Match report: Town 1 - 2 Sheff Utd

Aug 28 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Blades boss Kevin Blackwell replaced Stead with Danny Webber at half-time, but it was Town who took the second period by the scruff of the neck.

And they should really have gone at least two up, with the visitors surviving a series of scares.

Good work by Parker set up Roberts for an angled shot from the left which Bennett pushed away in the 49th minute.

Then, in the 57th, the busy Roberts picked out Flynn in a great position, only for the former Blackpool man to head wide.

Roberts was again the provider in the 67th minute, when Clarke’s header was off target, then, in the 73rd, Bennett held Parker’s long-range effort, the same player firing over after good work by Cadamarteri a minute later.

Town were playing some slick stuff, with United’s only real effort a 76th-minute drive by Matthew Kilgallon which went over, and when Robbie Williams robbed freshly-introduced substitute Billy Sharp with a well-timed penalty-area tackle soon after, Blackwell’s side were starting to look frustrated.

But they were rescued in the 82nd minute when Sun Jihai picked out Danny Webber who in turn found Darius Henderson on the right.

The £2m summer signing from Watford advanced into the penalty area and while Glennon got a hand to the shot, he couldn’t prevent the ball flying into his right-hand corner.

United scarcely merited the leveller, never mind their winner, which arrived in the 84th minute.

This time Kilgallon’s persistence took him through a couple of challenges, and his pass to substitute Kyle Naughton bore fruit when the homegrown 19-year-old’s shot went in, again with the aid of a deflection.

Keeper Glennon went up as Town forced a couple of late corners, but Sheffield stood firm to book their place in Saturday’s draw.