ANDRE GREEN headed home in injury-time as Aston Villa stormed back from 3-0 down in the last eight minutes to snatch a point.
Billu Sharp’s stunning hat-trick – which saw him surpass a century of Sheffield United goals – looked certain to send his beloved club top of the Championship.
But an incredible collapse from Chris Wilder’s team saw Villa grab a draw they scarcely deserved.
There was no need for them to panic as Tyrone Mings headed in a Conor Hourihane corner in the 82nd minute.
But, boy, did they when Tammy Abraham scrambled another with four minutes left.
And – with Sharp off the field having just been taken off by Wilder – the assistant held up five added minutes on the board.
And Green headed in from John McGinn’s cross with almost the last touch.
The Blades fans had been singing “He’s just a fat lad from Sheffield” in homage to their hero as he just keeps hitting new heights.
Sharp’s wife Jade climbed Kilimanjaro earlier this season for charity – now her husband is at the peak of his powers.
Last month he became the highest goalscorer in English professional football in the 21st century.
His treble last night at Villa Park took him to 101 goals in all competitions for the Blades – and to 226 in his career.
The striker has never scored in the Premier League and that is his next big aim.
But this late collapse will make the task a little bit hard.
All three of Sharp’s strikes were typical poacher’s efforts.
The first – after 11 minutes – he poked home despite the effort of Tammy Abraham to clear off the line.
His second, on 53, he showed good reflexes to stick out a foot to take the ball across the line after a Gary Madine header had bounced off the post on to the goalline … although Villa claim keeper Lovre Kalinic had both hands on it.
And the third, he peeled away from Alan Hutton to nod home a Kieran Dowell cross.
He is just a class act. Just to add to all those stats, he now has 22 goals for this season too.
But the Blades tossed it all away.
Villa had hearts in mouths early on when George Baldock fired a shot from distance that keeper Lovre Kalinic could only parry out.
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But, fortunately for him, Mile Jedinak was on hand to clear the danger.
The Blades were looking menacing and Jon Egan almost got on the end of a corner.
Yet the visitors deservedly moved in front – and who else but Billy Sharp to break the deadlock.
Oliver Norwood’s corner to the back stick was headed back into the mixer by Madine and Sharp got enough on his shot to take the ball across the line, confirmed by goalline technology.
The Blades had the swagger of a side riding high and continued to pin Villa back into their own half.
It was not just going forward where Sheffield United were impressive.
As Abraham looked certain to go through on goal after Villa stole possession, defender John O’Connell timed his interception immaculately to win the ball back.
Villa finally got into the Blades box and Hutton sent in a cross but Abraham could not get enough power on his header that also drifted comfortably wide.
Blades keeper Dean Henderson misjudged a ball that was slowing up before it crossed the byline – leaving it.
Abraham was on to it in a flash and when the ball was eventually crossed by Anwar El Ghazi into path of Jonathan Kodjia. He tumbled to the ground, claiming he had been tugged, but referee Tony Harrington was having none of it.
Hutton – more out of hope than expectation – tried his luck from distance but it skied over the crossbar.
Sheffield United’s Chris Basham had his name taken for clattering McGinn with a late tackle.
After the break, El Ghazi managed to cross from the right but Basham quickly read it to head clear.
Sharp added his second. Kieran Dowell’s shot was parried by Kalinic toward Gary Madine, whose header struck the post before bouncing on to the goalline.
Kalinic thought he had got two hands on the ball but Sharp had stuck out a foot to net.
But there was no complaining about the next one.
Dowell crossed to the far post and Sharp peeled away from Hutton to head home.
Ming pulled one back by heading in Conor Hourihane’s corner.
But incredibly it was game on when Abraham pounced at the far post after Henderson parried a shot into his path.
And then came Green’s heartbreaker for Blades.
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/sharps-hat-trick-wiped-out-as-blades-chuck-away-three-goal-lead-with-mings-abraham-and-green-rescuing-draw/
News Photo Sharp’s hat-trick wiped out as Blades chuck away three-goal lead with Mings, Abraham and Green rescuing draw
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