Lack of cutting edge benefits Boro

2:03am Monday 18th February 2008

Sheffield United 0 Middlesbrough 0

SHEFFIELD UNITED might play in the 'Steel City', but Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate left Bramall Lane yesterday afternoon thankful for the Blades' lack of a cutting edge.

Completely dominant in the opening period, Boro's Championship opponents failed to make the breakthrough that might have settled a feisty FA Cup fifth-round tie.

And while Middlesbrough were similarly impotent as they shaded a more tightly-contested second half, Southgate will be relieved to see his side's name in this afternoon's quarter-final draw.

With the FA Cup having opened up considerably following the exit of both Liverpool and Arsenal on Saturday, next Tuesday's replay offers Boro a golden opportunity to move within 90 minutes of a maiden appearance at the new Wembley Stadium.

Last season, the Teessiders came through three replays before succumbing at Old Trafford in the last eight and, having given record signing Afonso Alves some more match practice in the last 15 minutes of yesterday's game, Southgate's side are now firm favourites to make the quarter-final stage for the third season in a row.

Indeed, had Emanuel Pogatetz's 90th-minute header not hit Gary Naysmith inside the Sheffield United six-yard box, Middlesbrough might not have been contemplating a return game on Teesside at all.

Pogatetz met Stewart Downing's corner perfectly, but Boro's best chance of the game came to nothing as Naysmith deflected the ball to safety. The defender knew little about his intervention, but it would have been a travesty if he had been unable to keep the scoresheet blank.

For all that Boro grew in confidence after the interval and extended their unbeaten run to eight matches, they rarely looked like repeating their previous FA Cup successes at Bristol City and Mansfield.

In part, that was a reflection of Sheffield United's strength, but in part it also underlined the need to get Alves into the starting line-up as quickly as possible.

Southgate's desire to protect his record signing is understandable given the Brazil international's lack of match fitness following his protracted move from Heerenveen, but his faith in Mido and Jeremie Aliadiere yesterday was somewhat misplaced.

Making his first start for almost four months, Mido provided little or no support to his fellow frontman and lacked the mobility required to stretch a Sheffield United defence that had kept clean sheets in their two previous games.

He did produce one wonderful moment of improvisation in the 58th minute, juggling the ball on the edge of the area and firing in an acrobatic overhead kick that forced Paddy Kenny to tip the ball over for a corner, but the majority of his play was considerably more mundane.

As the opening months of the season proved, a fully-fit Mido is a valuable asset. As yesterday's opening 75 minutes also proved, however, the sooner Alves is available to start the better.

Mido continues to suffer from the after-effects of his pubic injury, but at least his bicycle kick woke Middlesbrough from their slumbers. For the opening 58 minutes, the Teessiders had barely ventured into the Sheffield United half. But from the moment Kenny tipped Mido's strike over the crossbar, Southgate's side contributed fully to a lively and enthralling cup tie.

David Wheater came close to breaking the deadlock from the resultant corner - Kenny was at full stretch once again as he tipped the defender's powerful header over the top - and after Mido crossed from the right, Stewart Downing whistled a venomous first-time volley narrowly past the right-hand upright.

The three chances came in the space of three minutes, and were three more than Middlesbrough had created in the whole of the first half.

Bryan Robson's sudden departure had transformed the pre-match mood at Bramall Lane and, with Kevin Blackwell hastily installed in the home dug-out, the Blades completely dominated the opening 45 minutes.

At least four clear-cut openings came and went, and had Mark Schwarzer's reflexes not been razor sharp, Middlesbrough would have trailed as early as the sixth minute.

Lee Martin's right-wing free-kick found its way to Matthew Kilgallon at the back post, and the defender's rising drive was heading for the top right-hand corner before Schwarzer athletically clawed the ball to safety.

With Pogatetz blocking a goalbound Stephen Quinn drive, and Billy Sharp's long-range strike appearing to strike Fabio Rochemback on the arm as it made its way into the penalty area, Boro were on the defensive from the off.

Downing offered limited respite with a 16th-minute drive that thudded into Paddy Kenny's chest, but Sheffield United's aerial strength meant the visitors were constantly susceptible to flighted balls into the box.

Both James Beattie and Billy Sharp enjoyed notable success against Boro's two centre-halves, and former Sunderland striker Jon Stead also confirmed his prowess in the 28th minute.

Stead climbed above both Pogatetz and Wheater to meet Martin's left-wing corner at the near post, only for his subsequent six-yard header to drift inches wide of the post.

That was something of a let off for the Teessiders, and they duly received two more on the stroke of half-time. First, Wheater received only a yellow card for a calculated tug on Sharp, then, from a later free-kick, Beattie rapped the base of the right-hand upright. Either situation could have had much graver consequences for the visitors.

Chris Foy's decision not to dismiss Wheater was probably the right one - Pogatetz was also in close attendance as the defender hauled his opponent to the floor as he galloped on to Beattie's through ball - but other referees might have deemed Sharp's situation a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Beattie's subsequent set-piece looked anything but as he collided with team-mate Stead, but the routine was pre-planned and he duly curled a low 20-yard strike against the foot of the post.

With Boro struggling to retain possession in the central third, the momentum was moving in only one direction.

It continued to drive Sheffield United towards the Middlesbrough goal at the start of the second half, with Schwarzer getting down well to parry Stead's low drive within seven minutes of the interval, but Mido's acrobatics kick-started a flurry that brought Boro right back into the game.

Substitute Chris Armstrong confirmed United's continued threat by latching on to a loose ball and drilling a 75th-minute strike narrowly over the crossbar, but by the time Foy blew the final whistle, it was Sheffield United who were holding out for a rematch.

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