A Championship clash on Saturday afternoon descended into chaos after Sheffield United had two players sent off in the first half against Charlton.
It is the first time a team in the league has gone down to nine men in the first 45 minutes since Preston teammates Jermaine Beckford and Eoin Doyle were both sent off for fighting each other during their match against Sheffield Wednesday in 2016.
The Blades had been firmly in command before the match took a dramatic turn.
The visitors created several excellent opportunities early on.
Patrick Bamford had a strong penalty shout ignored before forcing Charlton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski into action.
Tom Cannon was also denied by the Belgian stopper, while Djibril Soumare struck the woodwork with a deflected shot.
However, the complexion of the contest shifted dramatically when referee Oliver Langford produced two red cards, leaving United facing nine men against 11.
Soumare's afternoon came to an abrupt end following a reckless challenge on Harvey Knibbs.
A Championship clash on Saturday afternoon descended into chaos after Sheffield United had two players sent off in the first half against Charlton
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The Charlton player required a stretcher to leave the pitch with what appeared to be a significant injury.
The situation worsened for the Yorkshire side when captain Japhet Tanganga was also shown red.
After an aerial collision with Sonny Carey, who had only just entered the match as Knibbs' replacement, the referee took action.
Travelling supporters expressed their fury towards match official Oliver Langford as the half-time whistle sounded.
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It is the first time a team in the league has gone down to nine men in the first 45 minutes
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Chris Wilder's men faced the daunting task of salvaging something from a fixture they had been controlling comprehensively before the dismissals.
It took the home side only a minute into the second half to take the lead, capitalising on their numerical advantage.
Chris Wilder was forced into an emergency double change as Sheffield United sought to stem the damage.
He introduced defender Ben Mee and midfielder Sydie Peck in an attempt to restore order.
The victory marked Charlton’s first of 2026
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Further disruption followed deep into first-half stoppage time when Charlton captain Lloyd Jones required lengthy treatment for a suspected head injury after a collision inside the visitors’ penalty area.
Sonny Carey put the ball in the back of the net to take the 1-0 lead with a volley from just inside the area.
The ball came to him from a headed flick by Lyndon Dykes.
The victory marked Charlton’s first of 2026, following league draws against Blackburn and Coventry and a chastening 5-1 defeat by Chelsea in last weekend’s FA Cup tie.
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