Sheffield United lead Championship winners and losers

Sheffield United have not been brilliant but they are in the final Championship play-off position. Peterborough United are down.

Winners

Sheffield United, right place at the right time

The worst-case scenario for Sheffield United is having a two-point buffer over the teams below them, and that accounts for games in hand being won by their contemporaries Middlesbrough, who are out of sorts without a win in five. Paul Heckingbottom’s side had been similarly off kilter in recent weeks, but this was a welcome return to winning ways at exactly the time it was needed most. One more win from their final two games should do the trick, but a London double over QPR and Fulham would guarantee the Blades at least two extra games this season: quite the feat considering their lowly position when Heckingbottom took over the reins from Slavisa Jokanovic.

Iliman Ndiaye

In a team that had become stale due to a lack of proper investment during the Premier League years but with some stalwarts revived and back to their best under Heckingbottom, this has been a breakthrough campaign. The French youngster has played in just under half of Sheffield United’s minutes this season, but his impact has been greater. The fifth goal of his campaign was his second successive 1-0 winner. That could prove to be the difference between a play-off campaign and lack thereof come early May.

Sam Surridge

Nottingham Forest’s two striker signings in the January transfer window had their positions in the squad well defined. Aston Villa loanee Keinan Davis was the undisputed new starter while Sam Surridge had to contend with playing the super-sub role, only making his first start last week in the wake of Davis’ season-ending injury.

But just as Surridge scored