Sheffield United 1 Fulham 1: Battling Blades go close to supplying new shock

Possible salvation, however, came via Sheffield United’s home tie against Fulham.

It involved a Premier League club heading to a lower division team who, thanks to results elsewhere the previous day, had slipped back into the relegation zone.

Added to which, the pitch was in such a heavy condition following incessant rain that it took three inspections before referee Andre Marriner finally gave the go-ahead.

So concerned had United been that the game might be postponed that the turnstiles were not opened until the last of those inspections had been conducted an hour before kick-off.

Come the final whistle, the 16,324 crowd and those watching at home live on BT Sport were mightily glad that the Bramall Lane ground-staff had prevailed over the weather.

Because, while the upset that the neutrals had been denied in this year’s fourth round did not materialise, a rip-roaring Cup tie most definitely did.

Controversy abounded along with a couple of sublime goals and one truly comical miss from Darren Bent as League One Sheffield United overcame the dismissal of captain Michael Doyle to earn a replay.

Blades manager Nigel Clough felt the 53rd-minute dismissal of Doyle – for lashing out at Chris David – had cost his side a second giant-killing victim in as many rounds of this season’s Cup.

He said: “The red card made a big difference. We would have won. I asked him (Doyle) if he touched their lad.

“He said, ‘Yes, but not enough contact for a sending-off’. I also asked Ryan Flynn if there was sufficient contact for his penalty and he said, ‘Yes’. Work that one out.

“Even with 10 men, we were a real threat. In the first half I was disappointed with how we played even though we got the goal and went in ahead.

“But in the second half we were much better on the ball and much more of a threat. I felt we got the balance right, much more than in the first half.

“At times against teams with their quality you have to defend. That is the case with 11 men, never mind 10.

“In the last four or five minutes, we were under the cosh a bit, but that is always going to be the case.”

Despite all the pointers ahead of kick-off suggesting Fulham might not be relishing a return to Yorkshire, a county where they had been spanked 6-0 by Hull City on their previous visit less than a month earlier, the visitors started the brighter of the two teams.

Manager Rene Meulensteen, with tomorrow’s Premier League trip to Swansea City clearly in mind, had made 11 changes from the team beaten at Arsenal on their previous outing.

This, though, did not prove a handicap in the initial stages as the London side quickly found their feet on a surface that, in patches, bordered on boggy.

David and Hugo Rodellega both had early chances before a delightful one-two between Pajtim Kasami and Ange-Freddy Plumain led to the ball being drilled across the United six-yard box.

With no one from the Fulham ranks far enough forward to capitalise, that should have been that.

But, thanks to the heavy state of the pitch, the ball suddenly stopped dead right in front of Long’s goal and Neill Collins had to react quickly to clear the danger as the visitors closed in.

Two minutes later, United were ahead. While Chris Porter’s strike may have been against the run of play, there was no doubting the quality of the move that opened up the Premier League visitors.

Harry Maguire, collecting the ball from Collins in the centre-circle, set off on the type of surging run more commonly associated with an attacking midfielder or even a powerful winger than a centre-half.

Once deep into Fulham territory, Maguire then picked out Porter with a low cross that the striker clinically fired past David Stockdale.

Meulensteen’s men could have been level before the break, but referee Marriner ruled Long had not fouled Rodellega after the Colombian had crashed to the ground a split second after nudging the ball beyond the Blades’ goalkeeper.

The visitors were furious. Eight minutes after the restart, however, and it was the home fans’ turn to vent their anger at Marriner after captain Michael Doyle had been red carded for lashing out at David.

As play continued to rage from one end to the other, Marriner’s starring role continued as, first, he waved away the penalty appeals of Kasami.

Then the referee adjudged Aaron Hughes not to have upended Ryan Flynn as he cut inside the Northern Ireland international.

As the home fans howled their displeasure, Clough and his coaching staff did the same on the touchline. The ear-bashing fourth official James Adcock received eventually led to Marriner being called over to appeal for calm.

It did the trick, though there was a tangible sense of frustration on the United bench when Rodellega fired in the equaliser with 16 minutes remaining.

Cue a late Fulham, onslaught as Damien Duff had a shot deflected into the side-netting by John Brayford and then Phillipe Senderos headed against the crossbar.

That, though, was not the end of Fulham’s profligacy as, first, Senderos screwed a shot wide and then, when Kasami had returned the ball to the danger-zone, Darren Bent somehow shot wide from two yards out with the goal at his mercy.

It was an incredible miss and one that, together with a fizzing effort from Adel Taarabt that flew an inch wide in the fourth minute of stoppage time, meant the Blades had lived to fight another day.

The FA Cup may not have got the upset that the neutrals crave, but Clough’s United did, at least, bring a bit of romance to a fourth round that had been 
monotonously predictable in ushering the favourites through to the last 16.