Striker Lee Hughes struck a late winner to keep West Brom in the hunt for a
play-off place in Division One.
It took former Tottenham ace Ruel Fox 62 minutes to put Albion in front but
the lead lasted only 12 minutes, Paul Peschisolido, on-loan from Fulham, scoring
on his Blades debut.
However, Hughes hit an 83rd-minute winner from six yards out to keep Gary
Megson's men stayed on the tails of both Bolton and Blackburn.
Preston referee Michael Ryan was the busiest man at the Hawthorns as he
flashed his yellow card four times and red card once in the opening 45 minutes.
The game was just three minutes old when Albion's new £750,000 midfielder
Michael Appleton was given a stern lecture by Ryan for a clumsy tackle on United
striker Laurent D'Jaffo.
In the 23rd minute the official cautioned Albion's Jason Roberts and United
defender Rob Ullathorne after they were involved in an angry skirmish.
Albion's ginger-haired striker Lee Hughes was the next player to be yellow
carded - for a tackle on Michael Brown after half an hour.
Then, just two minutes later, Ullathorne was given his marching orders by the
referee after he was cautioned for a second time - for a clumsy tackle on Fox.
On the stroke of half-time, Appleton, who joined Albion this week from
Preston, had his name taken for a foul on United's Georges Santos.
There was little football in the first half and the first shot of the game did
not come until the 19th minute when Hughes blazed a 35-yard effort over.
Albion were holding the edge and in the 26th minute Appleton had a shot from
20 yards saved by keeper Simon Tracey.
The best move of the half came in the 37th minute when Roberts cross from the
right found Dutch midfielder Richard Sneekes.
He turned his man to fire in a hard right-foot shot that flew inches wide of
the near post.
The first reply from United did not come until injury time when Brown had a
shot comfortably taken by Danish keeper Brian Jensen.
West Brom piled on the pressure after the break and they squandered a golden
opportunity to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute.
Hughes held off two United defenders and laid the ball off to Sneekes, but the
Dutchman blasted a shot from a good position well wide of the near post.
D'Jaffo then hooked the ball wide for Sheffield United after Jensen fumbled a
long ball from Curtis Woodhouse.
But Albion, desperate to maintain their push for a play-off place, finally
found the net in the 62nd minute when Fox pounced.
The former Spurs ace latched on to a pass from Igor Balis before firing in an
angled drive that went in via the inside of the far post.
Neil Warnock's side drew level after 74 minutes when Paul Peschisolido, making
his debut since joining the Blades on loan from Fulham, fired a right-foot shot
home.
But nine minutes later Hughes hit the ball home from six yards following a
dangerous Fox corner.
West Brom (0) 2 Sheff Utd (0) 1
West Brom: Jensen, Lyttle (Taylor 59), Clement, Butler, Carbon,
Fox (Sigurdsson 90), Sneekes, Hughes, Roberts,
James Chambers (Balis 59), Appleton.
Subs Not Used: Hoult, Quinn.
Booked: Roberts, Hughes, Appleton, Fox.
Goals: Fox 62, Hughes 84.
Sheff Utd: Tracey, Kozluk, Murphy, Ullathorne, Sandford,
Woodhouse, Santos (Kelly 74), Montgomery, Brown,
D'Jaffo (Jagielka 65), Peschisolido.
Subs Not Used: Curle, Uhlenbeek, Suffo.
Sent Off: Ullathorne (32).
Booked: Ullathorne.
Goals: Peschisolido 75.
Att: 16,778
Ref: M Ryan (Preston).
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