Sheffield United won for the first time in six months by coming out on top in a five-goal thriller at Bristol Rovers to reach the FA Cup fourth round.
The Premier League’s bottom side led when Lys Mousset’s header hit the bar and went in off Rovers keeper Joe Day.
Towering Alfie Kilgour header drew League One Rovers level by half-time – but United substitute Oliver Burke ran clear and slotted in on the hour.
Max Ehmer restored parity but Jayden Bogle ended a slick move to win it.
The three second-half goals came in just four minutes, with Burke’s calm finish and Ehmer’s back-post equaliser followed by Bogle’s well-timed run into the area to notch his second goal in four matches since joining from Derby in December.
It ended a dismal run of form for United – whose last win in a competitive fixture was on 11 July, when they beat Chelsea in the Premier League.
United’s winless run stretched to 21 matches in total, and so victory will provide some much-needed relief for manager Chris Wilder.
His side are still rock bottom of England’s top flight but Wilder’s assertion that this game was “huge because of the situation we are in” rubbed off on his players as they started quickly.
Mousset leapt to smartly head against the bar, prompting Day’s unfortunate own goal. While Kilgour’s powerful header levelled, Wilder’s side were on top and had a second Mousset goal ruled out for a debatable foul by John Egan in the build-up.
John Lundstram saw a shot tipped over after half-time but six minutes after coming on, Burke raced clear and slid in a finish at the near post – his first goal for the club since signing from West Bromwich Albion in September.
Ehmer turned home Luke Leahy’s near-post flick on but Burke’s clever dummy allowed Bogle to roll in coolly from six yards.
Burke hit the post and the impressive Ben Osborn went close to adding a fourth on a day where Wilder’s side had 22 shots and more than deserved this key win and a place in Monday’s fourth-round draw.
