Sheffield United vs Swansea City

Saturday 19th February

Bramall Lane

15:00

SHU Sheff Utd

SWA Swansea

14:50

Over to the 'Action' tab

As we close in on kick-off at Bramall Lane, it's time for us to switch over to the 'Action' tab in this match centre.

Move over from the 'Build-up' area and follow all the updates from the 90 minutes.

14:25

A challenge to be embraced

Swansea will be viewed by many as the underdogs this afternoon, but Russell Martin wants his side to embrace that tag and produce the sort of performance that has seen them upset the likes of Blackburn, Coventry, Huddersfield and West Brom this season.

You can hear more from the head coach HERE.

14:15

How to watch or listen to today's game

A reminder that there is still time for you to purchase a streaming package for today's game.

The full SwansTV Live stream is available to all our international fans, with audio commentary options available in the UK and Ireland.

Click HERE for more details.

14:10

Two changes for the Swans

Swansea City head coach Russell Martin makes two changes to his side for this afternoon’s meeting with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Joel Latibeaudiere and Olivier Ntcham are the two players brought into the starting XI, in places of Hannes Wolf and Michael Obafemi.

Wolf misses out through a hamstring injury, while Obafemi drops to the bench as the Swans front three is reshuffled.

Andy Fisher continues in goal, with the back three of Finley Burns, Ben Cabango and Ryan Manning unchanged from the win over Bristol City.

Cyrus Christie and Latibeaudiere are the wing-backs, while Flynn Downes and skipper Matt Grimes are paired together in midfield.

Ntcham joins Jamie Paterson in providing support to top scorer Joel Piroe in the final third.

The hosts have a number of former Swans in their matchday squads, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Rhys Norrington-Davies starting, while Oli McBurnie and Conor Hourihane are among the substitutes.

14:00

Here's how the teams line up

Sheffield United: Wes Foderingham, George Baldock, John Fleck, Chris Basham, Sander Berge, Billy Sharp (captain), John Egan, Oliver Norwood, Jack Robinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Rhys Norrington-Davies.

Substitutes: Adam Davies, Oli McBurnie, Ben Davies, Conor Hourihane, Charlie Goode, Iliman Ndiaye, Daniel Jebbison.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Finley Burns, Ben Cabango, Ryan Manning; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Joel Latibeaudiere; Olivier Ntcham, Jamie Paterson, Joel Piroe.

Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Jay Fulton, Korey Smith, Michael Obafemi, Kyle Joseph, Yan Dhanda.

13:50

Meet the opposition

As we mentioned earlier, the Blades have been on a strong run of form that has taken them to the brink of the play-off places.

You can find our more about the history of the Yorkshire club, and their key men, by reading our opposition guide HERE.

13:40

Meet the officials

David Webb is the referee for this afternoon's fixture.

You can find out more about the County Durham official and his team by clicking HERE.

13:30

Welcome to Bramall Lane

Good afternoon and welcome to Bramall Lane for Swansea City's Championship clash with Sheffield United.

The Swans have made the journey to south Yorkshire on the back of their impressive second-half fightback against Bristol City last time out.

They will hope to carry that sort of performance into what is expected to be a stern test against an in-form Blades side.

The hosts have lost just one of their last 12 games in the Championship under Paul Heckingbottom.

Stay with us for all the build-up, action and reaction throughout the afternoon.

Full-time | Sheffield United 4 Swansea City 0

It's all over as Swansea City are beaten at Sheffield United as three first-half goals set the Blades on the way all three points at Bramall Lane.

Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and George Baldock left the Swans facing an uphill struggle after just 18 minutes, with Billy Sharp adding to the visitors’ woes before the break.

Gibbs-White added his second with 12 minutes remaining and the visitors - who rarely tested Wes Foderingham in the Blades goal - can have no complaints about the outcome as they suffered a second heavy away defeat in a row following defeat at Stoke.

Shocking miss

That's a terrible miss from Oliver Norwood.

Fisher and Grimes present the ball to him on a plate just outside the area, but he fires well over the bar with the Swansea keeper out of his net.

We will have three minutes of stoppage time.

Goal | Sheffield United 4 Swansea City 0

A second of the afternoon for Gibbs-White and it's more poor defending.

