SHEFFIELD, England (Interstat) — Sheffield United delivered a commanding performance at Bramall Lane on Saturday, decisively beating Birmingham City 3-0 in a Championship match that was effectively over by halftime.

The home side seized control from the opening whistle and never relinquished it. Defender Tyler Bindon opened the scoring in just the fifth minute, heading home from a corner to give the Blades an immediate advantage. The situation worsened for the visitors in the 18th minute when midfielder Tommy Doyle was shown a straight red card, reducing Birmingham to 10 men for the majority of the contest.

Sheffield United capitalized on the numerical superiority. Midfielder Gustavo Hamer doubled the lead in the 28th minute, finishing a well-worked team move. The hosts put the result beyond any doubt six minutes before halftime as forward Patrick Bamford added a third goal, tapping in from close range to make it 3-0.

The second half saw Sheffield United comfortably manage the game, with Birmingham City unable to mount any significant response. The visitors failed to register a goal, extending a concerning trend in their recent form.

The match was punctuated by several bookings. Birmingham City substitutes Phil Neumann and Christoph Klarer were shown yellow cards in the second and 11th minutes, respectively, shortly after entering the fray. Sheffield United’s Keshi Anderson also received a yellow in the 25th minute, and defender Japhet Tanganga was booked in second-half stoppage time.

The victory marks a positive turnaround for Sheffield United, which had suffered a 2-0 away defeat to West Brom Albion in its previous Championship outing. The team’s form has been inconsistent, with the three-goal victory over Stoke City on Dec. 6 followed by the loss to West Brom. This win levels their Championship record at 8-11-4.

For Birmingham City, the defeat continues a difficult stretch. The team has now won just once in its last five league matches, a 2-1 victory over Watford on Dec. 1. Its record in the Championship now stands at 8-8-5. The loss also avenges a 2-1 Birmingham victory when the two sides met in August.

The final score defied the pre-match projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a 1-1 draw. Their ELO rating system, however, had given Sheffield United a 59.10 percent probability of victory, which proved accurate.

Sheffield United will look to build on this result when it travels to face Wrexham on Friday, Dec. 26. Birmingham City, seeking to halt its slide, returns home to host Derby County on the same date.