Match Report: Sheffield United 2, Bolton Wanderers 0

Billy Sharp scored twice as Chris Wilder's side moved seven points clear at the top of the table following a deserved victory over Bolton Wanderers.

The manner of the win - Phil Parkinson's team, despite their perilous financial situation, is stuffed to the gills with talent - will please United's manager and his coaching staff no end. More importantly, however, it opened up a 10 point gap between themselves and the visitors who dropped to fourth.

Bolton, who boast games in hand on both second placed Scunthorpe and Fleetwood Town in third, caused some problems - especially before the interval - but, in truth, had no answer to their opponents' industry and fluency.

Responding to Gary Madine's bizarre criticism of his captain earlier this week, Wilder described Sharp as the best player in the division before this match. That opinion will not have changed by the sight of Sharp, League One's leading goalscorer, claiming his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season during the opening exchanges of what proved an absorbing game.

There was still work to do when Mark Duffy and John Fleck carved apart a Bolton rearguard which, having previously been breached on only 25 occasions, is the competition's best. Sharp, though, was coolness personified; sweeping a low drive towards the far post which crossed the line after hitting the inside of upright.

If United thought Bolton would crumble, they were mistaken. A series of crosses into the box caused more than a few headaches before Sharp pounced again.