Sheffield United Fall to Late Goal from Wolves

Sheffield United were punished for a single lapse in concentration as a 90th-minute strike from Raul Jimenez snatched all three points for Wolverhampton Wanderers at Bramall Lane.

The late goal, drilled home from close range, sealed a 1-0 win for the visitors and left the Blades marooned in mid-table, 14th in the Championship and five points adrift of the automatic promotion spots in these early weeks of the season.

The decisive moment came right at the death. Tommy Doyle's miscued effort should have been cleared, but it broke kindly in the box. Jimenez reacted quickest, adjusting his feet and steering the loose ball beyond Michael Cooper, who could only watch it slide past him.

For Cooper, the manner of the defeat cut deeper than the result itself.

"In the 90th minute, ultimately, we've switched off and let them in," the goalkeeper told BBC Radio Yorkshire, his frustration obvious. "Really disappointed with that. We know how disappointed the fans will be going home.

"It's a bit of a sucker punch. Credit to the lads, obviously, the effort was there for 90 minutes but just that split-second against a team like that, as a unit, we can't switch off the way we did. Bitterly disappointing."

United had worked, chased and battled to keep Wolves out, only to see their concentration crack at the worst possible time. The late concession underlined the fine margins at the top end of the Championship, where one loose second can undo an entire evening’s graft.

Cooper insisted there is no shortage of preparation behind the scenes, only a need to translate it when it matters most.

"Everyone's training so hard. The amount of info we're getting from staff is phenomenal. There's no complaints from anyone. It's just about putting the practice into games."

For a side with promotion ambitions, learning how to close out nights like this will decide whether 14th is a blip in the early standings or a sign of a season drifting off course.