Blades kept their play-off hopes alive with a 3-0 win over high-flying
Watford.
The visitors had never won at Bramall Lane and striker Paul Devlin fired the
home team into the lead after 38 minutes.
Against the run of play, the ball fell to Devlin on the edge of the area and
the striker's shot took a deflection off a defender before beating Watford
keeper Alec Chamberlain.
And Steve Bruce's men doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time through Lee
Morris.
The midfielder showed good skill inside the area, cutting back across the face
of goal before turning to hit an unstoppable shot into the Watford net.
Ian Hamilton made sure of the win with the third goal after 50 minutes.
Brazilian striker Marcelo jumped with keeper Chamberlain and under pressure,
the Watford custodian's punch fell short to Hamilton, who made no mistake with
the finish.
Unlucky Watford had a goal disallowed after 62 minutes. Substitute Nigel Gibbs
fired in a right wing cross which beat keeper Simon Tracey - who had
replaced injured Alan Kelly at half-time - at the near post.
Inexplicably referee Roy Pearson indicated the veteran's banana shot had
curled out of play before swerving into the back of the net.
And the visitors had dominated the early exchanges and had a string of chances
to take the lead.
Winger Nick Wright cut in from the right flank to catch the Sheffield defence
off guard before hitting a superb shot which was deflected just wide.
Then from Peter Kennedy's inswinging corner, Tommy Mooney outjumped the Blades
defence, but keeper Alan Kelly was on hand to leap acrobatically to turn the
ball away.
Nick Wright picked up the ball wide on the left and whipped in a deadly
accurate cross back on to Mooney's head.
This time the powerful header beat Kelly, but thumped back into play off the
crossbar.
Defender Steve Palmer should have done better with a chance from three yards,
but placed his header wide of the post with the goal at his mercy.
But then in the dying minutes, Marcelo almost made it 4-0 with a point-blank
header which Chamberlain somehow managed to keep out.
Teams:
Sheff Utd: Kelly (Tracey 45), Derry, Quinn, Woodhouse, Sandford,
Holdsworth, Morris (Twiss 80), Hamilton, Marcelo, Devlin, Ford.
Subs Not Used: Jacobsen.
Booked: Derry, Morris.
Goals: Devlin 38, Morris 44, Hamilton 50.
Watford: Chamberlain, Bazeley, Kennedy, Ward, Palmer, Robinson, Smart (Gibbs 55), Hyde, Mooney, Hazan (Iroha 69),Wright (Smith 55).
Booked: Robinson.
Att: 15,943.
Ref: R Pearson (Peterlee).
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