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Sheffield tighten their grip on second place in the Championship with scrappy win on the road against Sunderland... thanks in part to a controversial free-kick winner

Sheffield United tightened their grip on a second-place automatic promotion spot with a charmed 2-1 victory against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening.

The home side were first on the scoresheet with a well-worked goal that saw Abdoullah Ba play an inch-perfect pass to unmarked team-mate Edouard Michut for his French compatriot to bury the ball in the back of the net.

But Sheffield spoiled the party moments before the half-time whistle with a James McAtee goal sparked, in part, by Sunderland carelessness.

Tommy Doyle moved the visitors ahead with a not-uncontroversial goal from a free-kick, which looked dangerously close to being offside, but did not trouble the linesman.