September 2002

Sent-Off: Jagielka 36

The Blades lost their unbeaten home record as Watford came from behind to snatch victory. United were the better throughout the afternoon and were leading 1-0 and playing some superb football, but lost out when referee Mr Foy sent of Phil Jagielka for a foul on Watford player Heidar Helguson, there seemed to be no foul on Helguson, but unbelievably the referee gave a penalty and sent Jagielka off, he deemed it a professional foul. This caused uproar in the United crowd, it seemed that Helguson had embellished the incident. Neil Cox hammered in the spot-kick. United had carved out the openings early on. It was an extraordinary turnaround as United had made most of the running and tested Watford keeper Alec Chamberlain on several occasions. Everything seemed on course for another victory for the Blades . Jon-Paul McGovern was finding space on the right flank and picking out Wayne Allison, who had a fierce right-foot shot cut out by Alec Chamberlain. Full-back Rob Kozluk tried a shot from long range before United went ahead in the 10th minute. Peter Ndlovu provided an inch-perfect cross and Allison stuck out a foot, his shot crashing in off the post. Then, keeper Paddy Kenny foiled Watford, sliding in to block a Heidar Helguson attempt after neat work by Neal Ardley. Watford got their second goal, as United we still reeling from the sending off, Paul Robinson crossing from the left and Helguson nipped in to flick the ball beyond Kenny's reach from six yards. United brought on centre-back Robert Page to shore up the defence at the expense of McGovern. Ndlovu put a good chance wide from 12 yards and Allison headed a Michael Brown free-kick wide at the far post as United brought on new signing, Sheffield-born striker Michael Boulding for his Bramall Lane debut. He should have snatched the equaliser on 61 minutes after Michael Tonge's long-range strike was pushed away by Chamberlain. Boulding steamed in but hooked the ball high and wide from 15 yards out. Tthe 10-man Blades side were causing Watford plenty of problems. Ndlovu fired a shot just wide and Allison missed with a header as they threw men forward in an attempt to rescue their unbeaten home record. Watford lost Micah Hyde with three minutes left when he was given a second yellow card for a foul on Tonge. But Watford hung on for victory. United were clearly the better team this afternoon and praise goes out to the Blades, but they were beaten not by a Watford team but, by the Referee.

Michael Tongue earned The Blades victory over Grimsby with a last-minute winner at Bramall Lane. Wayne Allison popped up with eight minutes remaining to head home a corner from Tongue, who then fired home the winner to preserve United's unbeaten home record and lift them above Norwich into third place. United started well and nearly took the lead in the second minute.A cross by Robert Kozluk found Carl Asaba, but he could not keep his close-range header down. From the resulting goal kick, the ball fell to Grimsby's Darren Barnard who tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort failed to find the target.But the visitors went ahead in the eighth minute. A pass from Stuart Campbell found Robinson, who tucked it home, to give Grimsby a shock lead. Danny Coyne was in formidable form for Grimsby, Stuart McCall and Peschisolido were thwarted by the Mariners goalkeeper as United aimed to get back on level terms before the break.After the break United started to lose their way, and although they had a lot of the play, they were not troubling Grimsby in the last third. Neil Warnock decide it was time for a change up front, he brought on Laurens Ten Heuvel and Peter Ndlovu for Peschisolido and Asaba just after an hour to try and get back into the game. Ndlovu and Jon-Paul McGovern went close and McCall saw a shot tipped round the post by Coyne. But just when it seemed Grimsby would hold on for a draw, Allison and Tonge denied them.

Michael Tongue earned The Blades victory over Grimsby with a last-minute winner at Bramall Lane. Wayne Allison popped up with eight minutes remaining to head home a corner from Tongue, who then fired home the winner to preserve United's unbeaten home record and lift them above Norwich into third place. United started well and nearly took the lead in the second minute.A cross by Robert Kozluk found Carl Asaba, but he could not keep his close-range header down. From the resulting goal kick, the ball fell to Grimsby's Darren Barnard who tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort failed to find the target.But the visitors went ahead in the eighth minute. A pass from Stuart Campbell found Robinson, who tucked it home, to give Grimsby a shock lead. Danny Coyne was in formidable form for Grimsby, Stuart McCall and Peschisolido were thwarted by the Mariners goalkeeper as United aimed to get back on level terms before the break.After the break United started to lose their way, and although they had a lot of the play, they were not troubling Grimsby in the last third. Neil Warnock decide it was time for a change up front, he brought on Laurens Ten Heuvel and Peter Ndlovu for Peschisolido and Asaba just after an hour to try and get back into the game. Ndlovu and Jon-Paul McGovern went close and McCall saw a shot tipped round the post by Coyne. But just when it seemed Grimsby would hold on for a draw, Allison and Tonge denied them.

Peter Ndlovu hit the only goal of the game as The Blades beat Rotherham in a match between South Yorkshire’s two leading clubs. Ndlovu came on as a substitute and had only been on the pitch for only three minutes when he latched on to Paul Peschisolido's ball to sweep a shot past Mike Pollitt in the Miller’s goal. United boss Neil Warnock had thrown Ndlovu into the fray as he sought to break down a Rotherham defence holding out against the Blades onslaught, with the match edging towards a goalless draw. And the two substitutes - Peschisolido had replaced the injured Iffy Onuora in the first half - combined to do the trick in the 74th minute. The Blades had almost taken the lead on half-time when Pollitt did superbly well to keep out a close-range header from Shaun Murphy. The Blades had plenty of possession as they sought a first-half goal. Miller’s goalkeeper Pollitt was in action to keep out a header from Rob Kozluk, before Paddy Kenny was called into action at the other end to save a rare effort from Rotherham. The Blades lost Iffy Onoura in the 19th minute when he was injured and had to be substituted, the fans cheered as Paul Peschisolido joined Carl Asaba up front. The Blades stepped up the pressure for the remainder of the half and continued to do so after the break. But Rotherham looked to be holding out well until the goal went in. Neil Warnock's side held on to the lead and are now fourth in the table, establishing themselves as South Yorkshire’s top team.