A ball comes into the box with no pressure, Sharp reacts first to control it and he tees up the midfielder to steer the ball into the bottom corner.

That is better from Swansea and probably as crisp a move as we have seen by some distance this afternoon.

It ends with a lovely ball from Grimes but Latibeaudiere cannot turn it in from close range.

Important block

That's an important challenge from Finley Burns as the Blades threaten again.

Gibbs-White and Berge look to tee up Sharp, but the teenage defender scrambles back to block the veteran striker's shot.

First change for the Swans

Russell Martin sends on Michael Obafemi for Olivier Ntcham on the hour mark.

Piroe involved

Joel Piroe has not had much chance to show what he can do, but he has been more involved early in this second half.

The Dutchman skips away from his man to get to the byline and sees his cross deflected away for a corner.

But the set-piece comes to nought.

First meaningful save

Paterson turns away from his man and drives towards the box.

His low shot is an awkward one, and Foderingham gets down well to make his first meaningful save of the contest.

Offside flag to the rescue

Sheffield United pick up where they left off, and Baldock briefly thinks he has his second of the afternoon as he turns in Sander Berge's pass, but the offside flag ends the celebrations.

Back under way

We are back under way, no changes for either side.

It's Billy Sharp who kicks off the second half.

Action shots

Half-time | Sheffield United 3 Swansea City 0

There goes the half-time whistle and the hosts are in complete control at Bramall Lane.

Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, George Baldock and Billy Sharp have left the Swans with a mountain to climb in south Yorkshire.

Two bookings

Jamie Paterson has been the most lively of the Swansea players and he is hauled down twice in quick succession and bookings follow for Oliver Norwood and George Baldock.

Goal | Sheffield United 3 Swansea City 0

There's no let-off for the Swans this time.

The visitors surrender the ball too easily and it takes just one pass to open up the defence and Billy Sharp, this division's record goalscorer, does not miss chances like that.

The hosts spurn another chance

The Blades spring away again, but Gibbs-White makes a mess of things as he tries a fancy backheel to Billy Sharp even through he was in on goal himself.

Should be 3-0

Swansea get away with one there.

They have a good period on the ball, but Ntcham is then bullied off the ball and Gibbs-White sends Billy Sharp racing away.

The forward's return cross find the midfielder, but he somehow heads wide from barely six yards.

Massive let off.

Missed chance

Swansea pass up a chance to pull a goal back.

Matt Grimes chips a free-kick into the area and it finds Cyrus Christie racing in at the back post, but he is unable to connect.

The offside flag then belatedly goes up.

Goal | Sheffield United 2 Swansea City 0

The first goal was disappointing, but there's not much you can do about this finish.

The Blades advance, Rhys Norrington-Davies fizzes a cross in and George Baldock meets it with a thunderous volley that flies into the net off the underside of the bar.

Goal | Sheffield United 1 Swansea City 0

That's a disappointing goal to concede.

It's a simple straight ball down the right side that sees Morgan Gibbs-White get in behind Joel Latibeaudiere.

The former Swan takes a touch, and then guides it past the onrushing Andy Fisher.

That undoes a lot of good work the visitors had done to get a foothold in the game after a fast start from the hosts.

Nearly

Swansea nearly spring Joel Piroe in behind the Blades backline, but Wes Foderingham is off his line quickly to snuff out the danger.

Swans start to settle

After that fast start for the hosts, the Swans have enjoyed a decent spell of possession to get them into things.

There was a lovely turn and break from Jamie Paterson, before Olivier Ntcham scuffed his attempted strike from distance.

Good start for the hosts

We mentioned Sheffield United's recent form, and they've started on the front foot here.

John Fleck and Morgan Gibbs-White have delivered threatening balls into the Swansea box, and the hosts have enjoyed a couple of corners already.

The Swans deal with the set-pieces and have a chance to get hold of the ball.

Kick-off

We are up and running in south Yorkshire following a minute's applause in memory of former Blades boss Billy McEwan, who recently passed away.

It's the visitors who kick us off through Joel Piroe.

C'mon the Swans!

The teams are out

Here we go then, as the teams emerge onto a windswept Bramall Lane.

