Sheffield United 2 Middlesbrough 1

Boro’s place in the top six is, just about, in their own hands after they were made to pay for a forgettable first half display at Bramall Lane when 2,000 travelling fans could have been forgiven had they decided to walk out and watch the Champions League.

Losing 2-1 has not only re-energised Sheffield United’s promotion dreams, it has also revived Bristol City’s too ahead of their visit to the Riverside on Saturday. More crucially, though, it has also put Millwall in the driving seat at just the wrong time, even though they still have to face the Lions.

In-form Millwall took full advantage of Middlesbrough’s latest miserable outing against a top nine team to claim the final play-off spot going into the final four matches of a season when Teesside expected to see promotion at the end of it.

Even though Middlesbrough, after Pulis had introduced all three substitutes at half-time in a desperate bid to turn it round, rallied after the restart and made a game of it courtesy of Daniel Ayala’s sixth of the season in the 48th minute, there proved to be no way back.

Instead Sheffield United – who are the only team in the Championship’s top nine teams to have lost to Middlesbrough this season - were left celebrating being back in the hunt for sixth spot courtesy of two stunning first half volleys from Lee Evans.

Those goals, in the second and 40th minutes, arrived during a first period when Boro could easily have been further behind, particularly after losing skipper Grant Leadbitter after he was red carded for two needless cautions inside six first half minutes.

The significance of the night had been made greater by the weekend’s results, with Chris Wilder knowing his side couldn’t really afford to lose a game they already started four points behind Middlesbrough.

But the men from Teesside, aware of how the Blades had to perform, had the pressure on themselves. Not only did they want to stay comfortably clear of their hosts and Bristol City, Millwall were breathing down their necks.

Like Wilder, Pulis named the same starting line-up, in fact he named the entire same match-day 18 and that meant Mo Besic was deemed fit enough to start after taking a knock to his hip. It soon mattered little because Sheffield United exploded onto the stage, causing problems from the start for Middlesbrough.

Even though eyes across the country were on events at the Etihad last night, Sheffield United’s opener would have graced any stage in the world – and it must have hit the net at almost exactly the same time as Gabriel Jesus struck first for Manchester City.

After Enda Stevens had won a free-kick down the left, the delivery into the area was cleared around 22 yards from goal but Evans timed his movement perfectly to side-foot an incredible, and unstoppable, first time volley high beyond Darren Randolph.

It was exactly the sort of start Middlesbrough didn’t want and there was a second chance soon after when John Lundstram fired over following a pull back from Stevens near the byline.

Middlesbrough, with the exception of a harmless effort rolled into the arms of Simon Moore from just inside the area by Patrick Bamford, just couldn’t get a foothold in the game and should have fallen further behind on quarter of an hour.

Evans, whose movement caused all sorts of problems in the opening half, turned provider with a brilliantly executed low through pass. Leon Clarke controlled and was faced with only the goalkeeper to beat but his effort was tame and allowed Randolph to clear with his feet.

At that time there was nothing to concern the home side, who were given an even greater advantage after Leadbitter’s double caution in the space of five needless minutes.

Both cards were pretty lame, hardly going to cause serious injury, but referee Darren Bond was entitled to do what he did, despite the frustrations of the Middlesbrough players.

Leadbitter picked up his first card in the 19th minute for a pull on Evans and five minutes later, in the centre of the pitch near to where the initial one was committed, he dived in on John Fleck. The task of eradicating the lead had been made much harder.

Pulis attempted to address things by asking Stewart Downing to switch to right wing-back, with Ryan Shotton moved inside to form three central defenders. You could see what he was trying to do, matching up the Blades’ system albeit with one man short, but it didn’t have the desired effect.

In fact Sheffield United extended their advantage before the break. It was almost as sweet as the first, and it arrived with the interval approaching. The excellent David Brooks, darting at whichever defender was near him, beat his marker to get to the byline.

Brooks spotted Evans unmarked, lurking on the edge of the area, and when the ball arrived, the midfielder arched his body and directed a stunning first time strike inside the bottom right corner of Randolph’s net. There was not much the goalkeeper could have done about either.

For a side that had only won one of their previous seven games which looked to have derailed their promotion aspirations, it was a performance that got them right back in the thick of things and had Middlesbrough ducking for cover.

But Middlesbrough, seemingly dead and buried, had other ideas. Pulis’ decision to introduce Britt Assombalonga, Adam Clayton and Fabio da Silva at the break sparked them to life, even if it was without Adama Traore.

With their first attack of the half they pulled one back. Downing, back in the middle for the second half, delivered a deep free-kick towards the back post which was not dealt with – and Ayala coasted in unmarked to slide in a tidy finish.

Then Jonny Howson, showing more energy after the restart to get forward, beat two men moments later before unleashing a rasping drive inches over the bar; on target that could have gone anywhere.

Middlesbrough still had to do their fair share of defending and did a much better job of it than they had in the first half. The damage had already been done, though, so it was just about whether they could pinch an equaliser at the other end.

Fabio and Clayton added spice and energy to the display, the problem was they just couldn’t muster up another meaningful opening to threaten Moore’s goal. And no matter what the short-handed Middlesbrough served up, the Blades had an answer.