Two late goals ensured United returned to totesport.com league action with a 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town at Bramall Lane on Wednesday afternoon.
An own goal from the unfortunate Andy Taylor gave the visitors the lead totally against the run of play and it seemed set to stay that way until late on.
Matt Lowton, returning from a successful loan stint with Ferencvaros, equalised before Jordan Slew got the winning goal that his hard work merited.
The home side started brightly with James Harper dictating play as he looked to gain some valuable match fitness. Chappell stung the palms of Arestidou, before Stewart failed to add the finishing touch to Seip's right-wing cross.
Harper, Chappell and Slew linked up well before Hooman made a telling block to prevent a clear goalscoring opportunity. Slew was causing Goldson plenty of problems with his movement and from his deep centre Foster headed just wide.
It came as a surprise when the Shrews took the lead with their first meaningful attack just after the half hour. Bright freed Robinson, who linked up with Simpson, before seeing his centre turned into his own net by TAYLOR at the near post.
United responded immediately and should have gone into the interval on level terms but Foster was denied by Arestidou after Chappell's run had created the opening.
The start of the second period saw the Blades again come out of the traps quickly and Slew continued to work hard down the channels but Foster was unable to make any contact from close-range.
With United doing all the attacking they were almost caught on the sucker punch, but Richards fired over with the goal at his mercy after Jon Taylor and Robinson had broken quickly from a United corner.
In the 73rd minute the Blades finally drew level, LOWTON, playing in his fourth position of the match, smashed the ball home from close range after Taylor's deflected free-kick was only parried by Arestidou.
The Blades, in their first outing since November, where they ironically played Shrewsbury, took the lead four minutes from time. Pennycooke-Morgan ran at the Town defence before freeing SLEW, who calmly finished from inside the area to cap a fine individual performance.
The three points appeared to be in the bag, but Bennett had to be at his best in injury-time to make a fine double save from Robinson and Taylor, after a slip by Fortune.
Coach Mark Smith was delighted to return to winning ways after a prolonged break, although he admitted there is room for improvement:
"We started ok, but we didn't move the ball quick enough, despite having a lot of possession in the first-half.
"There was a time when it looked like being one of those games, but credit to the lads for sticking at it and getting the late goal.
"We certainly needed the workout and obviously it is always pleasing to get a positive result."
* See Mark Smith's full intyerview on Blades Player at 9am on Thursday.
Blades: Bennett, Seip, Taylor, Wedgbury (Brown 63), Fortune, Lowton, Chappell, Harper (Williams 60), Foster (Pennycooke-Morgan 75), Slew, Stewart.
Unused: Billard, Maguire.
Shrewsbury: Arestidou, D. Taylor, Evans, Richards, Hooman, Goldson, J. Taylor, Simpson (Dix 77), Bright, Robinson, Van Den Broek.
Unused: Farmer, Stewart, Wood, Bradshaw.
