Sheffield United 1 Bristol City 2 report: Aden Flint grabs last-gasp winner after John Fleck sees red for two-footed lunge
Leon Clarke levelled for Blades after City had taken the lead through Jamie Paterson against the run of play
ADEN FLINT plundered a dramatic stoppage time winner to send the Robins soaring to within three points of the automatic promotion places.
City centre-back Flint got on the end of sub Jonathan Leko's 91st-minute cross to side-foot home and seal his side's sixth away win of the season.
But defeat was rough justice on promotion rivals United, who have now picked up just one point from their last four games.
The Blades dominated for long spells - even after going down to 10-men following the 59th-minute sending-off of midfielder John Fleck for a reckless two-footed lunge on Korey Smith.
The temperature may have dipped below zero, but City arrived at Bramall Lane in a red-hot streak of form - particularly on their travels.
Boss Lee Johnson's rockin' Robins went into this clash of the Championship high-fliers having racked-up 19 points away from home already this season - two more than they amassed in the whole of last term.
Impressive stuff, but their record down the years against the Blades has made for pretty miserable reading.
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They had been beaten in nine of their previous ten visits to Bramall Lane, and had failed to keep a clean sheet on this ground in 19 attempts since their last shut-out here 60 YEARS ago.
And Johnson was seeking his first win over the home side in five attempts as a manager.
The visitors were without half-a-dozen key stars through injury, but Johnson decided to risk starting with Jamie Paterson despite the midfielder still being bothered by a slight hamstring problem.
United had slipped from top to fourth spot after picking up just a single point in three games, and boss Chris Wilder made three changes to the side that lost 3-1 at Millwall seven days ago.
Out went keeper Jamal Blackman, centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers and striker David Brooks to be replaced by Simon Moore, George Baldock and skipper Billy Sharp.
If the Robins felt they could capitalise on any lack of confidence in Wilder's troops, a strong start by the Blades made them think again.
In a bright and lively opening, the Sheffield outfit came close to taking the lead when Mark Duffy's rising drive from the ill-fated Fleck's 10th minute corner was hacked off the line by Aden Flint.
City's first threat on goal arrived seven minutes later with Nathan Baker arrowing a far post header inches wide from Paterson's cross.
They rode their luck after that, with United rattling the woodwork three times in the space of 18 minutes before the break.
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Duffy fired a free-kick against the post on 20 minutes before Sharp saw his rising drive from strike partner Leon Clarke's 36th minute feed clip the top of the bar.
Then top scorer Clarke was temporarily denied his 14th goal of the season - and his 10th in six games - when City keeper Frank Fielding acrobatically pushed his bullet of a close-range header against the underside of the bar.
And fortune frowned on the hosts again in the 43rd minute when, against the run of play, Paterson gave his side the lead with a fierce 20-yard drive that beat Moore all ends up.
But the battling Blades found a deserved equaliser three minutes after the interval through that man Clarke.
A superb through ball from John Lundstram unhinged the Bristol defence, and Clarke took it on a couple of strides before thumping an unstoppable drive beyond Fielding and into the back of the net from just inside the box.
The frame of the goal came to City's rescue again six minutes later when Duffy - for the second time in the contest - smacked a blistering drive against Fielding's right-hand post.