The Swans are in their all black away strip, while the hosts are in their familiar red and white stripes.

We are nearly ready to go.

A reminder of the teams

As we close in on kick-off in south Yorkshire, here's a reminder of the teams.

Substitutes: Adam Davies, Oli McBurnie, Ben Davies, Conor Hourihane, Charlie Goode, Iliman Ndiaye, Daniel Jebbison.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Finley Burns, Ben Cabango, Ryan Manning; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Joel Latibeaudiere; Olivier Ntcham, Jamie Paterson, Joel Piroe.

Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Jay Fulton, Korey Smith, Michael Obafemi, Kyle Joseph, Yan Dhanda.

19th February

Swansea City were beaten by Sheffield United as three first-half goals set the Blades on the way to all three points at Bramall Lane.

Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and George Baldock left the Swans facing an uphill struggle after just 18 minutes, with Billy Sharp adding to the visitors’ woes before the break.

There had been two changes for the Swans with Joel Latibeaudiere and Olivier Ntcham coming in for Hannes Wolf – who missed out with a hamstring problem – and Michael Obafemi.

The visitors would have been looking to improve their away form having won three of their last four at home, but hopes of a positive result were severely dented by a sluggish start.

Within 18 minutes the Blades - who had lost just one of their previous 12 games to vault into play-off contention - had opened up a two-goal cushion.

The warning signs had been there from the opening moments when John Fleck and Gibbs-White found the room to send threatening deliveries into the area.

The opener came in the 14th minute as a straight, lofted pass was enough to send Gibbs-White in behind Latibeaudiere, and the former Swans loanee brought the ball down before steering it past Andy Fisher with the outside of his right foot.

Four minutes later and the lead was doubled. United were able to advance the ball upfield with ease, but there was nothing routine about the finish as Baldock arrived onto Rhys Norrington-Davies’ firm pull-back to wallop an unstoppable volley in off the underside of the bar.

The chances kept coming for the home side, with Gibbs-White somehow heading wide from close range after being picked out by Sharp, before the midfielder curiously elected to try and backheel to his captain a few moments later when he was through on goal himself.

But there was no let-off seven minutes before the break as Swansea got themselves into difficulty, with one pass from Gibbs-White enough to send Sharp in on goal to loft the ball over Fisher.

Ntcham had a shot from distance easily saved by Foderingham, and the half-time whistle left the visitors with a mountain to climb.

Baldock thought he had made it 4-0 barely three minutes into the second period, but he was rightly flagged offside as he turned in Sander Berge’s pass from close range.

At the other end Foderingham got down well to hold Jamie Paterson’s strike after the midfielder had spun his man and burst towards the box.

Joel Piroe then skipped away from his man down the left, and saw a dangerous cross deflected over the bar by a defender.

Fisher saved a Fleck free-kick that flew straight into his gloves after Ryan Manning was adjudged to have fouled Gibbs-White.

Obafemi replaced Ntcham on the hour but the hosts remained in the ascendancy with Finley Burns making an important block from Sharp at the far post.

Latibeaudiere came so close to pulling one back as he stretched but could not reach an excellent pass from Matt Grimes with 23 minutes to go.

But that was as near as Swansea got to a goal as they left south Yorkshire with nothing, with Gibbs-White taking advantage of more poor defending to make it 4-0 as he steered in after Sharp had reacted quickest to a cross and laid the ball off.

Sheffield United: Wes Foderingham, George Baldock (Charlie Goode 69), John Fleck, Chris Basham, Sander Berge, Billy Sharp (captain) (Oli McBurnie 81), John Egan, Oliver Norwood, Jack Robinson, Morgan Gibbs-White (Daniel Jebbison 85), Rhys Norrington-Davies.

Unused Substitutes: Adam Davies, Ben Davies, Conor Hourihane, Iliman Ndiaye.

Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Finley Burns, Ben Cabango, Ryan Manning; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Joel Latibeaudiere; Olivier Ntcham (Michael Obafemi 60), Jamie Paterson, Joel Piroe (Korey Smith 81).

Unused Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Jay Fulton, Kyle Joseph, Yan Dhanda.

Referee: David Webb