Colin Little's late strike at Bramall Lane put Crewe within three minutes of
First Division safety - but resilient United ensured that the Railwaymen's
season will go to the wire.
Crewe survived a second-half onslaught and broke away through Colin Cramb in
the 87th minute, whose pass left Little free to fire home from eight yards.
But with Crewe still celebrating, United pushed forward and England under-21
midfielder Curtis Woodhouse popped up at the far post to head home Rob Kozluk's
cross.
Such an exciting finale seemed unlikely in a dismal first half in which
neither side was able to assert themselves.
Kenny Lunt looked lively in the Railwaymen's midfield and was given plenty of
time and space to express himself as United seemed happy to relax in the South
Yorkshire sunshine.
Crewe's short passing game occasionally threatened an exciting moment, but
rarely delivered.
In a half with few chances United could have gone in ahead when Devlin's
42nd-minute corner found the head of Marcus Bent but Lunt was on hand to clear
off the line.
Blades' boss Neil Warnock made a change up front at the interval, replacing
the ineffective Laurent D'Jaffo with youngster Stuart Wilson.
The move almost paid immediate dividends as within a minute Devlin caught the
Crewe defence square as he poked a ball through to Wilson who, with only the
keeper to beat, shot wide when he should have scored.
After defending well for the opening hour the Railwaymen almost committed
defensive suicide as Lunt delivered a back-pass short of keeper Jason Kearton
and Devlin nipped in. But at full stretch he could not poke it past the Aussie
keeper.
Mark Foran then nearly sliced a cross into his own net as Crewe's defence
rocked. Their defensive frailties re-surfaced again a minute later as Kearton
completely missed a right-wing corner and Street forced Wilson's shot off the
line.
Crewe almost scored on the break as Cramb's cross-field ball released Mark
Rivers in the 61st minute but he elected to cross instead of shoot and the
danger was cleared.
Warnock's half-time talk had certainly revitalised United and only their poor
finishing prevented them cruising into a comfortable lead. In the 66th minute,
former Leeds midfielder Bruno Ribeiro found Devlin in acres of space inside the
box but he shot wide.
The Railwaymen thought they'd secured their First Division safety when Little
fired home Cramb's pass in an 87th-minute breakaway.
Crewe performed a similar smash-and-grab at Blackburn early in the season, but
it wasn't enough at Bramall Lane as the Blades found an unlikely equaliser.
Bent's deflected cross fell to Kozluk and his cross found Woodhouse at the far
post and he beat Kearton with ease.
Teams
Sheff Utd: Tracey, Devlin, Kozluk, Murphy, Quinn, Sandford,
Woodhouse, Ribeiro (Brown 85), Ford, Bent, D'Jaffo (Wilson 46).
Subs Not Used: Woodward, Hamilton, Gysbrechts.
Booked: Ribeiro.
Goals: Woodhouse 88.
Crewe: Kearton, D. Wright, S. Smith, Walton, Foran, Little,
Sorvel, Street (S. Wright 88), Cramb (Tait 88), Rivers, Lunt.
Subs Not Used: Ince, Critchley, Hulse.
Goals: Little 87.
Att: 9,923
Ref: B Knight (Orpington).
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