A game of few chances would have benefited from the presence of a past footballing legend like Tony Currie
Birmingham City maintained their solid away start to the new season as they battled to a goalless draw with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
After finishing last season with successive away draws and then winning in the Carabao Cup at Swansea City last weekend, Chris Davies's side can claim to have had the better of this opening weekend Championship stalemate with Chris Wilder's Blades.
In a game of just three on-target efforts, City would perhaps be the happier of the two sides - as any away point at Bramall Lane always has to be respected.
But, having been the division's third lowest away scorers last season, with 18 goals from 23 games, Blues' lack of attacking strength on the road must remain a concern.
And, in the end, they had to be grateful to goalkeeper James Beadle for denying Blades striker Patrick Bamford in the second half with the game's best chance.
For a goalless draw, it was not actually that bad a game - a furiously competitive scrap, as Blues again demonstrated their determination to be hard to beat on their travels.
But, for all the oohs and ahhs, especially when Blues left-back Alex Cochrane was involved down the flank, there was just so very little real genuine goal threat.
In fact, before the break, the stats said neither side managed a single effort on target.
Carlos Vicente and Cochrane both had powerful goalbound efforts blocked, while Bright Osayi-Samuel was just wide with a low left-foot curler.
The visitors ought to have gone in front when Jhon Solis split the Blades back line to work in Vicente, but the Spaniard unselfishly but wrongly tried to square for August Priske, allowing Blades defender Japhet Tanganga the chance to recover.
And it took 71 minutes for the Blades to get any sort of effort remotely on target, before the best chance of the game finally came.
Bamford, so often lethal in such situations, was put clean through down the inside-right channel only to be denied by Beadle at his near post - and that confirmed Birmingham's first goalless draw since February and United's since even longer ago, last November.
Who's next?
After starting this new campaign with two away matches, Birmingham now take on successive home games.
They host Bristol City next Saturday, when latest signing Max Bird, a late substitute at Bramall Lane, may figure against his former club.
They then face Premier League side Brentford in the Carabao Cup second round the following Tuesday night.
By contrast, the Blades' next three matches are all away from home - trips to South Wales to face Swansea City and Cardiff City on successive Saturdays either side of a Tuesday night Carabao Cup trip to face Tony Mowbray's Blackburn Rovers.
'We weren't playing mugs' - reaction
Wilder: 'A little bit too loose with the ball'
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"We were just a little too loose with the ball – and we weren't playing mugs either.
"It was a little bit bitty but it was a result against one of the top teams in the division.
"They managed to wrestle the ball from us second half, but we did manage to tighten things up again.
"And I know we are better players than we showed today."
Davies: 'We take another step forward'
Birmingham City boss Chris Davies told BBC Radio WM:
"We deserved to win. We had more ball, more chances, more box action.
"Another day one or two of those go in and we win the game 1-0 or 2-0.
"But we were looking for another competitive performance at another tough away venue.
"And it was another clean sheet and another step forward."
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