Raul Jimenez came off the bench and settled a tight Championship contest in the 90th minute, driving Wolves to a 1-0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday. The late finish gave Wolves the three points after a match that had looked destined to end level.
That is why the result matters now: one moment decided a game in which chances were scarce and nerves did most of the work. Jimenez made the decisive contribution for the third time this season, while Jordan Ayew, on his Sheffield United debut, had already gone close when he drove in from the right and sent a cross-come-shot inches past the far post.
For long spells, Wolves had little to show for their possession and Sheffield United made the second half awkward for them. The home side limited Wolves to almost nothing after the interval, and Michael Cooper was rarely tested, but Wolves still found a finish when Andre located Kieran Trippier and Tommy Doyle helped create the opening for Jimenez. It was the sort of narrow away win that can turn on one clean touch rather than sustained pressure.
The handball call shortly after the restart added to the frustration for Sheffield United. Mateus Mane flicked the ball toward goal at 50 minutes and Mark McGuinness had the ball strike his arm, but referee Rob Jones gave a corner instead of a penalty. Under Championship rules, a penalty would have meant a direct shot from 12 yards and a serious chance to equalize or even swing the match; instead, Wolves were denied a chance to recover from the decision, and Gary Rowett later said the arm had come out and Sheffield United had probably got away with one.
Chris Wilder did not hide his irritation, even while arguing that Sheffield United had made life difficult for a very attacking Wolves side. He said the players maybe did not get what they deserved, that his team had limited Wolves to virtually nothing in the second half, and that Cooper did not have a save to make. He also admitted his side had not found enough quality to get their noses in front, which is the burden of a game settled by a single late chance. The same pitch had seen Sheffield United score and concede in 14 of their last 15 Championship games at Bramall Lane, and this one fit that pattern until Jimenez changed it in an instant.
Wolves leave with an away win that should count as more than three points because they found a way through when the match was closing down around them. Sheffield United, for all their control after the break, will be left with the familiar problem of not turning a tight game into a result before one lapse costs them.
