Oliver Norwood grabbed a 98th-minute equaliser as Sheffield United drew with Blackpool in a six-goal thriller with four red cards and a late missed penalty.
Jerry Yates’ second successive double inspired a thrilling comeback for Blackpool, who had looked set to secure a victory against the Championship leaders.
James McAtee and Iliman Ndiaye put the Blades 2-0 up, but Yates scored twice to level before Kenny Dougall put Blackpool 3-2 ahead.
In a frantic finish, Marvin Ekpiteta and Dominic Thompson were sent off for the visitors before United’s Rhian Brewster missed a penalty.
Blackpool’s Shayne Lavery and Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham were red-carded following an altercation after the final whistle, with the hosts being knocked off top by Burnley, who thrashed Swansea.
Teenage midfielder McAtee – on loan from Manchester City – opened the scoring with his first senior goal, bursting through as Billy Sharp nodded Tommy Doyle’s cross into his path and stabbing the ball over the line.
Blackpool threatened a response, with former Blades striker Gary Madine and Yates both going close, only for the home side to double their lead soon afterwards.
Doyle was involved again, setting up Norwood to deliver a cross that Chris Maxwell could only parry to Ndiaye, who nodded in from close range.
However, Blackpool struck back on the half-hour when United’s defence half-cleared a corner and Callum Connolly’s shrewd ball to the back post picked out Yates, who sent his header sailing over Foderingham.
The striker then made it 2-2 just before the interval, connecting with Lavery’s pinpoint cross to steer home his second.
Dougall edged Blackpool ahead five minutes into the second period, capitalising on Charlie Patino’s deflected through ball to slot home his first of the season.
The game reached boiling point in the final 15 minutes as Ekpiteta and Thompson both picked up their second yellow cards in quick succession, leaving United with a two-man advantage.
They should have made that count when Yates was adjudged to have given away a penalty with two minutes remaining, but Brewster thundered his kick against the post.
Maxwell pulled off a string of saves and it looked as though Blackpool had survived the Blades barrage until Norwood pounced on a half-cleared Doyle corner to volley the equaliser in the eighth minute of added time.
Line-ups
Sheff Utd
Formation 3-5-1-1
- 18FoderinghamBooked at 90mins
- 6Basham
- 12Egan
- 33Norrington-Davies
- 2BaldockBooked at 56minsSubstituted forKhadraat 84′minutes
- 22DoyleBooked at 77mins
- 16NorwoodBooked at 72mins
- 28McAteeBooked at 45minsSubstituted forAhmedhodzicat 64′minutesBooked at 72mins
- 23OsbornSubstituted forMcBurnieat 64′minutes
- 29Ndiaye
- 10SharpSubstituted forBrewsterat 64′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Davies
- 7Brewster
- 9McBurnie
- 11Khadra
- 15Ahmedhodzic
- 19Robinson
- 30Arblaster
Blackpool
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Maxwell
- 2Connolly
- 21EkpitetaBooked at 78mins
- 34Thorniley
- 23ThompsonBooked at 81mins
- 35BridcuttSubstituted forWrightat 75′minutes
- 28Patino
- 19LaveryBooked at 90minsSubstituted forR Williamsat 82′minutes
- 12Dougall
- 9Yates
- 14MadineSubstituted forHamiltonat 85′minutes
Substitutes
- 15R Williams
- 16Carey
- 22Hamilton
- 24Wright
- 25Corbeanu
- 26Poveda-Ocampo
- 32Grimshaw
- Referee:
- David Webb
- Attendance:
- 28,458
Live Text
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Match ends, Sheffield United 3, Blackpool 3.
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Wes Foderingham (Sheffield United) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
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Shayne Lavery (Blackpool) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
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Second Half ends, Sheffield United 3, Blackpool 3.
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Attempt blocked. CJ Hamilton (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jerry Yates.
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Goal! Sheffield United 3, Blackpool 3. Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal following a corner.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Callum Connolly.
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Attempt blocked. Oliver McBurnie (Sheffield United) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Reda Khadra.
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Attempt saved. John Egan (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Oliver Norwood with a cross.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by CJ Hamilton.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by CJ Hamilton.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Rhys Williams.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Jerry Yates.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Callum Connolly.
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Offside, Sheffield United. Tommy Doyle tries a through ball, but Anel Ahmedhodzic is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right.
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Attempt saved. Oliver McBurnie (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Oliver Norwood with a cross.
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Penalty missed! Still Sheffield United 2, Blackpool 3. Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United) hits the right post with a right footed shot.
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Penalty Sheffield United. Anel Ahmedhodzic draws a foul in the penalty area.
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Penalty conceded by Jerry Yates (Blackpool) after a foul in the penalty area.
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