Sheffield Utd 2 Wolves 1

Given the abject second half performance from Wolves and their own miserable struggles to date I don’t begrudge Sheffield Utd a first win of the season.

But the nature of their victory, following another baffling VAR howler is harder to swallow.

For the second game running a player is already half way to the ground before anyone even touches him and yet the referee can’t wait to point to the spot.

Today it was even easier to see the mistake because the guy who went down immediately got up and tried to carry on playing because he realised he hadn’t been tackled in the first place.

But by then the penalty was already given and in the hands of the television gods where surely common sense would prevail?

Not a chance.

Even though it was clear and obvious to everyone else they didn’t dare suggest the referee might even consider a second look.

In the years to come they’ll eventually realise this isn’t the way to use video technology and instances like this will be consigned to history but until then we continue to suffer.

Prior to that it looked like we’d got out of jail with a goal from nothing from Bellegarde cancelling out Cameron Archer’s excellent strike.

Wolves had controlled much of the first half and probably should have been ahead having finessed their way through a few times only for Hwang, Ait-Nouri and Semedo to be wasteful with the final action.

But the Blades pressed higher and harder in the second half and the players in gold just couldn’t get out.

It was poor game management, losing the ball in bad areas and not adjusting for the monsoon conditions.

Having gone behind and somehow got it back to one all, the sloppiness continued and the penalty should have been prevented even before it was controversially awarded.

Ait-Nouri made a weak clearance, resulting in the ball coming back to force the corner. The ball across was repelled but Fabio pulled out of an aerial challenge for a bouncing ball allowing the scrum that eventually gave the ref a decision to make.

Whatever Gary O’Neil might say about the officiating he must also be seething at his players for bringing this indignity on themselves.

They’ve got to do better.