A gritty performance by Sheffield United earned them a point but few friends
in a hard-fought 1-1 draw against runaway Division One leaders Fulham at Craven
Cottage.
Almost from the start of the game the Blades gave a master class in
time-wasting that frustrated the Fulham players as much as the home crowd.
Luis Boa Morte, back after a two-game ban, put the Londoners ahead in the 17th
minute.
Louis Saha's clever pass beat the offside trap, and Boa Morte finished coolly
to put his side ahead.
United's equaliser came four minutes before half-time when Laurent D'Jaffo
headed home from a free-kick taken near the left corner flag.
The pitch was a sodden and slippery morass, and the Londoners found it hard to
play their normal passing game.
Indeed, in the first half it was the visitors who had more efforts at goal -
with Rob Kozluk, Mick Brown and D'Jaffo all going close.
The Londoners were better after the interval, but dogged defending and not a
little gamesmanship kept them at bay.
Karlheinz Riedle and Boa Morte both forced fine saves from goalkeeper Simon
Tracey, but near the close the Blades could have snatched a winner if Maik
Taylor had not been alert enough to save smartly from Nick Montgomery.
Teams
Fulham Taylor, Brevett, Symons, Melville, Finnan, Clark,
Goldbaek (Riedle 61), Davis, Fernandes, Saha, Boa Morte.
Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Neilson, Sahnoun, Moller.
Booked: Goldbaek, Brevett.
Goals: Boa Morte 17.
Sheff Utd Tracey, Kozluk, Murphy, Sandford, Curle, Uhlenbeek,
Brown, Montgomery, Santos (Jagielka 69), Ndlovu (Kelly 90),
D'Jaffo.
Subs Not Used: Talia, Suffo, Woodward.
Booked: Santos, Curle, Uhlenbeek.
Goals: D'Jaffo 41.
Att: 12,480
Ref: G Frankland (Middlesbrough).
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