Sheffield Utd 1 Oldham 0: Cup hero Done now eager for a taste of big time

Matt Done is hoping Sheffield United can embark on another amazing cup adventure.
Matt Done celebrates scoring the goal which took Sheffield United through to the third round of the FA Cup against Oldham (Picture: Sport Image).Matt Done celebrates scoring the goal which took Sheffield United through to the third round of the FA Cup against Oldham (Picture: Sport Image).
Matt Done celebrates scoring the goal which took Sheffield United through to the third round of the FA Cup against Oldham (Picture: Sport Image).

The 27-year-old striker’s solitary goal was enough to see the Blades squeeze by fellow League One club Oldham on Saturday.

In a match where chances were at a premium, the former Rochdale forward slotted the ball beyond Oldham goalkeeper David Cornell after 47 minutes.

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It means the Blades – who had Che Adams dismissed in the second half – are in the hat for tonight’s third-round draw, alongside the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea.

United are no strangers to Cup success, having reached the 
FA Cup semi-finals two years ago.

Last season, Done joined from Rochdale just a few days after United had pushed Tottenham Hotspur all the way in a two-legged Capital One Cup semi-final.

Having gone through a career earning his dues at Wrexham, Hereford, Rochdale and Barnsley, Done is now hoping to realise some of his own cup dreams.

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“We would like another home game really, or a big Premier League club away,” said Done.

“Personally, I would like to face a big Premier League team – I have never really had a big fixture – especially with Sheffield United.

“I will watch the draw from home, with my family, put my feet up.

“Whichever Premier League team we got here, we would sell out. It would a great atmosphere and a great occasion.

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“Full credit to the lads, they had an unbelievable run in the 
FA Cup (in 2013-14); hopefully we can emulate them. It’s already started with these two games.

“Now the big boys are in it. If we get a smaller team, then we have a good chance of getting through to the next round.

“The last couple of years at this football club, there have been some special nights here.

“I haven’t been part of them but, hopefully, I will be part of them this season, with a good cup run.

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“No one would like to come here when the place is rocking. Even last week we took 5,000 to Barnsley.

“It gives the lads the extra 10 per cent. Playing a Premier League side would be a great occasion.”

Blustery conditions meant Saturday’s game was never going to be a classic.

Both sides cancelled each other out in the opening 45 minutes, Danny Philliskirk nearly causing an upset on his return to Bramall Lane when he struck a post with a golden chance from Mark Yeates’s free-kick.

The key moment came just two minutes after the break.

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Defender Neill Collins threaded a pass to Done – who had been denied by Cornell in the first half – and he twisted beyond his marker and got a lucky bounce before firing home.

“Credit for my goal to Neill Collins, it was a great pass,” he said. “The gaffer changed personnel and formation at half-time (taking off Billy Sharp) and me and Che (Adams) were always going to run away from the ball, to create space.

“I saw the space between the two centre-halves, made the run – and full credit to Neill for a great pass – and somehow I got it in. I got lucky with the ricochet and it went in.

“I am not going to give anyone a second on the ball, that’s my game. If I change that I am probably not going to play.

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“I always put 100 per cent in, and the harder you work the luckier you get.

“There was probably a little bit of luck in there with the ricochet, but I have scored a few against Oldham now, it must be an omen.

“All that mattered was getting through to the third round, that was the aim we set out with.

“The conditions were always going to mean it was going to be a battle, but it was the same for both teams.

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“Come Monday night we will be sitting at home, watching the draw, and hoping for a good one.

“The weather was strange. We came out and thought ‘oh, it’s not too bad’.

“Then, five seconds later, there would be a gust of wind.

“It was hard to judge the ball when it was in flight. But there were no excuses, we had to get on with it. It was always going to be scrappy.”

United were denied a second goal when John Brayford’s fierce drive crashed down off the crossbar and seemed to bounce over the line, before being cleared.

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Despite home protests, the ‘goal’ was not given and victory came at a cost for United.

Defender Bob Harris was stretchered off and taken straight to hospital with a facial injury, and Adams was shown a straight red card.

The flashpoint came on 67 minutes when Adams and Latics captain Liam Kelly clashed.

There seemed little malice in the challenge, and manager Nigel Adkins will wait for the referee’s report before deciding whether to appeal Adams’s three-match ban.

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Oldham had a couple of chances against the 10-man hosts, Cassidy heading into the ground, but the ball bounced over George Long’s crossbar.

The Blades goalkeeper then thwarted Timothee Dieng’s long-range effort as United saw out the game.

Sheffield United: Long, Harris (Wallace 45), Brayford, Basham, Coutts, Sharp (Scougall 46), Done (Sammon 84), Collins, McEverley, Adams, Hammond. Unused substitutes: Howard, Flynn, Reed, McGahey.

Oldham Athletic: Cornell, Dieng, B.Wilson, J.Wilson, Mills, Kelly, Jones, Winchester, Yeates (Rasulo 77), Philliskirk (Poleon 71), Cassidy. Unused substitutes: Coleman, Eckersley, Vassell, Edmundson, Tuohy.

Referee: E Ilderton (Tyne & Wear).