Blades fans will not want the season to end after watching their side
dismantle Watford in fine style at Vicarage Road.
Neil Warnock's side have found their best form too late in the campaign to
have any impact on the Nationwide First Division play-offs, but it was the ideal
response to the charges dished out by the FA following the infamous 'Battle of
Bramall Lane'.
Quality strikes from Jean-Phillipe Javary, Michael Tonge and Steve Lovell
hardly flattered an inspired Blades outfit.
Frenchman Javary fired the visitors into a 13th-minute lead, highly-rated
youngster Tonge made it 2-0 three minutes from the break and Lovell applied the
perfect finish with a blistering volley just after the hour in this mid-table
tussle.
It was the perfect riposte from the Yorkshiremen as Warnock's side hit the
headlines again on Friday for all the wrong reasons.
United were cleared by the FA of attempting to force the abandoned match
against West Brom on March 16 to be called off prematurely, but the club have
still been charged on six counts relating to the match.
But Warnock's players have since thrived in the face of adversity and, after
soaking up Watford's early pressure, they drew first blood.
Peter Ndlovu sent over an inch-perfect cross from the right and Javary
finished left-footed from close range.
Watford hit back immediately with Patrick Blondeau's stinging 25-yard volley
being well held by United keeper Wilko de Vogt before the visitors went close to
extending their lead.
The lively Ndlovu had time and space to send in a left-footed curler from the
edge of the area that Watford keeper Alec Chamberlain did well to save.
In a see-saw encounter Phil Jagielka went close for the Blades with a
trademark effort from the edge of the area, Watford's Danny Webber warmed the
hands of de Vogt from 25 yards and Ndlovu saw another long-range volley flash
wide of Chamberlain's post.
The Blades struck again just before half-time when 18-year-old midfielder
Tonge latched onto Robert Page's cross, sending his right-foot shot low into the
bottom right corner.
Watford boss Gianluca Vialli then cursed his luck again as he was forced to
send on Gavin Mahon for Lloyd Doyley, who appeared to have suffered a nasty
injury.
In a tactical switch Vialli replaced Gary Fisken and Lee Cook with Heidar
Helguson and Anthony McNamee respectively, but it was United who continued to
press after the break.
Lovell flashed a volley wide from 18 yards and then Watford roused themselves
in a bid to get back into the match.
De Vogt clung on to another 20-yarder from Webber and also Helguson's header
from 18 yards, and just after the hour Tommy Smith headed inches over the
crossbar.
But the Blades snuffed out any rising hope the Hornets fans had, killing the
game in the 63rd minute when Lovell lashed a stunning right-foot volley into the
roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area to make it 3-0.
Watford's Neil Cox powered a header from another McNamee corner against the
woodwork and both Paul Okon and Webber went close from long range, but this was
Warnock's day.
TeamsWatford: Chamberlain, Blondeau, Cox, Mahon (Doyley 45), Robinson, Fisken (Helguson 45), Okon, Hyde, Cook (McNamee 45), Smith, Webber.
Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Hand.
Booked: Okon, Robinson, Cox.
Sheff Utd: de Vogt, Doane, Page, Murphy, Ullathorne, Tonge (Montgomery 81), Javary, Jagielka, Ndlovu,
D'Jaffo (Smith 87), Lovell (Nicholson 83).
Subs Not Used: Tracey, Cryan.
Goals: Javary 13, Jagielka 41, Lovell 63.
Att: 13,377
Ref: B Curson (Walsall).
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