A stirring second-half performance from Manchester City was enough to see them
take all three points and climb to the top of the Nationwide First Division.
The first half was an instantly forgettable affair with both sides failing to
string any decent moves together.
Only Paul Devlin managed to test Carlo Nash in the City goal, while at the
other end Shaun Wright-Phillips brought a save from United goalkeeper Simon
Tracey.
City manager Kevin Keegan produced an inspired half-time team talk and City
came out all guns blazing in the second-half, taking the lead after 55 minutes.
Kevin Horlock swung in a free-kick which was initially met by Paulo Wanchope
at the far post, and his header was guided into the net by Shaun Goater.
City continued to press and their dominance was rewarded with a second strike
midway through the half.
Richard Dunne's good run and cross from the right was finished off by Eyal
Berkovic, who arrived in the penalty area unmarked and had the easy task of
tapping home.
United threw caution to the wind and pressed in vain for a goal to get them
back into the game but only Carlos Asaba came close.
And it was not until the 90th minute that they reduced their deficit when
ex-City player Michael Brown powered home a header from Paul Devlin's right-wing
corner.
The goal gave United brief hope they could get something from the game, but
their hopes were extinguished in the last minute of injury time when Shaun
Wright-Phillips sealed the game with the third goal.
Wright-Phillips picked the ball up from the edge of his own area and, with all
United players in the Manchester City box, ran 50 yards untouched before playing
a one-two with Darren Huckerby and drilling the ball past the helpless Tracey.
Teams:
Sheff Utd: Tracey, Page, Murphy, Uhlenbeek,
Nicholson (Ndlovu 74), Devlin, Santos (Suffo 68), Tonge,
Montgomery, Brown, Asaba.
Subs Not Used: Curle, Ford, de Vogt.
Goals: Brown 90.
Man City: Nash, Dunne, Howey, Mettomo, Edghill,
Tiatto (Ritchie 69), Horlock, Berkovic (Haaland 83),
Wright-Phillips, Goater (Huckerby 87), Wanchope.
Subs Not Used: Negouai, Weaver.
Bookings: Edghill, Wanchope.
Goals: Goater 55, Berkovic 68, Wright-Phillips 90.
Att: 26,291
Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).
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