Last updated on .From the section Championship

David McGoldrick (right) scored Sheffield United's third with his chest

Sheffield United scored three times in the last 20 minutes to see off Blackburn and move to within two points of third place in the Championship.

After both sides received a second-half red card, Blades skipper Billy Sharp hooked in to break the stalemate before firing past David Raya to double their lead.

David McGoldrick chested in a third from John Fleck's cross to seal the result, in a game which was closer than the scoreline suggested.

Chris Basham was given a second yellow for United for handball and Richie Smallwood a straight red for Rovers for a challenge on Sharp, both while the game was still goalless.

Chris Wilder's Blades stayed fourth but moved six points clear of seventh-placed Birmingham, while Blackburn dropped to 15th after losing three consecutive league games for the first time since April 2017.

Rovers were denied by the post in the first half from Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick and Enda Stevens thumped against the bar for the hosts.

Sharp now has 15 league goals this season, topping the 13 he scored for the Yorkshire side last term.

United named an unchanged side for the fourth game running though the visitors made seven changes - including dropping top scorer Bradley Dack to the bench - and his arrival as a substitute could not help them take anything from the match.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder:

"I've got to compliment the opposition for the way they attacked the game in the first half. They freshened it up, had energy on the pitch and it was a bit of a grind for us.

"They were as good a team for 45 minutes as there's been at Bramall Lane. They were positive and we found it a bit of a struggle.

"The outcome of the game, especially when we went down to 10 men…no one would have seen the result coming."

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray:

"It was an Intense football match, two teams who were at it. Sadly I would say the officials had the biggest impact on the game today.

"I think the referee mismanaged the game. He's come from the Premier League to the Championship, thought he'd have a nice easy day and he's guessed his way through the match with his decisions.

"He's upset the stadium, upset our bench and I think he had the biggest impact on the game.

"The last 20 minutes we need to be better. The sending off of Smallwood…I think psychologically and mentally we have to deal with that better from being in total control when it was 11 v 10 to 10 v 10 - they dealt with it better than we did."