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Billy Sharp celebrates his first goal of the game against Norwich.
Billy Sharp celebrates his first goal of the game against Norwich. Photograph: Tony O’Brien/Action Images
Billy Sharp celebrates his first goal of the game against Norwich. Photograph: Tony O’Brien/Action Images

Billy Sharp pegs back Norwich twice as Sheffield United earn dramatic draw

This article is more than 5 years old

Billy Sharp scored twice as Sheffield United twice came from behind to grab a draw in a pulsating clash against Norwich. Sharp made it 19 goals for the season while the Norwich striker Teemu Pukki took his tally to 18 as two of the division’s leading sides produced a match worthy of the occasion.

Norwich were quickest out of the blocks, piling on the pressure and forcing a series of early corners before deservedly taking the lead in the 11th minute. Onel Hernández had already tested Dean Henderson from distance and made no mistake after a neat one-two with Pukki, calmly slotting the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs to open the scoring.

Norwich continued to press with Mario Vrancic sending a header just wide from an Emi Buendía corner, but Sheffield United gradually got a foothold in a game that was keenly contested from the word go, with strong tackles flying in from both sides. Their first sight of goal came after 22 minutes but a slick move down the right ended with Kieran Dowell slicing the ball wide from a good position. It needed a fine block by Tom Trybull to stop Gary Madine’s on-target effort a couple of minutes later.

Norwich nearly doubled their advantage five minutes before the break. Buendía worked himself a clear sight of goal after linking up with Marco Stiepermann but his effort from just outside the six-yard box sailed over, via a slight deflection off Henderson.

The hosts had marginally the better of a breathless first half but were pegged back deep into injury time after sloppy defending led to a penalty. Buendía did well to track Enda Stevens’s run into the area but pulled him down as he prepared to cross and James Linington pointed to the spot. After a delay that resulted in Tim Krul being booked for time-wasting, Sharp made no mistake with the penalty.

The visitors had a chance to get their noses in front in the opening minute of the second half but Sharp’s close-range header clipped the bar as it went over. John Fleck then curled a 25-yard effort just wide as Chris Wilder’s side continued to press.

However, it was Norwich who went ahead after 56 minutes. When the ball found its way to Max Aarons on the right, he delivered a cross that Pukki coolly chipped into the back of the net with a delightful first touch. “A world-class finish from Teemu,” said Daniel Farke, the Norwich manager, later. “He was so cool, so precise.”

Sheffield United replied immediately, Madine firing in a rising shot from distance that Krul did well to tip round the post, but Norwich were looking reasonably comfortable as the game entered its final quarter.

The visitors kept plugging away, however, and equalised 12 minutes from time, Sharp scoring with a back-post header from an excellent cross from the right by substitute Mark Duffy.

“Both teams got their fair reward today,” said Farke, before adding that he felt the penalty decision had been “a little bit soft”.

Wilder took positives from his side’s fightback, saying: “We came here to win the game but I’ll take a point. I think we have lost seven matches by the one goal this season. We didn’t want that to happen again.”

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