Morgan Gibbs-White kept Sheffield United’s Championship play-off bid on course with a second-half equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The home team took a lead in the 49th minute when Antoine Semenyo broke down the left on goalkeeper Dan Bentley’s long clearance and crossed the ball low for Chris Martin to finish from close range.
But United equalized on the hour when Bentley saved a low shot from Enda Stevens only for Gibbs-White to volley acrobatically on the rebound from eight yards out.
It was enough for his team to earn a share of the spoils in a highly entertaining game that gave credit to both teams.
The visitors created all the clear chances in the first half.
Oliver Norwood was the first to threaten with a shot from distance in the seventh minute that went wide.
Bentley kept his team on a level playing field, reaching out to save brilliantly after 10 minutes after a pass from John Fleck put Gibbs-White on goal.
Martin headed in from a Matty James corner midway through the first half, but it was all City had to show off some promising counter-attacks, all too often marred by a poor late ball.
United should have gone ahead in the 43rd minute when Stevens’ pass into the area created a clear chance for Iliman Ndiaye.
The striker only had to beat Bentley, but he looked for power from 12 meters and fired his shot over the crossbar.
It had been an interesting half for Bentley, who had left his goal exposed three times through headlong runs from his line, only to be rescued by the defenders in front of him.
Stevens fired wide from an angle in United’s final attack of a half in which, encouraged by a large contingent of traveling fans, they had threatened to take control without scoring a shot.
City were forced to change after 48 minutes when full-back Jay Dasilva, scorer of the winner in the previous match at Stoke, limped off to be replaced by Ayman Benarous.
Seconds later they were ahead, Bentley making a routine stop before finding Semenyo, who stepped forward to present Martin with a must-see opportunity.
It should have been 2-0 in the 56th minute, a pass from Andreas Weimann gave Semenyo, who fired the ball over. Martin then bolted out only to see his low shot saved by Wes Foderingham.
The rulings proved costly as Gibbs-White put United on a level playing field. City then lost Semenyo to injury after 70 minutes and was replaced by Nahki Wells.
United also made changes as a high-tempo game took its toll on both sides in the closing stages. Martin fired wide and Rob Atkinson fired over the crossbar as City continued to fight back threateningly, but the equalizer was a fair result.
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