ALBION'S away-day blues continued as they suffered a second successive defeat on the road in the televised teatime showdown at Bramall Lane.
A game of few chances was decided by Blades summer signing James Beattie's 37th-minute header.
His Baggies namesake, Craig Beattie, should perhaps have opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he failed to connect properly with Kevin Phillips' cross from close range and could only hit the bar.
Tony Mowbray's men struggled to carve out clear-cut chances against a well-drilled United defence, although Carl Hoefkens almost snatched an 86th-minute leveller with a close-range header which drew a top-class save out of United No.1 Paddy Kenny.
The Albion chief made one change - summer signing Filipe Teixeira replacing Zoltan Gera - as he went head-to-head with his Hawthorns predecessor and now-Blades boss Bryan Robson. The Portuguese playmaker was joined in midfield by James Morrison, who shook off a hamstring injury in time for the live televised clash.
But Ishmael Miller failed to win his fitness battle with the groin problem he picked up in Monday's reserves win.
United made a bright start and a spell of pressure around the Baggies box saw Keith Gillespie's 18-yard strike deflect wide off team-mate Beattie for a goal-kick.
At the other end, top scorer Phillips, looking to make it three goals in as many games, fired a 15-yard volley from Hoefkens' cross well over.
Hoefkens showed the other side of his game in the tenth minute when he produced a superb last-ditch challenge in the penalty area to deny Nick Montgomery a clear sight of goal after the United midfielder had been slotted through by Michael Tonge's pin-point pass.
Two minutes later, Craig Beattie failed to connect properly with Phillips' left-wing ball before it bounced off Sheffield defender Matthew Kilgallon's knee and onto the crossbar with Kenny beaten.
Blades skipper Chris Morgan beat Pele to Leigh Bromby's deep free-kick in the 15th minute and the ball fell to James Beattie, who blazed over from 15 yards when he should at least have hit the target.
Skipper Jonathan Greening tried his luck from distance in the 22nd minute after being teed up by Pele's slick back-heel, but his shot swerved inches over the angle of post and bar.
A slip by Hoefkens from Bromby's right-wing cross allowed Chris Armstrong a free shot on goal and Albion needed Dean Kiely to beat out the United winger's powerful effort.
But the hosts did take the lead in the 37th minute when Armstrong retrieved a clearance on the left by-line before sailing in a deep cross which found the unmarked James Beattie, who directed a precision header past Kiely's despairing dive and just inside the far post.
Leon Barnett produced a vital block to deny Armstrong six minutes into the second-half after he pipped Hoefkens and Albrechtsen to the ball on the edge of the area.
Moments later, Billy Sharp's cross fell to Gillespie in space inside the box but Albrechtsen managed to recover to make an important block.
Barnett challenged Kenny from Greening's free-kick in the 57th minute and the ball looped into the air before Albrechtsen headed back towards goal and Gillespie cleared before Morrison could get a goalscoring touch.
A minute later, Mowbray made a double switch as Craig Beattie and Pele made way for Nathan Ellington and Gera.
Hoefkens pounced on a loose ball 25 yards out in the 72nd minute and fired in a powerful volley, which Kenny fumbled but gathered at the second attempt before Ellington could pounce.
Seconds later, Kilgallon flung himself at the near post to deflect Teixeira's header from Hoefken's right-wing cross out for a corner.
Ten minutes from time, James Beattie beat Albrechtsen in the air and gave Tonge the chance to strike a vicious shot from just inside the area, which flew inches wide of the right-hand post.
Back came Albion and Teixeira tried his luck from distance, forcing Kenny into a low save to his left, before Paul Robinson fired an angled volley over the bar.
But the Baggies' best chance to level came four minutes from time when Hoefkens got on the end of Gera's terrific centre, only to see Kenny scoop his downward header off the goalline.
The Blades could have killed the game off when Armstrong looked to have picked out Beattie in the box, but Robinson produced a well-timed last-ditch challenge to clear.
And Beattie almost doubled his tally in injury-time, only to see Kiely's stunning one-handed save low to his right keep out his 15-yard drive from Derek Geary's pull-back.
UNITED (4-4-2): Kenny; Bromby, Morgan, Kilgallon, Geary; Gillespie (Leigertwood 76), Montgomery, Tonge, Armstrong; Sharp (Stead 79), J Beattie. Subs not used: Bennett (gk), Shelton, Lucketti.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Hoefkens, Barnett, Albrechtsen, Robinson; Morrison, Pele (Gera 58), Greening, Teixeira; C Beattie (Ellington 58), Phillips. Subs not used: Steele (gk), Clement, Chaplow.
GOALS: UNITED - J Beattie (37).
BOOKINGS: UNITED - Armstrong (foul 53), Gillespie (foul 75).
REFEREE: C Webster (Tyne & Wear).
ATTENDANCE: 23,491.
ALBION STARMAN: Leon Barnett.
PIC: SKIP TO IT...Greening rides Geary's tackle
