United's youthful second string finished their pre-season campaign, with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at Bracken Moor on Monday night.

After a goalless first period, goals from Jack Muldoon and Brett Lovell saw the Steels run out worthy winners, but Coach Mark Smith was keen to draw on the positives, ahead of next week's season opener against Nottingham Forest:

"It was a decent first-half performance and we managed to create a few chances, although we didn't move the ball as quickly as we had done in the other two games.

"We always looked vulnerable at set-pieces and the second goal demonstrated the main difference between the two sides and that was their physical attributes.

"The pre-season has gone really well for the most part and everyone is now looking forward to getting into the competitive action when the league starts next Wednesday."

Blades: Duberry, O'Kane, Brownlee, Hinchcliffe (Harriet 60), Maguire, Darlow, Pennycooke-Morgan, Murray, Ahmadi (Levski 20).