Steve Ogrizovic got away with the howler of all howlers as Coventry lived to
breathe FA Cup life again.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper, the only survivor of the Sky Blues' glory day at
Wembley in 1987, was drafted in for his first game in three months in place of
injured Magnus Hedman.
Ogrizovic was left helpless as Brazilian-born striker Marcelo ploughed through
Dion Dublin's weak tackle to crash home off the post in first-half injury time.
That cancelled out the spot-kick coolly converted by Dublin - his 19th goal of
the season - in the 28th minute and after that Ogrizovic was forced to witness a
wonder show by opposite number Alan Kelly.
The Irish international pulled off save after save, brilliantly denying Noel
Whelan, Darren Huckerby, George Boateng, and Gary Breen as United found real
resolve at the end of the nightmare week that brought Nigel Spackman's
departure.
And in the final minute Ogrizovic came so close to handing the Blades a spot
in the last four.
The veteran keeper took far too long as he tried to pump upfield, substitute
Petr Katchouro blocking and charging towards goal.
Belarus striker Katchouro only had to sweep the ball into the net but tried to
be too perfect, allowing Ogrizovic's desperate lunge to deflect the ball onto
the post and behind.
So Ogrizovic and the Sky Blues breathed again, and even if the United fans
celebrated at the final whistle they might reflect that they will never get a
better chance.
After the tumultuous events of the past week United would have wished for
almost anybody other than a side which had won seven on the spin.
No manager, no chairman, no money - it could hardly have been worse, and at
the start, with the Blades' back line creaking every time Coventry lobbed the
ball in with the aid of the blustery wind, it looked as if it would prove
something of a cakewalk.
In only the seventh minute the impressive Boateng and Whelan linked to find
Huckerby, who forced Kelly's first quality save.
Coventry looked to have too much for the First Division side, even if they
were never that fluent, and really should have had the lead in the 28th minute
after slicing the visitors apart down the right.
Paul Telfer fed Roland Nilsson, who spotted Whelan at the back post, meeting
the cross with a forceful downward header.
Kelly brilliantly got down to block only to present the ball back to Whelan,
who somehow stabbed wide of the gaping target, kicking the post in frustration.
Not that it seemed as if the miss would matter when Nicky Marker - riled by
Boateng from early on - handed Dublin the chance to score.
Huckerby, head down, had run himself into a cul-de-sac but Graham Stuart's
toe-end gave the ball to Gavin Strachan, and when the manager's son ran into the
box, Marker scythed him down.
Referee Steve Dunn had no hesitation and Dublin dispatched with equal
alacrity, sending the keeper the wrong way from the spot for his fourth goal in
as many FA Cup ties this term.
The Sky Blues were dominant and memories of their Wembley triumph 11 years ago
- the only previous time they had reached the last four - were being rekindled
as the match went into first-half stoppage time.
But just as Gordon Strachan was composing his half-time talk, Dublin's blunder
altered the complexion.
The England man had coasted through to this point and looked poised to snuff
the chance out after Stuart had fed Marcelo.
But the striker walked through Dublin's attempted tackle and drilled past the
helpless Ogrizovic off his right-hand post.
While Coventry sought to pin the blame, Marcelo was demonstrating an
interesting line in celebrations, whipping off his shirt to reveal another
underneath.
It should have been a blip, so much in command had Coventry been, but the
confidence dissipated and Gareth Taylor might have made the home defence pay
with a free header soon after the restart.
Huckerby burst back into life with a typical run down the left which brought a
fine save from Kelly before Moldovan blasted over, but United were now truly in
the game with Marcelo causing real problems.
Dublin was forced to block when Stuart surged in from the left and the
travelling fans began to sense a week to forget would have a dream ending.
When Kelly surpassed his earlier stops, throwing out his left hand to divert
Boateng's fierce header from a Telfer centre behind, and Whelan's overhead
effort was a fraction high, it looked as if they might.
Boateng at least kept Coventry ticking, a tackle here, a pass there seeking to
inspire, but finding little in the way of response.
Strachan sacrificed his son with 15 minutes left, sending on Trond-Egil
Soltvedt and then pushing Dublin up when he took off Moldovan three minutes
later.
It smacked of desperation but Dublin's mere presence undermined United again,
and when they made a mess of David Burrows' free-kick five minutes from time
Huckerby smashed against the post from 12 yards.
Kelly, outstanding all afternoon, deserved that bit of luck, proving just why
three minutes from time when diving low to his left to paw away a Breen header
that seemed a goal all the way.
That was just the scene-setter for Ogrizovic's late indiscretion. Katchouro,
only on for 10 minutes, knew he had missed a sitter.
Teams
Coventry: Ogrizovic, Burrows, Breen, Huckerby, Whelan, Dublin,
Telfer, Boateng, Nilsson, Moldovan (Hall 78),
Strachan (Soltvedt 76).
Subs Not Used: Howie, Shaw, Haworth.
Booked: Boateng.
Goals: Dublin 32 pen.
Sheff Utd: Kelly, Short (Beard 46), Quinn, Borbokis, Sandford,
Holdsworth, Ford, Marker, Taylor, Marcello (Katchouro 81),
Stuart.
Subs Not Used: Tracey, Dellas, Ludlan.
Booked: Marker, Borbokis.
Goals: Marcello 45.
Att: 23,084
Ref: S W Dunn (Bristol).
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