UNITED CLINCH FIRST HOME WIN

UNITED CLINCH FIRST HOME WIN

Second-half goals seal 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers...

UNITED 2 (Wood 65, Bartley 87), BLACKBURN 1 (Emnes 77)

United team: Green, Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Taylor, Bridcutt (Phillips 49), O'Kane (Mowatt 83), Hernandez, Dallas, Sacko, Antonsson (Wood 60). Subs: Silvestri, Coyle, Cooper, Doukara.

Blackburn team: Steele, Williams, Greer, Hoban (Lenihan 76), Lowe, Evans, Akpan (Feeney 71), Marshall, Conway, Gallagher, Graham (Emnes 61). Subs: Raya, Guthrie, Byrne, Samuelsen.

Referee: James Adcock

Booked: Green, Sacko, Ayling (United), Greer, Evans, Marshall (Blackburn)

Att: 19,009 (327 Blackburn)

Kyle Bartley's late header - after Chris Wood's opener had been cancelled out by a Marvin Emnes strike - saw United claim a first home victory of the season against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening.

Bartley rose to meet Alex Mowatt’s 87th-minute free-kick to clinch the three points at Elland Road and pull Garry Monk’s side up to 17th in the Sky Bet Championship table.

United dominated possession during the first half but clear-cut chances were at a premium for both sides, with Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas both drawing relatively routine saves from Rovers goalkeeper Jason Steele, before the latter hammered a first-time strike over on the stroke of half-time with the visitors yet to test Rob Green.

Rovers started the second half brightly, however, Ben Marshall drilling a low effort inches wide within seconds of the restart, before United were dealt a blow as captain Liam Bridcutt was forced off through injury; Kalvin Phillips taking his place in midfield.

Hadi Sacko and Marcus Antonsson took turns to threaten for United, before Bartley headed a Pablo Hernandez corner into the ground and over from close-range with one of the better chances of the evening.

Wood replaced Antonsson on the hour-mark and had an almost immediate impact, opening the scoring just five minutes after stepping off the bench with a close-range finish following some trickery and a low cross from the right by the lively Sacko.

But United were pegged by on 77 minutes as another substitute got on the scoresheet, this time Emnes rifling home a powerful strike after space had opened up for him on the edge of the area.

Rovers were buoyed and Rob Green was called into a fine double save to deny the visitors from taking an unlikely lead in the closing stages, but United were able to clinch the win three minutes from time as Bartley towered above his marker to beat Steele in front of the Kop.

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