Sheffield Utd 1 Sheffield Wed 0: Quinn clips Owls' wings as Blades steal derby win

Neil Warnock's managerial career with Sheffield United went into extra time yesterday, with an invaluable if uneven victory to keep them in touch with the top of the Championship. Alan Quinn's messy first-half goal was enough to win an undistinguished Sheffield derby.

After a run of three games without a win, losing 4-2 to Leicester last Saturday and almost losing their manager to Portsmouth in midweek, it was the result that mattered, rather than the way in which it was achieved.

At the end, Warnock punched the air in the direction of those supporters he must now convince that his heart is still with the club. "The supporters were chanting my name," he said. "I had to look around because I'm not used to it here."

Warnock admitted that the result was a relief at the end of what he called: "A traumatic week," but said that it did not, in itself, vindicate his decision to stay. "The vindication will be if the players do what we want to do and we are in the Premiership at the end of the season," he said.

United started like a side determined to show their manager that he had made the right decision. Danny Webber was full of invention and his cross gave Steven Kabba, the sort of close-range chance he could hardly miss, but somehow he scuffed his shot into the ground and saw it cleared.

There were several other promising openings before the goal that had looked increasing inevitable arrived in the 23rd minute. Webber and Kabba got the ball across for Quinn and, although his shot hit his team-mate, Neil Shipperley, the ruling from the officials was, that the ball was already over the line. Quinn's goal made him the first player in 112 years to score for both sides in the Sheffield derby, having done so for Wednesday in the last one, almost three years ago.

The Owls manager, Paul Sturrock, noted that there was: "A bit of a debate" about this goal, but United were so dominant that it looked certain to be the first of several. "We had a very young team out there today and in the first 25 minutes I didn't think some of them handled it very well," said Sturrock. "As the game unfolded, I was very pleased with the performance."

Wednesday gave notice that they were coming back into the game when Daryl Murphy had a couple of decent chances before half-time. In the second half, they arguably had the better of it. Their substitute, Burton O'Brien, sent a volley past the foot of the post and Chris Brunt, had a firm shot from a free-kick well saved by Paddy Kenny. They even had the ball in the net through Graham Coughlan, although the whistle had already gone for pushing in the penalty area.

Their improved second-half showing was not enough to salvage a point, but it could be a hopeful sign for Wednesday's prospects of getting away from the wrong end of the table.