Sheffield United Hold on to Dump City Out of Cup

If Preston's win at Derby yesterday looked like being the shock win of the FA Cup's fourth-round weekend, Sheffield United pipped them this evening with a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Bramall Lane. It was their second triumph over Premier League opposition this season following the 1-0 success at Bolton in the third round and allowed home fans to briefly forget their mediocre 14th spot in the Championship. For City, who have now won only two of their last 10 in all competitions, the season suddenly hinges on whether they can qualify for Europe. On this evidence they will struggle.

United's victory owed much to grit, spirit, an unexpected cutting edge in attack - they had scored only six goals in 11 games before this - and a little to luck. In the 11th minute Jon Stead broke down the left and crossed into a City penalty area crowded with defenders and, thanks to the enthusiasm of the traveling supporters, blue and white balloons. Inevitably, the ball struck first one, then another, at which point it deflected just enough to elude an attempted clearance by Michael Ball. Waiting behind him was Luton Shelton, who calmly slotted home.

Good fortune, though, had nothing to do with United's second goal 15 minutes later. Derek Geary crossed from the right, Stephen Quinn out jumped Nedum Onuoha, and when the ball dropped to the over stretching Richard Dunne, the City captain could only stab it into the path of Stead. Joe Hart, stranded on the ground, could do nothing about a clinical finish.

In between, Emile Mpenza wasted a great chance to head an equalizer, while Elano hit the base of Paddy Kenny's left post with a typically incisive strike from the edge of the box. But United always looked more dangerous on the attack against a City defense missing the calming presence of the injured Micah Richards, and it was a surprise when the 18-year-old Danny Sturridge, on as a substitute for Elano, rifled home with his left foot three minutes into the second half in only his third first-team appearance.

That gave City hope and for a while they played with greater purpose. But they have lacked a goalscorer all season - Elano is their leading scorer with just seven - and their timidity in the final third cost them once more. United, meanwhile, got stuck in and counter-attacked with enthusiasm as City, facing up to the reality of going out, began to lose their shape and discipline.

It was not the only respect in which they had themselves to blame. Moments before Shelton put United in the lead, the referee Alan Wiley - after liaising with Mark Clattenburg, the fourth official - had asked Hart to burst the balloons in the City penalty area while the ball was in the United half. Sky TV reported that Hart failed to do so, and only began to burst them once United had scored. Sven-Goran Eriksson's bubble might just have suffered the same fate.