Kevin Nolan’s Match Report: Sheffield United v Charlton (09/03/2014) #SUFC #CAFC

Sheffield United 2 (Flynn 65, Brayford 67) Charlton 0.

Kevin Nolan reports from Bramall Lane.

They mischievously called it Black Sabbath to commemorate the marvellous Sunday on which Charlton, turned out as off-duty clerics, hammered Arsenal 4-2 at Highbury on November 4th 2001.

It was a memorable occasion but, in hindsight at least, perhaps a little too much was made of it. After all, we do beat Arsenal from time to time and going on about it rather overlooked that point. We ended up patronising ourselves. Special video. Patting our own back. Ruffling our own hair. Plucky little Charlton. As an established Premiership team at the time, we should have treated it as no big deal – even if it was.

For different reasons, Sunday’s debacle also deserves a name of its own. Bleak Sabbath. That’s my shot. Feel free to make up your own. Because this really was the pits.
We might have known we were in for it when results on Saturday plunged the Addicks to the bottom of the Championship table. All four or our closest rivals won without conceding a goal between them. So we arrived at Bramall Lane, only partly dressed as priests this tiime but cursing our luck like unrepentant sinners. It was hard to tell the giants from the giant killers. But events soon sorted that out.

Honest, committed but hardly inspired, United laboured for a while before dismissing their timid visitors. Snapping into tackles, first to anything loose, unselfish in support of each other, they compensated for obvious shortcomings with sheer willpower. Charlton’s response was flabby, lacklustre, devoid of spark. If they take this form into their remaining league games, we won’t need any elderly, gloomy Scotsman to warn us we’re doomed.

A featureless first half actually offered the “big shots” false hope of a result. In fact, Marcus Tudgay’s faintly deflected snapshot, saved awkwardly at full length by Mark Howard, was the closest either side came to scoring; Simon Church kept the rebound alive but tamely returned it to the struggling keeper. At the other end, Jamie Murphy fired an acceptable chance over the bar, while Ben Hamer’s sharp anticipation helped him reach John Brayford’s outswinging cross before Murphy could pounce. This tepid Cup tie was heading for an unwanted replay until a 63rd minute turning point changed its course.

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A spiteful foul, followed by a little “afters” by left back Bob Harris on Jordan Cousins near the halfway line, allowed a typically alert Johnnie Jackson to flight a quick free kick into Tudgay’s run through the inside right channel. His angle narrowed by the advancing Howard, the striker’s improvised lob from the byline over the stranded keeper set up Callum Harriott eight yards from a gaping goal. Unhindered by United’s outwitted defence, who were still bitching about the blindingly obvious free kick, Harriott stretched to meet the chance on the half-volley but, with his body shape all wrong, sent it wide of the right post.

The escape galvanised the Blades. Two minutes later, they were in front with assistance, it should be said, from generous defending by their visitors. There seemed no particular danger threatened by Jose Baxter’s diagonal cross from the left touchline but a distracted Richard Wood allowed it to clear his head on its way towards the far post. Surprised by his colleague’s hesitation, Rhoys Wiggins stood flatfooted as Ryan Flynn stole in behind him to scuff the ball over Hamer into the opposite corner.
Battered old Bramall Lane went understandably berserk and had more to celebrate almost immediately. Harriott’s loss of possession upfield set in motion a sweeping move which ended with John Brayford trying his luck from outside the penalty area. Any doubt that this was United’s day was removed by the unlucky deflection off Wood which helped the coveted right back’s unconvincing shot to beat a hopelessly wrongfooted Hamer.

A disorderly, dispirited rabble somehow limped to the final whistle without further damage as the jubilant Blades strolled into a lucrative semi-final engagement with Hull City at Wembley. From the debris, these disheartened Addicks must now regroup before resuming the  bread-and-butter business of staying in the Championship. A goal here and there would be invaluable and in the brief cameo offered by 71st minute substitute Reza Ghoochannejhad, there came a glimpse of a forward capable of scoring one. In added time, Reza reacted sharply as a bounce favoured him, with minimal backlift snapped off a fierce, instinctive drive on the turn and was foiled only by Howard’s magnificent reflex save. It was the response of a natural finisher and reminded travelling fans of his equally resourceful volley which hit the bar at Wigan. He might drift in and out of games but there’s a goal in him and he should be trusted to deliver one before it’s too late. What’s to lose?

Elsewhere there was concern over jaded performances from, among others, young Jordan Cousins and even Wiggins. There’s a tired, weak look to the team and we’ll discover at The Valley against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday whether it’s a terminal condition. And then of course there’s the attractive trip to Millwall on Saturday. On second thoughts, we’ll leave that one on hold for a bit longer. Terriers first, then Lions as we work our way through the animal kingdom…

Charlton: Hamer, Wilson (Ghoochannejhad 71), Morrison, Wood, Wiggins, Cousins, Poyet (Green 71), Jackson, Harriott, Tudgay, Church (Adjarevic 65), Not used: Thuram, Hughes, Dervite, Nego. Booked: Jackson, Harriott.

Sheffield United: Howard, Brayford, Maguire, Collins, Harris, Flynn (McGinn 90), Doyle, Baxter (Davies 81), Scougall (Porter 86), Murphy, Coady. Not used: Hill, Miller, Long, Freeman. Booked: Baxter, McGinn

Referee: Lee Mason. Att: 30,040 (5,331 visiting).