Niche Cache
Tyler Bindon didn’t get sent off... he got subbed off. Wilder made a two subs immediately after Tanganga’s dismissal, including Ben Mee brought on in place of a striker. He then made another one at half-time with Harrison Burrows taking the place of Bindon. Kinda crazy to sub a centre-back when you’ve just had the other one red carded but in turns out that Bindon had been battling a winter bug the whole time and didn’t have the juice to carry on. The fact that he played ahead of Mee in the first place, knowing now that he was sick, looks like an even bigger vote of confidence in the young kiwi defender than it initially appeared.
Alas, the Blades conceded immediately after the second half kicked off. And although they ground their way through the rest of the game despite the disadvantage... they couldn’t get back to the way they began this game and went on to lose 1-0. Frustrating defeat but, you know... extenuating circumstances.
Chris Wilder:
“The amount of effort that the boys put in uh was incredible. Losing Tyler at halftime, he was he was ill and sick. For him to come off and then having to play Ben Mee who's not played a lot of football and then to play [McCallum] as a centre-half against Lee Burn and Dykes was outstanding effort from them.”