Carlos Corberan: Taylor Gardner-Hickman can use error to grow at West Brom

Gardner-Hickman gifted the Blades, who wrapped up Premier League promotion with a 2-0 win, their opening goal at Bramall Lane as Sander Berge eventually converted from the midfielder's loose backpass.

Academy graduate Gardner-Hickman had been among the Baggies' brightest players in a first half Corberan's side were the better team. But the error saw the visitors implode as Paul Heckingbottom's men went on to bag a second and celebrate promotion.

Gardner-Hickman was in tears at full-time and consoled by his team-mates in the dressing room, who insisted defeat was not down to the 21-year-old. A loss in Albion's game in hand keeps Corberan's side down in ninth, two points adrift of the Championship top six with two games remaining.

"It's important that they correct the things, that they face the situations to grow as a player and mature to know that they need to keep growing," Corberan said.

"We need to keep growing, sometimes the player think they are very ready to compete and after the reality is football is very demanding, but in football everyone has mistakes.

"Sometimes they're young, I make mistakes as a coach, everyone is going to, the key is to analyse well and react to the mistakes.

"I listened one day for example to (Carlo) Ancelotti, one day he had (Luka) Modric as a striker, he was saying the plan he proposed didn't work and it was a mistake - and I don't know how old Ancelotti is and how many games he has in the legs as a player and then a coach.

"It's not only about the young players, the young players need to face the moments and now Gardner needs to react and to show that he cannot be more affected by this and have even more personality and desire to do things well - because for me he was doing a good game.

"I think these type of things can only help keep growing as a player, not only to him but to everyone."

The Spaniard added: "He was crying now. All the players went to him to say that he is not responsible for the mistake, that we are together and we are one team. When we are together we suffer together and that is all. I know that the mistake will help to keep him improving.

"Of course he is suffering a lot, and he was crying, he was very disappointed because he knows the consequence of his mistake.

"At the end, the mistakes are only for the players on the football pitch - especially the young players, we want these players to avoid these mistakes, they want to avoid. Sometimes, the young players need mistakes to grow as players."

Corberan was pleased with how his "brave" Baggies created openings in the first half. Karlan Grant missed a second-minute sitter and Albion were denied what looked a clear penalty on Brandon Thomas-Asante.

"I wanted my team to be brave, to try and dominated against one very aggressive team and we stopped a lot of behaviour that they do, having the ball and breaking the last line of the defence," the head coach said. "When we broke the last line, we created chances but couldn't score.

"In the second half I knew the energy level of the team would suffer because we played one day more recently and the players have had a demanding period. It was difficult to keep doing the same thing we were doing and unfortunately they used very well our mistake. The game changed and it decreased our possibilities a lot. Emotionally it wasn't easy to manage."