Sheffield United 3 Portsmouth 0: Jordan Cross’ verdict as set-piece horror sends timid Blues spiralling towards drop zone amid more Bramall Lane pain

Two more shocking examples of the Blues’ complete inability to defend their box from corners, led to John Mousinho’s 10 men collapsing to timid defeat at the Blades’ home.

A sprinkling of genius from Gus Hamer compounded the pain, as John Mousinho’s side willingly handed Chris Wilder’s men a leg-up by rolling over in South Yorkshire.

Terry Devlin’s rush of blood six minutes before the interval led to an inevitable dismissal, as he instinctively handled Japhet Tanganga’s header.

The truly criminal act came in the manner in which the defender was allowed to make that unopposed contact, however, a moment echoed nine minutes after the restart for Patrick Bamford’s maiden Sheffield United goal.

The simple reality is the continuing incompetence from corners and balls into the box, is now in serious danger of seeing Pompey drop into the bottom three.

The gap is just two points with the Blues ending the evening 20th in the table, that coming after the optimism of the weekend victory over Millwall.

The truly galling factor about Pompey’s set-piece generosity, was it destroyed a night which was clearly an opportunity to deliver a return.

Sheffield United’s own self doubt was apparent after their surprise struggles this term, with Bramall Lane as quiet as any Blues fan will remember it being.

Mousinho stuck with the same players who delivered against Millwall, as he named an unchanged squad at Bramall Lane.

It meant Mark Kosznovszky and Florian Bianchini were rewarded for decent displays after rare starts, as they kept their places in the team.

The home side were buoyed by their 3-0 Steel City derby romp over Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, with the hope that would be the catalyst for their surprisingly weak start to the season after play-off final defeat.

Andre Brooks fashioned the evening’s first chance, bouncing a 20 yarder into the turn and not too far over the bar.

But it was a palpably flat home atmosphere as the drizzle drifted across South Yorkshire, one which became increasingly redolent of opportunity for the visitors.

First Devlin’s hunger saw emerge victorious from a 50-50 and feed Josh Murphy, with his cross headed over by Florian Bianchini.

Then Tanganga lost sight of the football rulebook, as he claimed Murphy was offside from a throw. A little more poise from the winger’s action in the box could have fashioned a clear chance, as the home side cleared.

There was a tenacity and purpose about Pompey’ energy levels and purpose, amid the home crowd’s early malaise which was offering quiet optimism.

Blues tormentor Tom Cannon tried to lift the mood with a robust challenge on Nico Schmid which was penalised, before the same outcome followed when overstepping a foot race with Josh Knight from a ball in behind the defender.

As the half hour mark approached, the depth of Sheffield United’s early-season difficulties on the mood around the club was clear, the chance to get a result clear to the 1,305 travelling Pompey fans, who bated the home crowd over their apparent lack of interest in the occasion.

Bamford served warning to the visitors over becoming too comfortable, however, as his 25-yard snapshot whistled just past Schmid cross before Jairo Riedewald’s back-post effort was saved by Schmid.

Then, six minutes before the break, the Bramall Lane occasion spun on its axis, with Devlin’s dismissal as Pompey’s shocking set-piece woes struck again. It was Tanganga who this time appreciated the freedom of the Blues’ penalty area, to head Sam McCallum’s header goalward.

The Northern Ireland man’s arm movement towards the ball was as instinctive as his admission of guilt, as arms were raised to his head. The red card decision from referee Leigh Doughty was as inevitable as Peck’s finishing past Schmid was unerring.

Pompey reorganised into a 4-2-2-1 at the break with Adrian Segecic sacrificed for Jordan Williams at the break.

The dye had been cast, however, with the visitors forced to sit in deep, in an effort to stay in the game long enough to allow doubt to creep into the home side.

All the time Mousinho’s side are in the habit of handing out early Yuletide gifts in their set-piece defending such ambitions are fanciful, however.

It was Bamford who this time gleefully accepted the offering as he fired home his first Sheffield United goal, tapping in with Tanganga again unoccupied as he headed off the bar.

From there it was just a case of how many.

There was little the exposed Schmid could do but watch Hamer’s majestic 25 yarder arc beyond him with 17 minutes left.

The assistant referee spared Pompey the indignity of Danny Ings rubbing salt in the wounds, with three minutes left, as he fired home. That after the striker had been barracked for his Southampton ties all night.

A small mercy on an evening where any reasons to be cheerful were once again woefully absent, and serious fears over the season resurfaced.