Date:12 Apr 2011
Kick-off:19:45
Venue:Bramall Lane
Attendance:18,230

Bellamy (20) Emmanuel-Thomas (70)

Goal!

Live Commentary

93mins Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Michael Doyle by Jay Bothroyd. Direct free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.

92mins Stephen Quinn takes a shot. Save by Stephen Bywater.

92mins Bjorn Helge Riise delivers the ball, clearance made by Dekel Keinan.

90mins The official flags Marcus Bent offside. Indirect free kick taken by Stephen Bywater.

89mins Shot from deep inside the area by Matthew Lowton goes over the bar.

89mins Corner taken by Bjorn Helge Riise played to the near post, Seyi Olofinjana manages to make a clearance.

87mins The ball is delivered by Bjorn Helge Riise, Marcus Bent takes a shot. Stephen Bywater makes a save.

86mins Jay Emmanuel-Thomas takes a shot from inside the box clearing the bar.

86mins A cross is delivered by Michael Doyle.

85mins Foul by Seyi Olofinjana on Matthew Lowton, free kick awarded. Stephen Quinn crosses the ball in from the free kick, clearance by Kevin McNaughton.

83mins Darcy Blake sends in a cross.

83mins Daniel Bogdanovic produces a right-footed shot from just outside the box that misses to the right of the target.

81mins The ball is delivered by Bjorn Helge Riise.

80mins Craig Bellamy challenges Stephen Quinn unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.

78mins Unfair challenge on Craig Bellamy by Shane Lowry results in a free kick. Dekel Keinan restarts play with the free kick.

77mins Marcus Bent is brought on as a substitute for Darius Henderson.

76mins Effort by Daniel Bogdanovic from a long way out goes over the target.

76mins Stephen Quinn sends in a cross, clearance made by Seyi Olofinjana.

74mins Michael Doyle challenges Chris Burke unfairly and gives away a free kick. Stephen Bywater takes the direct free kick.

73mins Daniel Bogdanovic sends in a cross, Stephen Bywater makes a save.

73mins The ball is delivered by Daniel Bogdanovic, Seyi Olofinjana makes a clearance.

73mins Matthew Lowton sends in a cross, Stephen Bywater makes a save.

70mins Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scores a headed goal from close in. Sheff Utd 0-2 Cardiff.Assist by Chris Burke.

69mins Matthew Lowton sends in a cross.

68mins Corner from left by-line taken by Stephen Quinn.

68mins Matthew Lowton produces a cross, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas gets a block in.

66mins Nick Montgomery delivers the ball, Close range headed effort by Darius Henderson clears the crossbar.

65mins Corner taken short by Matthew Lowton.

65mins Bjorn Helge Riise takes a shot. Kevin McNaughton gets a block in.

65mins Corner taken by Chris Burke, Header from deep inside the area by Dekel Keinan goes over the bar.

64mins Jay Emmanuel-Thomas takes a shot. Harry Maguire gets a block in.

64mins Matthew Lowton receives a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Free kick awarded for a foul by Matthew Lowton on Jay Bothroyd. Kevin McNaughton takes the free kick.

63mins Corner taken by Bjorn Helge Riise, save made by Stephen Bywater.

58mins The ball is delivered by Stephen Quinn, clearance by Kevin McNaughton.

57mins Matthew Lowton produces a left-footed shot from just outside the area that goes harmlessly over the bar.

57mins The ball is swung over by Stephen Quinn, clearance made by Darcy Blake.

57mins Chris Burke crosses the ball, Neill Collins makes a clearance.

55mins Shane Lowry crosses the ball, clearance by Darcy Blake.

54mins Nick Montgomery fouled by Peter Whittingham, the ref awards a free kick. Shane Lowry restarts play with the free kick.

52mins The offside flag is raised against Bjorn Helge Riise. Stephen Bywater takes the free kick.

51mins The offside flag is raised against Daniel Bogdanovic. Darcy Blake takes the free kick.

50mins Corner from the right by-line taken by Stephen Quinn, Matthew Lowton takes a shot. Save made by Stephen Bywater.

49mins Shot from outside the box by Seyi Olofinjana misses to the left of the goal.

