Robbie Blake's brilliant brace for Bradford prevented Bramall Lane from
reverberating to the sound of the Samba beat in a pulsating Yorkshire derby.
United's boy from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro-born Marcelo, sublimely created
Sheffield United's first and superbly scored his side's second, although he was
ultimately upstaged by Blake.
Blades were on course for their fifth successive 'legal' win - given the FA
Cup fifth round defeat at Arsenal last Saturday has now been wiped from the
record books- before Blake drove home his second equaliser eight minutes from
time.
Boss Steve Bruce was looking to quickly get back on track after the events
which surrounded the goal-that-never-was at Highbury and describing the furore
which has since followed as an unforgettable experience.
Striker Marcelo stepped up to lift United's play-off hopes, only for Bradford
to avoid their third defeat in five games and move the Bantams back into second
place in the First Division.
Both first-half goals had the hallmark of quality stamped across them as they
were finely crafted and finely finished.
City had twice gone close in the space of three early minutes, but the honour
of the opener belonged to the Blades and rising star Curtis Woodhouse.
The England Under-18 midfielder's third of the season came via a moment's
display of Brazilian magic as Marcelo conjured up the 16th minute goal out of
nothing.
A through ball from Lee Morris found Marcelo with his back to goal and with
seemingly nowhere to go wide left in the 18-yard box.
But with a silky turn to shake off his marker and a piercing low cross from
the deadball line, Woodhouse was quick to apply the coup de grace with a near
post drive into the roof of the net.
All the chances either side of that belonged to Bradford as Alan Kelly first
pulled off a double save in the 10th minute from Blake and Peter Beagrie.
The Republic of Ireland international was beaten soon after by a bobbling
Jamie Lawrence shot which struck the right-hand post, with Shaun Derry on hand
to clear the danger.
After United had taken the lead, Kelly pulled off a point blank save in the
28th minute, but the City forward was not to be denied his 13th of the season.
Within four minutes, Lawrence was the supplier for Blake who had a host of red
and white striped shirts barring his way to goal from the right hand edge of the
area.
But the 22-year-old first nutmegged Morris, shimmied his way past Lee Sandford
and then beat the advancing Kelly with a deft flick from the outside of his
right foot.
Morris made amends by setting up United's second with a ball from the right
which spun off Wayne Jacobs, allowing Marcelo to stab home at the near post in
front of Gary Walsh for his 13th of the campaign.
But another 16 minutes later, Blake was to have the final say with a searing
18-yard drive inside Kelly's right-hand post to take his season's tally to 14.
Teams
Sheff Utd: Kelly, Derry, Quinn, Woodhouse, Sandford, Holdsworth,
Morris, Hamilton, Marcelo, Devlin, Stuart.
Subs Not Used: Ford, Jacobsen, Henry.
Goals: Woodhouse 16, Marcelo 66.
Bradford: Walsh, Wright (Watson 70), Jacobs, McCall, Moore,
Westwood, Lawrence, Blake, Rankin (O'Brien 87), Whalley, Beagrie.
Subs Not Used: Todd.
Goals: Blake 32, 82.
Att: 14,675
Ref: K Leach (Codsall).
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