The Blades suffered a second pre-season defeat but a number of players were given full 90 minute run outs at Burton Albion on Tuesday evening.
Triallist Gregory Vignal, formerly of Liverpool and Birmingham, played a full game at left-back, whilst Nick Montgomery and goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu also completed 90 minutes.
The only goal of the game came in the first half with Greg Pearson converting a cross from Jimmy Phillips.
Youngsters Lowton and James were given a chance to shine, as was Aksalu with Simonsen again given time to recover from a slight groin strain.
The early action saw the healthy contingent of United fans singing the name of former favourite Peschisolido with the Burton boss acknowledging the gesture. The home side worked the game's first chance but Pearson, shadowed by Morgan, fired wide from an acute angle.
United's first chances saw Ward's effort deflected wide by Boertien and then Lowton, arriving late in the box, heading over a Vignal cross.
It was Burton, however, who grabbed the lead with 17 minutes gone. Phillips was lively down the left flank and after cutting inside, his cross dipped over the head of Morgan and PEARSON was able to take a touch before scooping past Aksalu. Pearson almost added a second soon after but Morgan blocked after good work from McGrath and Young.
Three chances fell Cresswell's way in the space of five minutes but he was unable draw the Blades level. His first chance was a header from Kozluk's cross, which was straight at goalkeeper Legzdins, followed by a shot over the crossbar and a header wide of the target from Vignal's free-kick.
Aksalu was called upon to save a shot from Maghoma and two headers from Harrad and, as the half came to a close, another Maghoma shot, this time deflected heavily, needed to be collected by United's Estonian goalkeeper.
Unusually for pre-season outings, United began the second period with the same XI and began to put the home side under pressure. Cresswell just failed to get on the end of an inviting cross from Yeates.
Boss Blackwell threw on triallist Logan at right-back and Bogdanovic up front and the Maltese striker came within a whisker of netting with his first touch, only denied by an impressive save from veteran goalkeeper Poole. From the resulting cross, Poole kept out United again, repelling a Cresswell effort.
Burton used the remainder of their substitutes and United introduced another triallist, Gilbert, and young striker Slew
Slew almost converted a Vignal centre, whilst Yeates whipped in a number of testing crosses and forced Poole into another save from a free-kick on 75 minutes.
United were on the offensive for most of the last 15 minutes but were being denied by a stubborn Burton defence. The final chance of the game went the home side's way but Webster's powerful free-kick was turned over the crossbar by Aksalu.
Burton: Legzdins (Poole 45), Grocott (Webster 61), Boertien, McGrath, Stanton, Moore (James 45), Young (Corbett 61), Maghoma (Penn 61), Harrad (Ellison 45), Pearson (Dyer 61), Phillips (Walker 61).
Blades: Aksalu, Montgomery, Morgan (Taylor 72), Ertl (Gilbert 64), Yeates (Chapell 77), Vignal, Cresswell (Slew 64), Ward (Bogdanovic 52), Kozluk (Logan 52), James, Lowton.
Unused: Roe.