49mins Chris Burke delivers the ball, Neill Collins makes a clearance.

49mins Corner taken by Chris Burke played to the near post, clearance by Nick Montgomery.

45mins Stephen Quinn crosses the ball, Paul Quinn gets a block in.

43mins The ball is swung over by Daniel Bogdanovic, Paul Quinn manages to make a clearance.

43mins The ball is crossed by Stephen Quinn.

42mins Stephen Quinn crosses the ball, save by Stephen Bywater.

39mins Centre by Craig Bellamy.

47mins Harry Maguire comes on in place of Joe Mattock.

47mins Jay Emmanuel-Thomas comes on in place of Stephen McPhail. Darius Henderson has a headed effort at goal from close range which goes wide of the left-hand upright.

46mins Unfair challenge on Nick Montgomery by Craig Bellamy results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Shane Lowry.

45mins The ball is swung over by Bjorn Helge Riise.

45mins Nyron Nosworthy leaves the field to be replaced by Nick Montgomery. Darcy Blake comes on in place of Lee Naylor.

46mins The ball is crossed by Jay Bothroyd, Effort from inside the area by Craig Bellamy misses to the right of the goal.

45mins Bjorn Helge Riise crosses the ball, clearance by Seyi Olofinjana.

46mins The ball is crossed by Bjorn Helge Riise, Kevin McNaughton makes a clearance.

46mins The ball is sent over by Joe Mattock, Lee Naylor manages to make a clearance.

45mins Short corner taken by Bjorn Helge Riise from the left by-line.

37mins Peter Whittingham produces a cross, Effort on goal by Chris Burke from just inside the penalty box goes harmlessly over the target.

37mins Michael Doyle produces a cross, save by Stephen Bywater.

34mins Lee Naylor takes a shot. Blocked by Neill Collins.

33mins The ball is swung over by Daniel Bogdanovic, Kevin McNaughton makes a clearance.

32mins Shot by Joe Mattock from 20 yards. Blocked by Jay Bothroyd.

33mins Stephen Quinn delivers the ball, clearance made by Dekel Keinan.

31mins Darius Henderson challenges Kevin McNaughton unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Stephen Bywater.

27mins Corner from the left by-line taken by Peter Whittingham, Seyi Olofinjana takes a shot. Steve Simonsen makes a save.

26mins Craig Bellamy takes a shot. Save by Steve Simonsen.

26mins Joe Mattock sends in a cross.

24mins Joe Mattock produces a cross, save by Stephen Bywater.

24mins Centre by Peter Whittingham, Neill Collins makes a clearance.

23mins Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Dekel Keinan by Shane Lowry. Free kick taken by Stephen Bywater.

22mins Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Darius Henderson by Dekel Keinan. Michael Doyle restarts play with the free kick.

22mins Outswinging corner taken by Chris Burke.

20mins Craig Bellamy scores a goal from just inside the area to the top right corner of the goal. Sheff Utd 0-1 Cardiff.Peter Whittingham provided the assist for the goal.

19mins Bjorn Helge Riise produces a cross.

17mins Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Chris Burke played to the near post, Jay Bothroyd has a header from deep inside the six-yard box and clears the crossbar.

17mins Corner taken right-footed by Chris Burke from the right by-line to the near post, Jay Bothroyd takes a shot. Blocked by Nyron Nosworthy.

17mins Centre by Peter Whittingham, Chris Burke takes a shot. Blocked by Joe Mattock.

15mins The official flags Bjorn Helge Riise offside. Free kick taken by Stephen Bywater.

16mins Peter Whittingham delivers the ball, clearance made by Neill Collins.

14mins Shot by Seyi Olofinjana from 25 yards. Steve Simonsen makes a save.

15mins Bjorn Helge Riise takes a shot. Blocked by Dekel Keinan.

14mins The ball is delivered by Stephen Quinn, Kevin McNaughton manages to make a clearance.

13mins Stephen Quinn fouled by Kevin McNaughton, the ref awards a free kick. Bjorn Helge Riise crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from left channel, Dekel Keinan manages to make a clearance.

10mins Lee Naylor gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Stephen Quinn. Steve Simonsen restarts play with the free kick.

