DELE Adebola claims new strike partner John Akinde has absolutely nothing to lose ahead of today's showdown with in-form Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Bristol City's most recent signing made an immediate impact on his League debut in midweek, coming on as a substitute to inspire a dramatic second-half fightback against West rivals Plymouth Argyle.

A half-time replacement for Nicky Maynard, Akinde opened his goalscoring account as City came back from 2-0 to salvage a point. And the £150,000 recruit from Ebbsfleet United now seems certain to feature in manager Gary Johnson's plans in South Yorkshire this afternoon.

Adebola played alongside Akinde during the second half and is convinced the 19-year-old has what it takes to successfully bridge the gap between Blue Square Premier and Championship football.

"I was really impressed with him," declared the former Birmingham and Coventry centre forward. "He was reading my flicks well, holding the ball up in the 18-yard box and running into the corners.

"Given his power and pace and ability to read the game, he can do well if given a chance. He has bags of potential.

"The nice thing for John is that there is absolutely no pressure on him. He's come out of non-League football and people are probably expecting it to be another couple of years before he's ready to play first team football regularly.

"It's a great situation for him to be in. If he can get in the side, score some goals and progress more quickly than expected, it will be great news for John and for the club."

Akinde's performance and that of Lee Trundle, who also made an impact after coming on as a substitute against Plymouth, are putting £2.25m record signing Nicky Maynard under pressure.

Maynard has scored just twice in nine Championship starts since arriving from League One Crewe in the summer. Hampered by an injury, he struggled on Tuesday night and was replaced by Akinde at half time.

The Londoner grabbed his chance with both hands and Adebola believes the raw teenager offers City an alternative option.

He explained: "We have five strikers in the squad and every one of them brings something different to the table.

"John is definitely different and there's a lot more to his game than scoring goals. He is quick to sum up situations, makes good runs and brings other players into the game. I think he has a good future in the game."

Recalling the 2-2 draw with Plymouth, Adebola insists City cannot afford a repeat of their wretched first-half performance if they are to end a 51-year wait for a win at Bramall Lane.

He admitted: "We started poorly to say the least and were all over the place. The manager had a go at us at half time and really tore into us.

"We've had a few injuries but the players who come in should be capable of doing a good job and we can't go about making excuses.

"The manager had every right to single people out in the dressing room at half time and have a go.

"Fortunately, it was different in the second half.

"The determination was back and we took a point which we probably had no right to expect at half time. It was important to get that second half performance.

"We showed we have character and it means we can go to Sheffield United and play with confidence."

Adebola and his teammates are determined to put the record straight after losing 2-1 on their last visit to Bramall Lane in April. The final scoreline flattered the Blades and finally ended City's hopes of winning automatic promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

"Things like that can happen in football and we've not forgotten it," said Adebola. "We were the better team that day and deserved to win the game, but somehow managed to lose it."