Brown hopes for chance to impress at Old Trafford

Michael Brown, the Sheffield United midfielder, helped fire Ipswich Town out of the FA Cup – and then set his heart on doing the same to Manchester United.

Brown, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Saturday by scoring two of the Blades' goals – the second a long-range volley – in a 4-3 fourth-round win over their First Division rivals, spent his formative years in the game at Manchester City under the Ipswich manager Joe Royle. Having recently tasted Worthington Cup semi-final action against Liverpool, he would like nothing better than a trip to Old Trafford.

"I think it's the old favourite, living in Manchester," he said. "I think it's got to be Manchester United away. But we've just got to get another good draw. I don't think we can get another home draw, I think that's six or seven now."

The Blades' Cup exploits have taken their toll on Neil Warnock's squad, and the manager admitted after Saturday's win, which was clinched at the death by the substitute Paul Peschisolido after Ipswich had fought their way back from 3-0 down, that he would not have been heartbroken if they had lost. However, Brown believes that the confidence gained from progressing to the latter stages of both domestic competitions can help their promotion push.

"The gaffer's tending to think that maybe too many games could be a problem, so I don't think he was too bothered about the game," he said. "You try to concentrate on the League, but I think it gives you confidence, winning games, and the more games you win, the more confidence you get."

Warnock's side are third in the table, three points adrift of second-place Leicester with a game in hand. While Brown is delighted to still be involved in the FA Cup, he admitted that the prospect of a replay at Portman Road – United already face Ipswich in the League there on 8 February – was not what they wanted.

"The last thing we wanted was a draw because we would have been playing on the Wednesday and the Saturday down there and we would have had to stay," he said.

Royle could not believe his side had lost the game after scoring three goals inside four minutes to get back on level terms, but was at least able to comfort himself with the character his players had shown.

"It was important that we didn't lose the game 3-0, it really was, because that would have been totally false," he said. "I was delighted with their form to come back. But we're on the wrong end of seven goals and it's head-shaking time."

The Walsall striker David Zdrilic had a point to prove when he scored the only goal of the game in victory over the 1988 FA Cup winners Wimbledon on Saturday.

The Australian has never lost the goalscoring touch even though he has been pushed onto the fringes at Walsall this season.

The 28-year-old's major claim to fame is that he once scored eight goals for his country in their 31-0 World Cup qualifying destruction of American Samoa two years ago.

Saturday's strike to settle a hard-fought FA Cup tie with Wimbledon was a rather more modest effort. But at least it enabled Zdrilic to prove a point to the Saddlers' manager, Colin Lee. The absence of the Brazilian forward Junior, who has returned home in an effort to gain international clearance to complete a permanent move to the Bescot Stadium, gave Zdrilic only his third start since September.

His response was to sweep home Jorge Leitão's cross for his fifth goal of the campaign, taking Walsall into the last 16 and giving Lee a timely nudge in the process. "I have never lost faith in my ability to score goals regularly but it has been a frustrating season for me," said Zdrilic, who was signed by Lee on a free transfer from the German side, Unterhaching.

"Sometimes it is a case of out of sight, out of mind. I have not had many games and if you are not scoring people soon forget about you. I have tried hard when I have come off the bench but I prefer to start and impose myself that way."

With Junior set to return in time for Saturday's important relegation encounter with Brighton, Lee faces a selection dilemma. By then, he will know Walsall's fifth-round opponents and whether he has a realistic chance of taking the Midlands side into the last eight for the first time in their history.

Lee played down talk of a meeting with his former club and near-neighbours Wolves, insisting his ill-fated stint at Molineux was "in the past". "I would sooner have Arsenal but that wouldn't give us much of a chance and my main aim would be to get into the quarter-finals and get this club the recognition it deserves."

Walsall succeeded in stifling Wimbledon for much of a drab encounter, played out on an atrocious pitch which was due to be ripped up yesterday.

The Dons forced two meaningful chances, the home goalkeeper James Walker keeping out a curling Neil Shipperley shot shortly before the interval, then the half-time substitute and recent Walsall loan signing Gareth Ainsworth missed the target with a diving header near the end.

While the home side did not create much more themselves, they did deserve their victory which, in contrast to some of his Premiership counterparts, Lee feels will have a positive effect on the battle to avoid relegation. "The biggest achievement for us this season would be ensuring First Division survival," Lee said. "But there is no negative to having a good run in the FA Cup. It helps with confidence and proves to the team they are capable of winning the type of tight matches."