Patrick Bamford’s first goal in over a year proved decisive as Sheffield United secured a vital 3-0 victory over Portsmouth, lifting them out of the Championship’s bottom three. The win came on a day when the club’s ownership reaffirmed their long-term ambitions for top-flight football.
The Blades took control of the match just before halftime when Portsmouth defender Terry Devlin was sent off for a handball on the goal line. Sydie Peck converted the resulting penalty, marking his first senior goal for the club.
Bamford, making his full debut, doubled the advantage early in the second half by pouncing on a loose ball in the box. Substitute Gus Hamer then sealed the three points with a superb curling effort from distance, securing back-to-back wins for Chris Wilder’s side.
Prior to the match, the club’s co-owners released a statement addressing recent speculation, emphasizing their commitment to a long-term project aimed at returning Sheffield United to the Premier League.
Elsewhere in the division, Sheffield Wednesday’s struggles continued as a 1-0 defeat at Millwall left them rooted to the bottom of the table. A late header from substitute Femi Azeez secured the points for Millwall, who moved up to fourth.
Queens Park Rangers also snatched a late victory, with Paul Smyth coming off the bench to head home a winner against Blackburn Rovers. The 1-0 result marked Blackburn’s sixth home defeat of the season.
In the West Midlands, Birmingham City fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. Alex Mowatt’s early strike for Albion was canceled out by Marvin Ducksch’s late header in a fiercely contested local derby.
Finally, Wrexham continued their strong form with a 2-0 home win over Bristol City. Nathan Broadhead opened the scoring with a fine first-half strike before a second-half own goal sealed the points for the hosts.