Paul Gascoigne limped off and Paul Merson missed a penalty as Middlesbrough's
chances of gaining automatic promotion were dealt another severe blow at Bramall
Lane tonight.
Boro, with new £3.45million signing Gascoigne again disappointing before he
suffered a foot injury in an innocuous-looking block tackle after 76 minutes,
badly needed to make up ground on top two Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.
But Dean Saunders' ninth goal of the season, together with Merson's woeful
spotkick miss, leaves Bryan Robson's men four points behind Sunderland, having
played the same number of games as their second-placed North-East rivals.
Boro could not afford to record anything less than a victory against United,
who suffered the agony of an FA Cup semi-final exit to Newcastle just two days
ago.
However, the visitors never looked capable of winning, with Gascoigne unable
to impose his authority on the game and Hamilton Ricard doing little as well.
The Blades showed few signs of weariness as they moved three points closer to
a play-off place - and, on the basis of this performance, they could well be
joined in the end-of-season lottery by Middlesbrough, who have now lost two
League games in a row.
The only goal came on 52 minutes and will have left Robson asking questions of
his defence and Mark Schwarzer.
Steve Vickers gave away a needless freekick near the corner flag for a push on
Gareth Taylor, who was posing little danger to Boro.
Wayne Quinn swung over the freekick and Lee Sandford climbed above Ricard to
power the header goalwards from six yards.
The ball skidded nastily off the wet surface, but even so it was directed
straight at Schwarzer.
However, the Australian keeper was unable to hold onto the effort and Saunders
was on hand to poke the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
The goal breathed life into what had been a desperately disappointing
encounter, with neither side able to master the wet conditions.
The first half had been littered with errors, though Saunders and Merson both
wasted good chances to give their team an interval lead.
However, the game picked up considerably after the break, with Saunders'
strike opening it up.
Ricard shot wide from 10 yards, before the Colombian won his side a penalty on
the hour.
Alan Kelly parried Neil Maddison's fierce 25-yard drive, but the rebound fell
to Ricard. He jinked past David Holdsworth and the defender, who had earlier
been booked for a foul on Alun Armstrong, tripped Ricard.
However, Merson blazed the spotkick high and wide of Kelly's goal, and Boro's
best chance of salvaging something from the game had gone.
The visitors continued to look for a way back, though, and Ricard wasted two
great chances, before Kelly saved well from Robbie Mustoe.
But United also went close on several occasions, with the dangerous Taylor
seeing two efforts fly agonisingly wide of Schwarzer's goal with the big
Australian stranded.
Marcelo then fired wide when clear, but Ricard could still have grabbed a
last-minute equaliser.
A long ball found him unmarked 12 yards out, but he lashed his effort wide of
Kelly's goal and Boro's final chance had gone.
Teams
Sheff Utd: Kelly, Borbokis, Nilsen, Quinn, Sandford, Holdsworth,
Saunders (Marcello 85), Hamilton, Taylor (Devlin 85), Ford,
Stuart.
Subs Not Used: Dellas.
Booked: Holdsworth.
Goals: Saunders 52.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Harrison, Vickers, Festa,
Mustoe, Maddison, Gascoigne (Ormerod 76), Armstrong, Merson,
Ricard.
Subs Not Used: Kinder, Branca.
Att: 18,421
Ref: E Lomas (Manchester).
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