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BRISTOL CITY 2, SHEFFIELD UNITED  3 (full-time)

 

DARIUS Henderson grabbed a stunning hat-trick to end City’s long unbeaten home record in the Coca-Cola Championship.

The big striker netted twice in the space of three minutes midway through the first half and then scored a dramatic injury-time winner as the Blades became the first side to take three points at Ashton Gate since Burnley won 2-1 on December 20 last year.

Undone by slipshod defending, City suffered their second successive defeat and lost further ground on those teams in the play-off positions.

The home side started brightly but failed to penetrate a well-drilled Blades defence and fell behind on the half hour, Henderson drilling his shot home from 17 yards.

And the former Swindon and Watford man made it 2-0 moments later following a horrendous mistake by Robins centre-back Jamie McCombe.

Louis Carey pulled a goal back seven minutes into the second half, heading in Paul Hartley’s free kick, and substitute Alvaro Saborio completed the fightback when side-footing home from 12 yards in the 90^th minute.

But just as City thought they had snatched a point, up popped Henderson to beat keeper Dean Gerken with an angled shot to send the Robins spiralling to a second successive defeat.

Wantaway goalkeeper Adriano Basso proved the main talking point in the build-up to the game after being axed by City manager Gary Johnson following comments he made in the media.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Basso has spent most of the campaign on the bench after submitting a written transfer request during the summer.

But Johnson called up former Republic of Ireland keeper Stephen Henderson to the bench to provide cover for first-choice Dean Gerken after Basso publicly stated his desire to get away from Ashton Gate when the transfer window opens in January.

The South American issued a statement through his agent to Sky Sports in which he repeated his refusal to sign a new contract and stated his desire to go out on loan when the January transfer window opens.

Johnson said: “I’ve decided to leave Basso out and Stephen Henderson is very excited to be on the bench and to have an opportunity to push Dean Gerken.

“At this moment in time, before a game, I would rather not say anything else about the situation. I want to leave that for another time.”

Johnson made one change to the side beaten 4-1 at West Brom last weekend, dropping defender Lewin Nyatanga to the bench, recalling midfielder Lee Johnson and reverting to a 4-3-3 formation.

Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell gave a debut to keeper Carl Ikeme, signed on loan from Premier League Wolves in midweek.

Johnson demanded an emphatic response from his players following last Saturday’s chastening defeat at the Hawthorns and City certainly began as though they meant to atone for their heaviest defeat of the season, setting a high tempo, pushing United back and moving the ball to good effect during the opening exchanges.

Big, strong and durable, the Blades were content to put men behind the ball and soak up pressure, a policy which restricted the home side to two long-range efforts from Marvin Elliott and Danny Haynes during the first 20 minutes.

Quick to support lone striker Henderson on the rare occasions when they attacked, the Blades proved a threat on the counter. When Henderson nodded Jamie Ward’s cross into the path of Lee Williamson, keeper Gerken had to drop smartly to his left to save the former Watford man’s first-time shot.

Unable to find a way through a defence superbly marshalled by Blades skipper Chris Morgan, City showed signs of losing their way and the crowd vented their frustration when the visitors forced a series of corners.

City failed to clear their lines from one of these and Ward swung the ball back into the mix towards Stephen Quinn. Gerken punched clear, but only as far as Henderson, who drilled his shot through a crowd of players and into the right-hand corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.

City thought they had escaped when the linesman raised an offside flag against Lee Williamson, who appeared to be standing behind Gerken when the ball hit the back of the net, only for referee Andy Hall to correctly overrule his assistant and allow Henderson’s eighth goal of the season.

His ninth arrived just two minutes later, Jamie McCombe needlessly giving the ball away to Ward, who picked out Henderson standing all alone on the penalty spot. His finish was emphatic, the ball crashing off the underside of the bar and over the line.   

City had chances to pull a goal back before the break, but McCombe’s header was saved by Ikeme, Evander Sno and Elliott sent shots off target and Haynes made a hash of things after being put clean through by Paul Hartley’s defence-splitting through ball.

City were in desperate need of an early goal when the second half commenced and their fans had to wait just seven minutes to celebrate. Hartley delivered a free kick from wide on the right which caused panic in Yorkshire ranks and City skipper Carey rose high to head his first goal of the season from six yards.

City should have been level six minutes later, Nicky Maynard showing the Blades defence a clean pair of heels, only to put his shot too close to the keeper and allow Ikeme to make a crucial save with his left leg.

United continued to pose a threat from set pieces and City appeared vulnerable under the high ball. But the crowd sensed a way back for the Robins and Ward and Kyle Walker were both shown yellow cards for time-wasting as the visitors came under increasing pressure.

Ikeme again came to United’s rescue when standing his ground to keep out a shot from Haynes after Hartley had opened up the defence with another astute pass.

City boss Johnson decided to make a change 14 minutes from time, replacing Cole Skuse with Ivan Sproule in a bid to inject some pace into his attack. The Irish winger almost made an immediate impact, sending over a cross from the right which flew across the face of goal without any red-shirted player quite being able to apply a finishing touch.

City's comeback was complete when Saborio, an 85th minute replacement for Sno, fired through a crowded goalmouth to send the crowd into raptures.

But cheers quickly turned to jeers as Henderson had the last laugh, netting a dramatic winner in the fourth minute of added time.

City (4-3-3): Gerken; Skuse (Sproule 76), McCombe, Carey, McAllister (Fontaine 88); Elliott, Hartley, Johnson; Haynes, Maynard, Sno (Saborio 85).

United (4-5-1): Ikeme; Walker, Morgan, Kilgallon, Davies; Ward (Reid 88), Montgomery, Harper (Fortune 90), Williamson (Stewart 60), Quinn; Henderson.

Referee: Andy Hall

Attendance:14,637