Sheffield United's manager, Chris Wilder, criticised his team's lack of maturity after they squandered a lead in their 3-2 defeat to Preston North End. The Blades had shown promise with consecutive wins
and started well at Deepdale. Andre Brooks and Callum O'Hare scored early, but Preston's Lewis Dobbin reduced the deficit just before half-time.
Japhet Tanganga's own goal shortly after the break levelled the score for Preston. Former United player Daniel Jebbison then secured the win with a header in the 58th minute. Despite having chances, United couldn't equalise, with O'Hare missing from close range in the 71st minute.
Wilder expressed frustration as United ended with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.4 from 12 attempts, surpassing Preston's 1.6. However, Preston capitalised on all three of their shots on target out of 15 total attempts. Wilder lamented missed opportunities that left his team just one point above relegation.
"We had enough opportunities," Wilder told Sky Sports. He acknowledged poor decisions in the opening minutes but praised his team's play afterward. "We forced them into situations and traps, broke it up and scored two good goals," he added. Wilder believed they should have led by more at half-time.
The goal before half-time boosted Preston significantly. "Naivety from our play has hurt us," Wilder admitted, noting that better decision-making could have changed the game's dynamics. He felt they handed the game back to Preston through their actions.
Heckingbottom's Perspective
Preston climbed to fifth place with this victory, marking their first comeback win after trailing at half-time since April 2024 against Huddersfield Town. It was also their first triumph over United since April 2018, ending an eight-game winless streak against them.
Paul Heckingbottom, who previously managed United for two years, praised his team's resilience after falling behind. "It's a really good win; the main thing for us is we kept our heads," he told Sky Sports. Despite a shaky spell during the match, Heckingbottom was proud of his players' response.
Heckingbottom found it ironic that this was probably their worst performance of recent games yet resulted in a win. His side showed determination and composure despite conceding goals earlier in the match.
Preston's victory highlighted their ability to bounce back under pressure while Sheffield United faced challenges maintaining consistency throughout matches. Both teams will look to build on this experience as they continue their Championship campaigns this season.
