play smatterings of football and went through what I call 'footballers' in Ward, Cotterill we looked like we may create chances and looked a decent side. However, too often we played long balls and went for the high aimless punt to Henderson. Too often it did not work and we created few chances due to this negative football.

We did not create enough from midfield and our forwards were too erratic but I felt the weakest part of our team tonight was probably the defence; which of course has been the main strength all season. I felt the centre backs especially were slow to the ball and did not win their individual battles. Subsequently the ball was kept in our half way too much instead of us turning the ball back into our possession and then attacking Blackpool. Even in midfield we did not win as many loose balls as we have done in recent weeks in improved performances where the midfield have won the battle.

Kenny 7/10
Had little chance on the goals with a deflected effort and a well taken finish after a mistake but then made a superb save to keep us in the game. His distribution was really poor and at times he can barely reach halfway on his kicks or he finds the smaller forwards on a regular basis.

Naughton 5.5/10
I feel he has really gone off the boil recently. His defensive work is erratic and he runs into blind alleys when attacking. I can actually count more negative things than positive in recent times which says it all about how his form has dropped off.

Naysmith 6.5/10
Defended ok for the most part but at times he was slow to react to danger as was all of the defence. He at least made some blocks and got in front of his man to clear the danger. Too many long diagonal balls though instead of trying to pass the ball.

Kilgallon 5.5/10
Thought he was slow to react to things tonight and let his man win too many headers, loose balls or win the hold up stuff too easily. Just seemed genuinely off the pace all evening. Made a bad mistake on the opening goal.

Morgan 5/10
Not a good performance at all. Dithered, miskicked and let Campbell (a smaller and less physical player) actually dictate the game to him. Made a dreadful error on the second goal where he had at least two chances to score but let a striker have a clear chance on goal. For the most part Morgan is generally solid but is always liable to the absolute howler as evidence tonight.

Montgomery 5/10
Battled hard and won some loose balls again but also lost a lot o 50/50's tonight. His passing was back to the poor standards of previously and at times was embarrassingly bad. When United are chasing games his pressing and harrying is of little effect as we need someone who can out their foot on the ball and find the wide players or play a through ball of precision. He cannot do that.

Quinn 5/10
Another average performance. His annoying habit of flicking or kicking the ball on within one or two seconds of the ball coming towards him continues. He has none-to little composure on the ball and despite one or two nice balls or the clever dummy he did that nearly led to a penalty he too often panics and gives the ball away. Yet, he continues to be picked week in; week out. Surely he should be rested/dropped/rotated?

Halford 5.5/10
Did not think this was one of his better games. He was involved in some of our better stuff early on but then regressed into the general malaise of the rest and obviously got an injury that led to him limping and then to him being taken off.

Henderson 6/10
I did not feel he was in the game that much tonight. Sure, he won a few headers and chest downs/flick on's but he needed too impose himself more on the centre backs for me. He also should have done better with a few half chances he had.

Webber 6/10
Like Henderson, he did a few ok things but generally did not really influence the game enough. A few jinks, runs, surges but little final product and an inability to use his left foot once again with the predictable jink onto his right foot 4 or 5 times once again tonight.

Cotterill 7/10
He was not that great tonight but was one of our better players as he at least showed a threat once or twice. At times he held into the ball too much but on other occasions he got in some decent crosses and at least got wide and tried to create something. Cool penalty.

Subs

Beattie
Brought on and played left wing. Totally ineffective but not surprising considering it is not his position really. Bizarre that we sign a striker and opt to play him left wing which renders him totally ineffective.

Ward
Came on and really gave us a spark. Even though he only played half an hour he was maybe our brightest player. Maybe at times he was too selfish or did not get his head up but he really gave us impetus. He had shots at goal, made intelligent runs, tried one-two's and won us the penalty. He actually showed a football brain and tried different things. Worth a start Saturday just on his freshness and running off the ball alone.

Blackpool

Played far better than I thought. I saw them play and lose to us at Bloomfield Road and they were comprehensively beaten. Tonight they played some really good football for a poor side and deserved their point. They limited us chance wise and attacked well with Campbell causing us all manner of problems. After they went behind they actually attacked well when they could and although the goal was lucky they had done enough to be level. They then took their chance after awful defending in the second half and defended well until the penalty.

Even after we equalised they were not exactly under bombardment and definite earned a draw. No particular players stood out but Blackman was lively playing just behind the attackers and Campbell I felt caused us real problems. He was a player that was a promising talent but probably moved on too soon and the jump was too much from non league to the Premiership in less than a year and has struggled to even get a regular start at Leicester in league two. Tonight he did not give Morgan or Kilgallon a moment who were too lethargic all evening and not sharp enough to win the first or second balls.

Referee

Really poor. Seems like we a ref who gives us decisions one week, then another who doesn't next week and then back to one who favours us, back to one who goes against us etc. Tonight Mr Booth seemed to give the majority of the decisions against us all game with most 50/50's given in favour of the visitors or obvious fouls for United waved away. The penalty was a joke as the only decision he could make was a red card. It was not even a difficult decision. There were no players back behind the keeper and it was not even like Ward had overrun the ball. A truly awful decision really and as bad as we played a red card for the keeper and ten men may have seen us go on and win the game. Also, let Blackpool timewaste from minute one pretty much without really punishing them.