Blades gain revenge in Brammal Lane showdown

This report from the official site:

Chris Turner tasted defeat in his first Sheffield derby, as his Wednesday side surrendered the lead given to them by Alan Quinn's 47th minute goal to concede three goals in the space of 16 minutes. United had by far the most of the play throughout the game but, for over an hour, it appeared that a tremendous rearguard display by Kevin Pressman and Garry Monk would deny them once again.

As early as the fifth minute, United's perennial nemesis in the Owls goal was called into action to pull off a magificent double-save. First, after Dean Windass had turned Danny Maddix inside the box, he turned the former SWFC loanee's powerful drive onto the bar, before recovering to tip Peter Ndlovu's follow-up header over.

The keeper was called into action again, seven minutes later, to block bravely at Windass' feet after Michele Di Piedi mistakenly headed a half-cleared corner back into the danger zone. The former Hull and Bradford man then turned provider, six minutes before the break, when his flighted cross to the far post found Steve Kabba, whose goalbound header was kept out by Pressman.

In between times, Monk had performed admirably to twice make important blocks from Kabba shots and win his fair share of challenges, both in the air and on the ground. Wednesday only threatened sporadically before the interval, their two best chances falling to Shefki Kuqi.

On 36 minutes he got free at the far post only to nod Derek Geary's cross tamely wide. Then, just before the break, he broke away from Shaun Murphy on the left-wing and entered the corner of Paddy Kenny's penalty area only to see his cross-shot elude the on-rushing Di Piedi and drift wide.

Half-time: Blades 0-0 Owls

For all United's first-half pressure, it was Wednesday who stunned Bramall Lane by taking the lead right at the start of the second half. When Quinn picked up the ball in midfield and played it behind the United cover, it looked as if Di Piedi was offside after putting pressure on Kenny's clearance. But the Irishman ran on to his own ball forward and calmly slotted home from 15 yards. But, far from deflating the hosts, Quinn's strike only spurred them on to force greater pressure onto the Owls backline.

After 55 minutes, a mazy run by Michael Brown was only ended when Pressman blocked his shot wide with his right foot. Minutes later, Michael Tonge danced into the danger zone and fell under a challenge from both Kuqi and Ashley Westwood, but was booked by referee Rob Styles for diving.

The mounting pressure eventually broke the Wednesday rearguard after a lead that had lasted only 15 minutes. The Owls couldn't clear a bobbling ball in their penalty area, and it eventually fell to Kabba to poke past Pressman's outstretched right hand from 12 yards.

Kuqi had an immediate chance to restore the SWFC advantage when presented with a free header, six yards out, from Quinn's free-kick, but blazed his header over. It was to prove a costly miss. Two minutes later, United were ahead when Brown smashed home an unstoppable volley from 20 yards.

Minutes later it was 3-1 when Kabba danced past Maddix and pulled a low cross back from the byline for substitute Wayne Allison to force home from close range. It would have been even worse, 10 minutes from time, but for Carl Robinson's last-gasp sliding clearance as Tonge prepared to pull the trigger.

But that was of no consolation to the 5,000 Wednesdayites in the 28,179 crowd as United avenged their September defeat at Hillsborough.