Morris bags hat-trick as Derby beat The Blades

Hat-trick or treat?

Carlton Morris said: “Why can’t we have both?”

As he wheeled away in celebration after dispatching his third goal from the spot, Derby’s number nine was serenaded by the travelling flock. His first career hat-trick had set The Rams on their way to a third-consecutive win, and their first at Bramall Lane in 14 years.

It was far too easy for Derby to dull a Blades side who have historically sliced through them in the steel city. Chris Wilder must be awaiting the arrival of a whetstone.

Derby too had to wait a little for a delivery. In for the injured Max Johnston, Joe Ward’s first corner was one to forget, playing a one-two with Bobby Clark before putting in a poor cross. But the wide man soon sharpened his set-pieces, whipping the ball onto the head of Morris, who glanced it into the bottom-right corner from five-yards-out.

Up to the 24^th-minute, it had been quiet. Patrick Agyemang showed some early flashes as he bullied his way past defenders. While Sheffield United wing back Chiedozie Ogbene had Craig Forsyth, who was starting in place of the unwell Callum Elder, pinned in his defensive third. The closest the game had come to a goal was when Sydie Peck’s header hit the face of Sondre Langås.

But an opener from their talisman put the wind in Derby’s sails. Eustace’s side quickly flew forward on the counter, with Brereton Díaz’s long-shot tipped behind by Michael Cooper. Matt Clarke could not replicate the feat of his captain, though, the defender heading the resulting corner wide at the back post.

Japhet Tanganga then connected well with Peck’s free kick just after the half hour mark, only to head straight at Jacob Widell Zetterström, before The Blades’ best chance on the stroke of half-time. As Tyrese Campbell wriggled free of Dion Sanderson, he leapt to meet Ogbene’s cross but failed to keep his header down. So, his side were at the break.

It may have only been Halloween yesterday, but Sydie Peck’s mind appears to have already turned to Christmas. Seconds after the restart, he gifted the ball to Morris who dashed down the inside right and lifted the ball over Cooper, cutting short Annie’s song.

Forget the half-time boos, United fans were now voting with their feet. Wilder’s men with a mountain to climb.

The remaining home fans were given some hope when Ogbene put the ball round the corner for Callum O’Hare. But rather than shoot, the former Coventry man looked for a teammate. No one did reach his low-drilled cross – a moment which summed up his side’s afternoon.

On the hour, Chris Wilder opted to roll the dice, twice: Ryan Oné and Alex Matos came on. Matos would make an instant impact – for the wrong reasons.

Agyemang bullied his way down the left, round Matos and Ogbene, before the former was penalised for handball after going down at the byline. Derby’s American forward initially looked interested in the spot-kick, but there was only ever one man who was going to take it.

Up stutter-stepped Morris, who tucked the ball into the bottom left corner for his third of the day, and his eighth of the season, matching his 2024-25 total already.

Sheffield United got one back through O’Hare, who lifted an effort over Zetterström when the ball broke for him in the 74^th-minute.

The Swedish stopper then had to deny United’s number 10 again, as he let Ogbene’s cross bounce before firing it towards goal. Wilder must have dressed his team as vampires last night; despite still being two goals down, his side were certainly smelling blood.

But if that was the case, Kayden Jackson, Ebou Adams and then Lars-Jørgen Salvesen presumably had garlic in their pockets. Eustace’s final changes scuppered the hosts’ most cut-throat spell to see out the win.

Analysis: Momentum building

After The Rams’ only other away league win this season (1-0 at West Brom) there was talk of a “proper away performance”. So was this. And it was so much better.

Many of the stats are similar, 38 per cent possession in South Yorkshire compared to 32 per cent in the Black Country, a 70 per cent pass accuracy or a team defensive contributions total of 79 compared to 77 at The Hawthorns. But there was one key difference: the quality of chances created.

At West Brom, The Rams mustered a single shot on target and nine touches in the opposition box. At Sheffield United, four big chances (three of which were scored), and 25 touches in The Blades’ box.

While this figure is nowhere near Wilder’s side’s 43, it shows what The Rams must do to get results – be efficient. As the 3-4-2-1-shaped machine becomes ever-better-oiled, Eustace’s men are becoming more threatening – against both QPR and Southampton, three of their four big chances were missed. In terms of chance creation, Ozoh and Clark, who again topped the recoveries charts, have helped. While Joe Ward slotted in seamlessly on his first league start in nearly 11 months.

The debate around who should replace Max Johnston, who will be out until late December with a pulled hamstring had rumbled on all week. Ward showed why he, not Ryan Nyambe, was the right choice. Eustace needs the right wing back to stay high and wide in possession. They are a key outlet in transition, much like Agyemang on the left flank. And this balance was even more pertinent with Forsyth stuck marking Ogbene.

Effectively, the right wing back needed to form a front four, with Morris, Agyemang and Brereton Díaz. Who better than the man who has spent years gaining plaudits for his crossing ability to supply Derby’s aerial threats.

Morris, though, will rightly grab the headlines. After a stellar start to the season, goals had dried up, mainly due to a lack of service. As Derby have gained creative spark though, he has flourished, his conversion rate good as ever – he is the fourth biggest outperformer of xG in the Championship, despite three of his goals coming from the spot.

With the visit of high-flying Hull City to come on Tuesday night, Derby are now eight points ahead of both Sheffield United, and the scariest thing of all: the relegation zone.

Goals: O’Hare 74’ | Morris 24’, 46’, 63’ (pen)

Sheffield United (3-4-2-1): Cooper (GK); Tanganga, McGuiness (Matos 60’), Mee; Ogbene (Ings 79’), Peck, Soumaré (T. Davies 68’) McCallum (Burrows 79’); O’Hare, Brooks (Oné 60’); Campbell.

Unused Substitutes: A. Davies (GK); Bindon, Riedewald, Nwachukwu.

Derby (3-4-2-1): Zetterström (GK); Langås, Sanderson, Clarke; Ward, Ozoh, Clark (Adams 80’), Forsyth; Brereton Díaz (Brewster 73’), Agyemang (Jackson 80’); Morris (Salvesen 87’).

Unused Substitutes: Vickers (GK); Batth, Nyambe; Blackett-Taylor, Weimann.