BLADES HARNESS THEIR EMOTIONS

CHRIS Wilder reflected on an emotional afternoon which saw tributes paid to former player George Baldock, who passed away earlier this month, as his Sheffield United side beat Stoke City.

- Nick Johnson

Goals either side of the break from Kieffer Moore and Tyrese Campbell gave the hosts victory following back-to-back defeats.

In the post-match press conference, a visibly emotional Wilder said: “We got the balance right off the pitch, got the balance right on the pitch.

“We needed to get that performance right and I believe we did. We controlled possession, we played really well.

“They played with freedom, belief, personality, courage and that allowed them to dominate a dangerous outfit. Stoke City are a team that’s well-coached, with some good players.

“We had to make sure that, emotionally, we were spot on today and controlled our emotions and played in the way that we wanted to play today.

“It’s been the toughest two weeks, personally, from my time being in football since I was 16, that’s the impact of it.