FA Cup Third Round
Sunday 5th January 2020
This definitely isn't a game which will last long in the memory as Sheffield United avoided an FA Cup upset against AFC Fylde, to book their place in Round Four.
In front of a sparse crowd at Bramall Lane (which wasn't helped by the Blades' shambolic ticket office operations), Chris Wilder completely changed his starting line-up from the recent Premier League defeat at Liverpool - opting to give his fringe players some vital minutes in competitive action.
One of those players, Callum Robinson, opened the scoring early on, before the experienced Leon Clarke doubled the lead after the interval.
Fylde, who were hoping to emulate fellow National League side Barnet; the Bees having beaten United at this stage last season, scored a late consolation through Jordan Williams, so at least returned to the North-West with something to smile about.
As touched upon already, the Blades' off-field organisation was utterly amateurish with lengthy queues outside the ticket office for both purchases and collections long after the start of the match.
I understand that because it's a cup game (and therefore, spectators - including season ticket holders have to buy tickets) then it's sometimes difficult for those inside the club to estimate what sort of crowd to expect. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it could be busier than what it is compared to a Premier League matchday when 99% of folk will be in possession of their tickets beforehand. So to only open three out of five ticket booths (two were closed) was ridiculous and an insult to those who bothered to turn up.
Someone needs to have a word about this blatant under-staffing, but, I suspect, criticism will fall on deaf ears or be met with an endless list of excuses as to why such long queues formed!
On the pitch, the Blades fielded a second-string and they did their job. It wasn't emphatic, despite my gut feeling those in red and white shirts were always capable of raising their game by a couple of notches at any given moment, though what they produced was more than enough to ensure a simple passage to Round Four.
It was a strange atmosphere with The Kop closed entirely for spectators and about 600 or so away fans located in the Upper Tier of the Bramall Lane on what was a quite mild afternoon.
Having started strongly, Williams opened the scoring with a deflected low shot on just eight minutes, before Nick Haughton (a player who I watched for a couple of clubs last season) soon squandered a gilt-edged chance to level having initially found himself clean through - only for Muhamed Besic to get back and make a perfectly-timed challenge.
There was nothing about Haughton's individual display which surprised me and, as a player, technically he's very gifted and if he added more goals to his game then he'd potentially get a move to a higher-division club.
United went close at the other end around the half-hour mark when Clarke was left unmarked at a set-piece and saw his goalbound header superbly tipped over by the Fylde 'keeper.
The Blades' stand-in shot-stopper, Michael Verrips, then needed to be substituted following an innocuous-looking collision with a team-mate during a spell of pressure by Jim Bentley's non-league side, which meant there were four minutes of injury-time at the end of the first period.
The start to the second half was then delayed by around five minutes with one of the linesman being unable to continue (due to illness) which brought about one of those PA announcements that's always met by a few chuckles asking for any qualified officials 'to make themselves known to the nearest steward'.
When the game eventually got underway again, Wilder's second-string continued to dictate, dominate possession and create a plethora of openings and only a linesman's flag prevented Ravel Morrison from doubling the lead around the hour mark. Only a minute later though, Clarke had the ball in the net - firing home on the rebound from just a few yards out after Luke Freeman's shot from Besic's excellent cross ricocheted off the woodwork.
Haughton was the substituted (no surprise as, despite being up against good players, he didn't really impose himself that well) and with less than a quarter-of-an-hour to go, the Coasters set up an interesting finale as Williams got in-behind and lifted the ball over out-rushing Blades 'keeper Dean Henderson to reduce arrears.
There was to be no comeback, nevertheless, and the Blades will be joined in Round Four by other Yorkshire teams including Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and maybe even Leeds United - if they can cause a shock at Arsenal tomorrow night.
Regarding AFC Fylde, the FA Cup has provided a highlight in what's been an otherwise hugely disappointing season. Somehow, they're currently caught up in a relegation battle in the National League, but if they can find form and show consistently what they're capable of, there's absolutely no reason why they can't fly up towards mid-table (or even beyond) like Sutton United have done in recent weeks.
There is no outstanding team in the National League this season and, on their day, Fylde are as good as anyone else - and it's baffling just how much they and a few other good teams have fallen through their backsides and ended up in relegation danger.
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