Ten-man Sheffield United held on in extra time after a sensational comeback at Meadow Lane to book a FA Cup fourth round tie at home to Cardiff.

Steve Bruce's side, beaten semi-finalists last season, snatched a dramatic winner four minutes into extra time through Brazilian Marcelo just 10 minutes after they looked dead and buried.

The Blades looked to be going out of the competition until two late strikes, from skipper David Holdsworth, on 85 minutes, and Marcelo, a minute before the end of normal time, turned the game around.

County had adjusted to the treacherous Meadow Lane pitch the better of the sides throughout the 90 minutes and had deservedly taken the lead on 19 minutes through striker Gary Jones.

Sam Allardyce's side should have been further ahead when United equalised five minutes before half time with their first shot on target.

Gary Owers was penalised for a foul on Curtis Woodhouse on the edge of the area and Vas Borbokis stepped up to curl the ball beyond Darren Ward and into the goalkeeper's top right corner.

United started the better of the sides in the second half but it was the Magpies who moved ahead in the 12th minute.

Midfielder Shaun Murray seized on a loose ball in midfield and gave Alan Kelly no chance with the 25-yard thunderbolt which appeared to gain a slight deflection.

United pressed forward in search of an equaliser but Jones appeared to have settled the tie when he put the home side 3-1 ahead with his second goal of the game and sixth FA Cup goal of the season, sidefooting home substitute Tony Garcia's cross.

But the visitors refused to give up and were rewarded five minutes from time as skipper Holdsworth drilled home through a crowd of bodies from 15 yards.

Holdsworth's strike began a Blades goal spree and Marcelo forced the extra period sliding in Lee Morris' cross a minute from the end.

County were visibly shaken at the start of the extra period and the game was turned on its head when the Brazilian striker scored again four minutes after the restart, forcing the ball home from inside the six yard box after good work from Woodhouse on the left.

More drama followed three minutes later, however, as United full back Wayne Quinn was sent off after kicking the ball into the crowd, his second bookable offence.

Allardyce threw on centre back Gary Strodder as a makeshift centre forward and the home side laid siege on the United goal.

Strodder set up a gilt edged opportunity for Garcia a minute after coming on but the French forward somehow lifted the ball over the bar with just Kelly to beat.

Strodder then had a header just off target from a Garcia cross before.

County must have thought they had equalised six minutes before the end when Garcia poked his shot goalwards only for Kelly to fingertip the ball onto the base of the post and United had held on to set up a fourth round meeting with Cardiff on Wednesday night.

Teams:

Notts County: Ward, Hendon, Pearce (Tierney 108), Redmile, Liburd, Richardson, Owers, Hughes (Garcia 56), Dyer (Strodder 99), Jones, Murray.

Subs Not Used: Beattie, Dudley.

Booked: Jones.

Goals: Jones 19, Murray 57, Jones 83.

Sheff Utd: Kelly, Borbokis, Quinn, Henry (Morris 61), Sandford, Holdsworth, Woodhouse, O'Connor (Ford 75), Marcelo (Jacobsen 110), Twiss, Stuart.

Subs Not Used: Walker, Davis.

Sent Off: Quinn (97).

Booked: Quinn.

Goals: Borbokis 40, Holdsworth 85, Marcelo 89, 94. After Extra Time

Att: 7,489

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).