10mins Craig Bellamy takes a shot. Save made by Steve Simonsen.

10mins Paul Quinn produces a cross.

6mins Chris Burke crosses the ball, Matthew Lowton makes a clearance.

7mins Chris Burke delivers the ball, clearance by Shane Lowry.

4mins Stephen Quinn decides to take a short corner.

6mins Lee Naylor concedes a free kick for a foul on Stephen Quinn. Nyron Nosworthy takes the direct free kick.

3mins Peter Whittingham sends in a cross, Shane Lowry manages to make a clearance.

Match Preview

Adams waits on trio Sheffield United manager Micky Adams hopes Nick Montgomery, Richard Cresswell and Ched Evans will all be back in contention against Cardiff. Midfielder Montgomery's wife recently gave birth to twins and strikers Cresswell and Evans also missed Saturday's home defeat to Middlesbrough due to respective groin/Achilles and knee injuries. Adams will again be without midfielder Lee Williamson, who sits out the last game of a four-match ban. Teenage midfielder Erik Tonne, signed from Strondheim in the January transfer window, made his first appearance as a substitute on Saturday and could feature again while striker Marcus Bent and winger Mark Yeates, who also stepped off the bench on Saturday, are pushing for recalls to the starting line-up. The defeat to Middlesbrough saw them slip to the bottom of the table for the first time this season and they remain seven points from safety with six games left. Jon Parkin will be monitored as promotion-chasing Cardiff aim to record a third successive victory. The powerful striker, who has mostly played a substitute role since arriving at the club in January, missed Saturday`s dramatic 3-1 win at Doncaster with a muscle strain. However, Parkin did travel with boss Dave Jones` squad and, with the club staying in Yorkshire between the two games, will be assessed by medical staff prior to Tuesday`s Bramall Lane clash. Jones must decide how best to utilise Jason Koumas after his match-winning two-goal cameo at the Keepmoat Stadium, although the on-loan Wigan winger is again likely to find himself on the bench ahead of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. Tom Heaton overcame a groin strain to start against Doncaster and should do so again unless he is feeling any ill-effects, with Stephen Bywater this time on standby to step in with fellow loan stopper Jason Brown having returned to Blackburn upon the completion of his month-long stay. Michael Chopra continues to work on his quick comeback from a hamstring injury but will again miss out, as will centre-back Mark Hudson (knee) and goalkeeper David Marshall (elbow) with their long-term complaints.

Formation:442Manager: Micky Adams

Sheff Utd

Formation: 442Manager: Dave Jones

Cardiff

Steve Simonsen
Nyron Nosworthy
Neill Collins
Shane Lowry
Joe Mattock
Bjorn Helge Riise
Michael Doyle
Matthew Lowton
Stephen Quinn
Darius Henderson
Daniel Bogdanovic
SUBS
Mihkel Aksalu
Nick Montgomery
Erik Tonne
Rob Kozluk
David McAllister
Marcus Bent
Harry Maguire

Home

Away

Stephen Bywater
Paul Quinn
Dekel Keinan
Kevin McNaughton
Lee Naylor
Chris Burke
Seyi Olofinjana
Stephen McPhail
Peter Whittingham
Craig Bellamy
Jay Bothroyd
SUBS
Tom Heaton
Gavin Rae
Gabor Gyepes
Jason Koumas
Darcy Blake
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Adam Matthews

