(A photoset of the game can be seen at
http://nigelblues.blogspot.com/2008/08/sheffield-united-vs-c ity-in-pictures.html)
City remain unbeaten but are mid-table 11th as it's an opening day win followed by 3 successive draws. Nevertheless, club and fans should be delighted and praiseworthy with their first clean sheet of the season and a disciplined and organised display from a makeshift injury hit side. This was a cracking outcome thoroughly deserved.
The home side tested and pressured City throughout and were virtually camped in our half for the second period showing the confidence of a side coming into the encounter with 4 straight wins and 11 goals but in front of 29,226 fans including upto 1,000 from South Wales, they failed to give Tom Heaton a single save. It was a battle, all about brawn, forget any quality. City's fight, dogged determination and superb defending with Roger Johnson leading the way was outstanding. Cardiff had first half chances and gave Kenny a couple of routing saves by comparison but never really threatened to pinch it after the interval. The archetypal stalemate and, to be honest, a turgid 0-0 bore draw but one far more appreciated by City fans than the restless Sheffield counterparts.
This was the second of three successive trips to South Yorkshire to open City's Championship travels (sandwiched between Doncaster and Barnsley) so the A449/M50/M42/M1 route was all too familiar. The trip was incident free too after the starting hiccup of one of our car crew going AWOL, the result of too late a night at the Wynford Hotel ('nuff said!) which delayed our set off and we had to eventually go without him. We were still on the outskirts of Sheffield in good time and found a quaint vintage pub serving classic real ales. It was as far removed as you could be from a City match being laidback in a beer garden in rare (for this summer) hot'n'humid weather. One of our crew wanted to stay there but on we went.
A small hiccup finding the ground and the near sell out (due to the home side's price promotion of £10 for adults anywhere and £5 for concession) meant parking was near impossible as we arrived late ... that was until we shifted a water tank in a closer's builders yard near the ground into bushes to make space. Perfect, inside the City end just as the game was to start.
Cardiff had well publicised problems with injured players meaning the likes of Capaldi, Rae, Scimeca, Blake and Kennedy were absent but we were boosted by the timely return of SuperKev. It all left City with a makeshift defence with Comminges at left back and makeshift midfield too with Joe Ledley pushed into central midfield with a line-up that was Heaton, McNaughton-Purse-Johnson-Comminges, Whittingham-McPhail-Ledley-Parry, Bothroyd-McCormack. Subs were Enckleman-Blake (as an emergency only)-Gypes-Johnson-Thompson.
Sheffield, managed by Kevin Blackwell had more than a few familiar names with Kenny, Sun Jihai-Kilgallon-Ehiogu-Naysmith, Halford-Speed-Tonge-Quinn, Sharp-Henderson and an attack minded bench.
Blades fans, inspired by the tannoy blared out their club anthem version of John Denver's Annie's Son (how intimidating - rock'n'roll!), and then, apart from roars as their side attacked, sat back allowing City fans to create more atmosphere and volume. Their side were up for it while City looked a little vulnerable settling down, none more so than Purse having a nervous start, being outjumped by Henderson and making an error or two but getting away with it. By his side, Roger Johnson - subject on a tentative Hull City enquiry which Ridsdale converted into a £4M declined offer - was showing his worth with interventions, blocks and header after header won. Halford, with City players standing off him, had the first opening but his shot befitted that of a defender.
Both defences were on top from the start and the midfield battle was evenly contested producing little meaningful action and a fussy referee and knocks on both sides bringing about frequent stoppages in play - a trend that continued all game. Many City fans decided to strip and wave their tops in the warmth even if we were in the only part of the stadium that was shaded from the sun. City passed well but with McCormack as a lone striker and Bothroyd 'in the hole' behind him, they were getting any success in the final third.
It was midway through the first half before the first real scare came and City had a massive escape. A move down City's left, Johnson uncharacteristically gave the tricky Billy Sharp time and space to turn and hook a ball across the box which presented Henderson with a free header on 6 yards with Purse behind him. Incredibly, the one time City target (aren't they all?) put it wide when it was easier to hit the target.
City, as if woken, then started to cause a few problems of their own. Joe going close on his right foot, McPhail further away but also, uniquely?, with a right foot shot(!), McCormack sprayed an effort across and then the lively Scotsman linked with Parry to create an opening for Bothroyd but his effort was at Kenny who blocked with his feet.