Jon-Paul McGovern grabbed his second goal of the season to steer United safely through against York. McGovern struck in the 13th minute as United carved out the chances but were foiled by keeper Alan Fettis.York put in a gritty performance but United were always in control as manager Neil Warnock demanded a good League Cup run from his side.The breakthrough came after full-back Rob Kozluk's long through was flicked on by Aussie defender Shaun Murphy and McGovern hit the target with a crisp left-foot shot from just inside the area into the far corner.McGovern was the provider minutes later as his deep cross from the right found Iffy Onuora who beat his marker but pulled his header wide of the target from eight yards.Onoura almost grabbed a goal in the 28th minute with a looping shot from 25 yards after spotting Fettis off his line, but the York keeper scrambled back to tip the ball over the bar.Murphy powered a header straight at Fettis and little striker Paul Peschisolido, playing his first game of the season, fired over as United tried to kill off York.Onuora was foiled again by Fettis two minutes after the restart, the York keeper flinging himself across the face of the goal to push the striker's curling shot round the far post.Ex United front man Peter Duffield almost caused an upset a minute later, finding a gap in the United back four to fire in a fierce right-foot shot but he powered the ball straight at Paddy Kenny from 15 yards.Nick Montgomery squandered an opening firing wide from 12 yards after good work by substitute Carl Asaba and Onuora headed wide with ten minutes to go.

Norwich crashed to their first defeat of the season after the Blades produced a blistering first-half display to set the up for victory at Carrow Road. United found themselves two goals up within the first ten minutes thanks to strikes from Michael Brown and Michael Tonge, Carl Asaba's penalty just before the half hour increased the Canaries' misery. However, United's Iffy Onoura was dismissed shortly before the interval but despite a late rally from Norwich, when Paul McVeigh and Malky Mackay scored, United held on for the win. The game begun in dramatic fashion with Brown firing United in front after just 38 seconds. Norwich, who had not conceded a goal in their previous three home fixtures, fell behind as Brown's excellent curling free-kick from 20 yards found the top corner after Darren Kenton had fouled Phil Jagielka. Norwich, second in the table at start of play, then fell further behind when Tonge drilled a low shot home from close range after a flick-on from Onoura. Iwan Roberts lashed a shot wide as the Canaries began to press while United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny in excellent form kept out McVeigh's shot after 17 minutes. Norwich manager Nigel Worthington was sent to the stands for dissent as Norwich's frustrations grew and unbelievably, they went further behind after 31 minutes. A penalty was awarded after Kenton lunged in on Tonge when he appeared to be going nowhere and Asaba, on as a substitute, calmly slotted the ball home from the spot. Tackles continued to fly in and the Blades found themselves down to 10 men as Onuora was dismissed for a innocuous foul on MacKay. United almost extended their lead three minutes after the interval but John Paul McGovern's curling shot was saved by Robert Green before Mackay headed the ball wide at the other end. Gary Holt and Phil Mulryne both had efforts blocked by United, while Adam Drury had another shot superbly kept out by Paddy Kenny.Asaba almost made it four on the break when he found himself in space 12 yards out after 68 minutes but his shot was saved by Green. McVeigh finally pulled one back with five minutes left following a corner before Mackay's thumping header reduced the arrears still further but it was not enough to deny the Blades their deserved triumph.

United paid the price for lacking a cutting edge in front of goal, after they lost 2-0 to Wednesday at Hillsborough. United dominated 70% of the match but the Blades failed to find the net. The opening was tense, but United's Michael Tonge, easily the man of the match, brought Blades fans to their feet, as he beat three Wednesday defenders before sliding the ball across the face of goal. The Blades enjoyed more of the early possession with Wednesday not producing a shot until Leon Knight's after 17 minutes. Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman had to produce two superb saves inside one minute. First he stopped John-Paul McGovern's 12-yard shot with a sharp dive to his left, then from the resulting corner he deflected Iffy Onuora's goal-bound header, which was subsequently cleared. Another Tonge run on 33 minutes ended with a shot which forced a good save from Pressman. Stuart McCall was commanding in midfield for United, but he also saw half-chances go begging, and a Tonge shot was blocked by team-mate Onuora on the stroke of half-time. United began the second half at a pace, forcing a string of corners, and hitting the post after one goalmouth scramble. The Blades fashioned a great chance on the hour when the tenacious McCall broke forward and fed Carl Asaba, but the striker's first touch slowed the momentum, and Pressman made another good save. The Owls nearly scored against the run of play on 64 minutes when Kenny spilled a high ball and Robert Ullathorne cleared Kuqi's header off the line. Seconds later, Paul McLaren fired inches wide as the home side came back. McLaren was cursing his luck again three minutes later as he hooked the ball over his shoulder, only to see it bounce off the crossbar with Kenny beaten. The action was intense, and United again regained the initiative with another flurry of corners which culminated in a McCall piledriver rattling Pressman's left hand post. A goal finally arrived on 73 minutes. Kuqi's looping header bounced off the post and rebounded to Owusu, who instinctively nodded the ball into the net. Eight minutes later, Kuqi latched on to a brilliant cross from Alan Quinn to fire an unstoppable header past Kenny and put Wednesday 2-0 up. In injury time, United's afternoon was summed up as Pressman produced another great save from Peter Ndlovu, only for Asaba to fire the rebound into the side netting with the goal gaping. Blades fans can look back and say they dominated the game, but its goals that count, and United have problems in that department.