Murphy capitalises as Sunderland show priorities

Sheffield United 2 Sunderland

The Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock believes this could be the season a First Division club wins the Worthington Cup. His players are doing their best to prove him right.

After beating Leeds in injury time in the previous round, they brushed aside another Premiership club with almost arrogant ease last night, though Sunderland connived in their own downfall by fielding eight reserves.

Two goals in as many minutes early in the second half were a fair reflection of United's dominance. Their reward: a place in the last eight of this competition for the first time in 30 years.

It was a first for the Sunderland manager Howard Wilkinson, too, the Sheffield-based manager tasting defeat at Bramall Lane for the first time in his career.

There are those who will say he had only himself to blame as he placed Premiership survival above an outside chance of a back-door route to Europe by starting with only three of the side which lost to Chelsea at the weekend.

If they looked, for much of the match, as though they had never played together before, it was probably because they had not. United, on the other hand, have been welded into an attractive and effective unit and the only surprise in a first period in which they had most of the possession was that they did not score. Shaun Murphy narrowly failed to turn in Michael Tonge's free-kick, Stanislav Varga almost put through his own goal and Carl Asaba twice brought good saves out of Jürgen Macho.

The biggest home crowd of the season was made to wait until nine minutes after the interval for a goal, but, just like buses, when it turned up another came along behind it.

The full-back Phil Jagielka looped over a deep cross from the right and, although Varga managed to turn it against the crossbar, Murphy bundled the rebound over the line.

Almost immediately, Peter Ndlovu crossed from the same spot and this time Wayne Allison was lurking at the far post for his sixth goal of the season.

"We deserved what we got," Warnock said. "It was a great cup tie with two good goals and missed chances at both ends.''

Wilkinson said: "I made the decision that, with big games coming up over Christmas, trying to keep players available for the Premiership was the right thing to do.''

Sunderland had late chances but the United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny saved well from Darren Williams, who then sent the ball over the bar when scoring looked easier. Even when they were given a free-kick on the penalty spot after Jon Harley was harshly judged to have passed back they could not score. To cap it all, Kevin Kyle was carried off with a knee injury.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Jagielka, Page, Murphy, Harley; Brown, McCall, Ndlovu (Kozluk, 90), Tonge; Allison, Asaba (Peschisolido, 84). Substitutes not used: Ten Heuvel (gk), Montgomery, McGovern.

Sunderland (4-4-2): Macho; Rossiter, Thome, Varga, McCartney; Bellion, McCann, Williams, Proctor; Stewart, Kyle (Schwarz, 65). Substitutes not used: Turns (gk), Clark, Medina, Dickman.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).