Cardiff were down to 10 men for a few minutes as Sunji Hai appeared to carry out an assault on Bothroyd but go down himself, arguable feigning injury. Any thoughts that may have been an accident were banished as Sun Jihai rolled SuperKev over advertising hoardings with equal force to how his native Chinese tanks used to take out students in Beijing. Kev brushed himself down and got on with it, City fans weren't so quick to let it go.
Half-time: Sheff Utd 0 City 0
The interval saw some of our boys getting a tad carried away under the stands and launching into some anti-Swansea songs, probably many being the same delightful lads who spent a lot of their time in the stand singing 'There's Only One Yorkshire Ripper' and the 'Harold Shipman' chant. I'm all for mocking and taunting chants but I wish our lot grew up and knocked it on the head with those vile songs.
Those of us in the stand stood and applauded with the whole ground as a Blades Beijing Gold Medallist in his GB trackie was paraded on the pitch (sorry but I don't know who it was) ... but then we booed and sat down as he stripped down to a Sheffield United shirt!
The second half had even less incident than the first, hard to believe such a thing was possible but that's how it turned out. It was a one way bombardment towards our goal which was at the opposite end of the ground leaving City fans straining their eyes to watch what was going on. What we saw, however, were the boys battling for everything, closing down, defending with no mean skill and matching United's brute strength with their own while playing the ball out well at times.
City were unable to create any breaks and it became a novelty to see us advance over halfway but the home fans were the ones jeering as their side were strangled and made errors aplenty as City closed them down and worked tirelessly. Bothroyd was now anonymous, the only time I noticed him was when he implored us to make even more noise but it wasn't an afternoon for forwards.
You kept thinking Heaton was going to be tested but he never was, his only real work was punching away well once under heavy pressure in a melee. Other than that, it was wayward shots from Gary Speed ever impressive despite being 39 years old. What a shame he didn't finish his career with a Welsh club, like us.
Sheffield introduced more attacking artillery for the final onslaught in Kairdiff lad David Cotterill, James Beattie (whose return from absence was greeted as if Sheffield had won the World Cup) and Danny Webber while Halford was hurling the mother of all throw ins hitting the far side of the box and flying in flat and as fast as an express train - I've never seen throws like those before - yet City took it all although they survived one more escape as the Ginger Quinn hammered an effort in the side netting clear on goal but at an angle, some home fans thought it was in much to our pleasure.
There were a couple of ugly moments as, San Siro like, City fans were placed on the lower tier for a change and found home fans above us. A lot of gesturing went on and some of those upstairs thought it a good idea to coin us below, a few fans got extremely riled by it and, as usual, some were more interested in the other side's fans than the game although there was rarely much in the match other than tension to hold attention.
City had a couple of late set pieces and the thought was there we may nick it but they all came to nought as did the tense 5 minutes of added time for the continual stoppages.
Overall an excellent result against a club who will surely be there or thereabouts with their firepower and strongarm direct tactics, they will bully other sides to be up there. All plaudits have to go to our defence for their immense efforts and display, all were magnificent and fans can all argue Comminges, Johnson and Purse for man of the match contenders although it was Johnson for me. Joe and McPhail did a sterling job in midfield and Ross McCormack has boundless energy but the whole team did a superb job today. Well done lads.
The way back was quick and it was a satisfying pint as we stopped at an old haunt in Ross On Wye with temperatures still well in 70's past 8pm.
Report from FootyMad
Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison got the biggest cheer of the afternoon at Bramall Lane but the Blades had to settle for a share of the spoils.
The Rotherham-born yachtsman, a long time United supporter, set off on a lap of honour at half-time and received a standing ovation but he was then forced to watch his side settle for a point.
United carved out a couple of chances early on, midfielder Greg Halford trying his luck with a low drive, the ball flying inches wide of the far post before the lively Billy Sharp set up out an opportunity for Darius Henderson.
Sharp teased centre-back Roger Johnson, a £4million target for Hull City and West Brom, before picking out former Watford striker Henderson, who squandered the chance heading wide from eight yards.
Cardiff then caught the Blades on the break. Ugo Ehiogu was slow to react as Ross McCormack burst into the area but the lanky Matt Kilgallon stuck out a foot to clear.
The Welsh side almost found a way through when Peter Whittingham passed inside to McCormack whose low left foot strike had pace but was hit straight at Paddy Kenny who was guarding his line.
Former Wales international Gary Speed ballooned a shot high over the bar as united looked for a way through.
James Beattie, playing his first game of the season after undergoing knee surgery, replaced Sharp in the 80th minute and Danny Webber came on for the ineffective Michael Tonge in stoppage-time but Cardiff were unable to hang on in a nail-biting finish.
External Reports
BladesUnited - An excellent fans report