FA CUP: Blades add another scalp as Owls suffer late agony

The Owls had looked on course to earn a replay only for James Milner to net a dramatic winner in the first minute of stoppage time to seal a 2-1 win at the Etihad.

Defeat was incredibly harsh on Stuart Gray’s bold warriors, who had led for more than half the tie thanks to an early opener from Adthe Nuhiu.

There was no denying the justified pride felt by the 5,500 Wednesday supporters who had travelled to Manchester, even if it was tinged with an acute sense of disappointment at not taking the Blues back to Hillsborough for what would have been a deserved replay.

In contrast, 200 or so miles away in west London, it was a case of unconfined joy for the 2,700 Blades fans who made the trip to Queens Park Rangers.

A double from Jamal Campbell-Ryce and a first-half strike by Marc McNulty clinched a 3-0 victory at Loftus Road that means United will be one of four Yorkshire teams in tonight’s fourth-round draw.

Nigel Clough’s men will be joined in the hat by Middlesbrough, the only other White Rose club definitely through, plus Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers.

The League One duo face replays against Millwall and Bristol City respectively next week.

Owls chief Gray believes his side should also still be in the competition after matching champions Manchester City for so long yesterday.

“It is disappointing not to be in the next round,” said the Wednesday head coach, “but I am so proud of the players.

“We pushed the champions right until the last minute and I thought it would go to a replay.

“But we can take a lot of confidence from this. I can use it as a tool, to say how close we pushed the champions.”

City needing birthday boy Milner – the former Leeds man was 29 yesterday – to come to their rescue was in stark contrast to when the two clubs last met, in October, Wednesday having crashed to a 7-0 hammering in the Capital One Cup.

Gray added: “It was nice to go in 1-0 ahead (at half-time) and I thought we thoroughly deserved it.

“We frustrated them, had a game-plan and felt we could hit them on the break. It was a great finish and well set up by Stevie May, too.

“In the end, though, they kept the ball a little better in the last 15 minutes and I thought the winning goal was a mistake from us.

“That said, they showed us total respect by putting on (David) Silva, (Sami) Nasri and (Gael) Clichy.

“It was just tired minds that caught us out, in the end.”

As for the Blades, yesterday’s resounding win means Rangers join Aston Villa, West Ham United, Southampton and Fulham on a list of top-flight scalps claimed by the Yorkshire side since the start of 2014.

The victory by the Capital One Cup semi-finalists was richly deserved, as first-team coach Chris Morgan was quick to stress ahead of the return journey north.

“I think our mental preparations are the biggest thing,” said the former Blades defender when asked about the secret of United’s success.

“Against teams like Southampton, West Ham, Aston Villa, Fulham and now QPR, we know we have to be absolutely bang on it. Right at our very best.

“I am not saying the lads take their foot off the gas when they’re in the league because I don’t think that is the case at all.

“Look through the QPR team. They showed us a lot of respect, I thought, by naming the starting XI they did and then bringing people like Bobby Zamora on.

“We knew we would be up against it, but I honestly believe the lads deserved to go through.

“We came here with a belief that we could do it.”

United proved to be the county’s only winners yesterday, as Leeds United lost narrowly at Sunderland in a repeat of the 1973 FA Cup final.

Hull City also failed to avenge last May’s final defeat to Arsenal at Wembley as goals from Per Mertesacker and Alexis Sanchez ended the East Riding club’s interest in the world’s oldest competition for another year.

One surprise inclusion in the side was Paul McShane, who last month was banished to train with the club’s Under-21s after a breach of club discipline.

Bruce vowed then that he would not return to the fold until he apologised to the squad for his actions, something that the Irishman has now done.

The Hull manager, who was forced into 10 changes by a combination of injury and fatigue, said: “ have to say he played very well.

“I can’t say anything else. Listen, in management sometimes you have to make decisions that are not always popular.

“For me, it is forgotten about. He has apologised and said he was bang out of order.

“He is back in the squad and did his chances no harm, as I expected.

“He never ever lets you down. The problem Paul has got is he wants to play week-in and week-out, but I don’t pick him week-in and week-out. Therein lies the problem.”