Sheffield United and Middlesbrough will both feature in the FA Cup quarterfinal draw after their fifth round tie on Sunday ended in a goalless draw.
The closest either side came to a first-half goal at United’s Bramall Lane ground was when home striker James Beattie hit the outside of the post for the Blades just before the interval with a free-kick from the edge of the box.
Premier League Boro almost won the game in stoppage time when defender Emanuel Pogatetz’s close-range header was blocked in what was Kevin Blackwell’s first match as Sheffield United manager following his midweek appointment as successor to Bryan Robson.
”I’m really pleased with them today,” Blackwell, United’s assistant manager under another former manager Neil Warnock, said.
”Mark Schwarzer’s pulled off two great saves, one from Beatts [James Beattie] just before half-time. I don’t know whether he got a touch to it or not but that would have been a great time to score.
”We’ve got to believe in ourselves. There’s a decent set of players here, it’s a terrific stadium, a great crowd, there’s plenty to build on.”
Sunday’s other Cup clash, the final tie of the fifth round, sees Middlesbrough’s top-flight rivals Portsmouth away to Championship Preston.
The stalemate in south Yorkshire meant that at least three clubs from the Premier League (Middlesbrough, Chelsea and Manchester United), four from the second-tier Championship (West Brom, Barnsley, Cardiff and Sheffield United) and one from third division League One (Bristol Rovers) would feature in Monday’s quarterfinal draw.
Barnsley made it through on Saturday courtesy of a dramatic 2-1 victory away to five-times European champions Liverpool, scoring the winner with virtually the last kick of the game having gone a goal behind at Anfield.
Also on Saturday, Cup holders Chelsea defeated Huddersfield 3-1 while Manchester United, last season’s beaten finalists, thrashed Premier League leaders Arsenal 4-0 at Old Trafford.
Bristol Rovers, the lowest-ranked club left in the draw, enjoyed a 1-0 win at home to Championship Southampton.
Cardiff reached the quarterfinals for the first time since they won the Cup in 1927, with a 2-0 victory against Wolves while, in Saturday’s other all-Championship clash, West Brom thrashed Coventry City 5-0. – Sapa-AFP