Downing the Blades at Bramall Lane

Sheffield United 0-1 Doncaster Rovers

Coca-Cola Championship

Tuesday 27th January 2009

Jimmy O'Connor scores the winner at Bramall Lane (Photo: Unknown).

When Sheffield United coasted to victory in the reverse fixture at the Keepmoat Stadium earlier in the campaign, there was an ominous sense about the direction in which things were going for Doncaster Rovers.

Whilst Sean O'Driscoll's men were still getting accustomed to the rigours of Championship football, the Blades won simply because they were more clinical; Gareth Roberts' own goal putting them into an early lead before the excellent Stephen Quinn made it 2-0 on the hour mark.

Had Rovers took the opportunities which came their way (notably, Darren Byfield missed from only a yard out), it could have been a very different outcome - though that's a phrase in itself which epitomised the first half of the campaign.

The trend, of course, finally changed on Boxing Day as Nottingham Forest were battered at the City Ground and a month later as the players prepared to visit Bramall Lane, they were seeking a fourth straight victory having also beaten Burnley and Southampton.

United were managed by notorious long ball specialist (and all-round kn*b head, if you listen to the podcasts), Kevin Blackwell. Somehow the 'keeper-turned-gaffer had assembled a ridiculously strong squad with Gary Speed, James Beattie, Ugo Ehiogu, Gary Naysmith, Lee Hendrie and Chris Morgan amongst the experienced players on the books at some stage or another during the season. Coupled with promising young talents such as Kyle Naughton, Billy Sharp, David Cotterill and Kyle Walker (on the periphery of the first team at this time) on the books as well, they had a squad which was stronger than most in the division - so how they didn't get promoted is staggering!

It's fair to say Rovers were underdogs going into the clash with O'Driscoll and long-serving assistant Richard O'Kelly making jokes beforehand that they'd need to have 'tin hats at the ready' to deal with the aerial onslaught which they knew they were going to come up against.

The game itself wasn't exactly a 'classic' and in many ways it was the complete reverse of the meeting four months earlier. The Blades couldn't convert chance after chance with Neil Sullivan thwarting Danny Webber on numerous occasions, whilst Greg Halford was wasteful in good positions during a first 45 minutes which really was a stern test for Rovers' rearguard.

Ultimately, there was only to be one goal and the defining moment was possibly the personal highlight of Jimmy O'Connor's six-year spell at DRFC. The right-back didn't get many goals and he was left unmarked as he broke into the box and swooped home a cut-back from John Spicer right infront of 3,000 Rovers fans shortly after half-time. The goal; his first in over two years, sparked delight from those directly behind the net and earned Rovers their first (and, to this day) only ever competitive win at Bramall Lane.

There were plenty of glum faces amongst Sheffield United supporters afterwards - frustration at having been beaten at home, frustration at their style, tactics, manager and just about everything else, but not much in the way of praise for Rovers' landmark achievement.

In contrast, the 3,000 who'd made their journey couldn't contain their delight as they quite literally sang the night away on filled platforms at Sheffield Station afterwards. 

Rovers were becoming a resurgent force to be reckoned with once again and everyone knew it!