Rampant Sheffield United swept rock-bottom Stockport aside with a superb second-half display.

Carlton Palmer's men simply had no answer to a Blades side that showed the purpose and attacking flair that they had distinctly lacked before the interval.

The home side took the lead six minutes after the restart when Stockport's Colin Woodthorpe headed past his own keeper Sam Turner, who had replaced the injured Lee Jones.

Woodthorpe, clearly angered by his error, was booked shortly afterwards for a foul on the home side's tricky Zimbabwean winger Peter Ndlovu.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Luke Beckett was sent off for a second bookable offence after 53 minutes, and, from the resulting free-kick, Keith Curle found Paul Peschisolido who blasted home a spectacular effort from 25 yards to double the Blades' advantage.

The home side killed off Stockport with a third goal on the hour, Ndlovu netting after Turner had parried Michael Tonge's effort.

Stockport, who have won just two league games all season, were left to rue those errors after all the good work they had put in during the opening 45 minutes which had ended goalless.

After a sticky start which saw them concede two free-kicks in the opening three minutes, they more than matched the home side during the first half.

It was Stockport who won the first corner after 13 minutes, although no-one was able to get an effort in on goal from Colin Woodthorpe's near post flag-kick.

Stockport began to grow in confidence and won another corner shortly afterwards, but again it came to nothing.

The home side created the first real opening after 17 minutes but Paul Furlong's header from Michael Brown's cross was wide of the target.

But Furlong's participation in the match only lasted a further six minutes as he picked up a nasty-looking injury and had to be replaced by Laurent D'Jaffo.

The Blades were forced into another substitution before the break when the injured Bobby Ford was replaced by Tonge.

The visitors were also forced to bring on Turner on the stroke of half-time for Jones.

Stockport's Beckett had been booked for unsporting behaviour after just seven minutes and he was followed into the referee's notebook by team-mate John Hardiker. Palmer was booked in the second half.

Teams:

Sheff Utd Tracey, Uhlenbeek, Page, Curle, Ullathorne, Ndlovu, Ford (Tonge 36), Brown, Jagielka, Peschisolido (Santos 77), Furlong (D'Jaffo 24).

Subs Not Used: Nicholson, Montgomery.

Goals: Woodthorpe 51 og, Peschisolido 55, Ndlovu 61.

Stockport Jones (Turner 45), Clare, Palmer, Challinor, Hardiker (Thomas 56), Gibb, McLachlan, Fradin (Carratt 36), Woodthorpe, Beckett, Daley.

Subs Not Used: Wild, Ross.

Sent Off: Beckett (54).

Booked: Beckett, Hardiker, Palmer.

Att: 15,642

Ref: M Cooper (Walsall).