Match Report

Bluebirds into second Cardiff climbed into the second automatic promotion spot as goals from Craig Bellamy and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas sealed a 2-0 win to leave Sheffield United rooted to the foot of the npower Championship. Bellamy struck his ninth goal of the season midway through the first half and substitute Emmanuel-Thomas headed home a knockout blow halfway through the second. The Welsh side, chasing a return to the top flight for the first time since 1962, leapfrogged Norwich into second place after an impressive away display that carried all the cut and thrust that the Blades are desperately lacking. The Yorkshire side, last in the third tier of English football in 1983, have now won only twice since manager Micky Adams was installed on a rescue mission following Gary Speed's departure in late December. The Blades, undone by an 89th-minute winner in a 2-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday, were unchanged, while goalkeeper Stephen Bywater and left-back Lee Naylor were recalled to Cardiff's starting line-up. Bluebirds captain Craig Bellamy fired in the first shot on target in the 11th minute, forcing Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen into a low save. But Simonsen was helpless to prevent the Welshmen taking a 21st-minute lead. Peter Whittingham played Bellamy into the edge of the penalty area and the striker cut inside to fire an angled drive that deflected off Blades defender Neill Collins and inside Simonsen's left-hand post. Simonsen flung himself full-length to palm away another rising shot from the busy Bellamy six minutes later and while the home side were often neat in their approach play, they carried none of the threat provided by the visitors at the other end. Referee Mike Oliver was unimpressed by Jay Bothroyd's appeals after he was sent tumbling in the box by Collins, but his link-up play with Bellamy just before the break almost delivered a second goal. Bothroyd galloped unopposed deep into Blades territory and clipped an inch-perfect cross which Bellamy volleyed first-time inches wide. Blades defender Harry Maguire made his debut as a 48th-minute substitute for Joe Mattock, with Nick Montgomery having replaced Nyron Nosworthy at half-time. Darcy Blake and Emmanuel-Thomas were sent on for Cardiff pair Naylor and Stephen McPhail respectively. Matthew Lowton's header from Bjorn Helge Riise's corner, albeit straight at Bywater, gave the Blades faithful heart early in the second half, while a superb recovery tackle from Kevin McNaughton denied Blades skipper Darius Henderson. Lowton rifled a shot over the crossbar as the Blades rallied and McNaughton's intervention again soon after denied Riise getting his shot away inside the area. Henderson just failed to reach Lowton's fine curling cross, but a swift counterattack from the visitors resulted in their second goal. Chris Burke provided the pinpoint cross and Emmanuel-Thomas rose highest to head home from a central position six yards out. The home side refused to throw in the towel. Adams sent on forward Marcus Bent for Henderson, but his introduction made little difference to a hard-running side lacking guile and conviction.

Form Guide

LWLWLL Sheff Utd VS Cardiff LLDDWW

Last Meetings

Cardiff 1 - 1 Sheff Utd 08/08/2010 Cardiff 1 - 1 Sheff Utd 24/03/2010 Sheff Utd 3 - 4 Cardiff 24/10/2009 Cardiff 0 - 3 Sheff Utd 22/03/2009 Sheff Utd 0 - 0 Cardiff 30/08/2008 Cardiff 1 - 0 Sheff Utd 22/12/2007

Top Scorers

Sheff Utd C Evans 8 M Yeates 5 R Cresswell 4 M Lowton 3 D Bogdanovic 2 R Kozluk 1 B Riise 1 J Calve 1 S Quinn 1 Cardiff J Bothroyd 15 M Chopra 9 C Bellamy 8 P Whittingham 6 C Burke 5 S Olofinjana 5 L Naylor 2 J Koumas 2 D Keinan 2 G Rae 1 G Gyepes 1 J Parkin 1 P Quinn 1 J Emmanuel-Thomas 1

Goals

Sheff Utd Total goals 99 Goals per game 35 4 (For) 6 (Against) Period 0-10 mins 2 (For) 6 (Against) Period 11-20 mins 6 (For) 7 (Against) Period 21-30 mins 1 (For) 6 (Against) Period 31-40 mins 3 (For) 7 (Against) Period 41-50 mins 3 (For) 6 (Against) Period 51-60 mins 2 (For) 10 (Against) Period 61-70 mins 7 (For) 3 (Against) Period 71-80 mins 7 (For) 13 (Against) Period 81-90 mins Cardiff Total goals 131 Goals per game 67 6 (For) 5 (Against) Period 0-10 mins 10 (For) 1 (Against) Period 11-20 mins 6 (For) 7 (Against) Period 21-30 mins 5 (For) 5 (Against) Period 31-40 mins 7 (For) 3 (Against) Period 41-50 mins 5 (For) 5 (Against) Period 51-60 mins 7 (For) 8 (Against) Period 61-70 mins 7 (For) 4 (Against) Period 71-80 mins 14 (For) 10 (Against) Period 81-90 mins