Sheffield United gave their promotion hopes a boost with a three-goal blast
in the last 20 minutes to sink relegation candidates Port Vale.
Paul Devlin set Steve Bruce's men on their way towards a top six finish with
a well-struck strike from close range after 72 minutes.
Lee Morris scampered down the left and tricked full-back Steve Walsh before
hitting a teasing pass into the box which Marcelo and Traianos Dellas both
stepped over leaving Devlin to finish.
Inside six minutes, United doubled their lead and killed off the Vale
resistance. This time the ball dropped kindly for Marcelo six yards out and
Blades' top scorer made no mistake, driving home his tenth goal of the season
on the turn.
Jonathon Hunt rounded off the win in the last minute, heading home from a
brilliant Devlin cross.
Vale, desperate for three points in their battle against relegation, had
started the match well with veteran attacker Martin Foyle pulling the strings
up front.
Marcus Bent was the first to try his hand with a shot from 25 yards out, but
United keeper Simon Tracey made a comfortable save.
Next a long ball from Paul Beesley found the head of Foyle inside the area,
but again Tracey made the save.
Blades, making a late bid for a play-off place, began to get a grip on the
midfield, with the hard-working Curtis Woodhouse winning every tackle.
A Hunt free-kick found Marcelo inside the area, but an acrobatic volley from
the Brazilian flew wide of the far post.
Next Vale's teenage defender Anthony Gardner stretched out a leg to prevent
a certain goal under pressure from Marcelo. Sheffield winger Hunt - making his
home debut after signing from Derby - whipped in a terrific cross which looked
destined for the boot of Marcelo at the near post, but the defender just beat
him to the ball.
United skipper David Holdsworth hit a brilliant rising volley from Paul
Devlin's pass which Musselwhite could only watch as the ball flew over the
bar. Marcelo found himself through on goal and flicked the ball over
Musselwhite, but defender Dave Barnett was on hand to prevent the ball crossing
the goal line.
Teams
Sheff Utd: Tracey, Kozluk, Quinn, Woodhouse, Sandford,
Holdsworth, Morris (Ford 90), Hamilton (Dellas 32), Marcelo,
Devlin, Hunt, Dellas (Derry 81).
Goals: Devlin 72, Marcelo 78, Hunt 90.
Port Vale: Musselwhite, Walsh, Tankard, Bogie, Barnett, Gardner,
Talbot (Naylor 74), Barker (Allen 45), Bent, Foyle, Beesley.
Subs Not Used: Russell.
Att: 15,515
Ref: R Oliver (Sutton Coldfield).
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