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  • Date: 2008-08-16
  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Bramall Lane
  • Attendance: 25273
  • Referee: Laws, G

Live Commentary

90mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

83mins

Billy Sharp is replaced by Danny Webber.

80mins

QPR are replacing Lee Cook with Matteo Alberti.

66mins

Greg Halford is being taken off, David Cotterill has come on in his place.

51mins

Goal!! Billy Sharp scores for Sheff Utd.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 2 v 0.

46mins

Angelo Balanta is being taken off, Samuel Di Carmine has come on in his place.

45mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

34mins

Chris Morgan is being taken off, Ugo Ehiogu has come on in his place.

20mins

The referee has booked Damien Delaney.

19mins

Greg Halford is booked for unsporting behaviour.

13mins

Goal!! Sheff Utd have scored with Billy Sharp putting it in the back of the net.

3mins

Goal!! Sheff Utd have scored with Billy Sharp putting it in the back of the net.

0mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Preview

Match Report

Homegrown striker Billy Sharp grabbed a sensational hat-trick as Sheffield United gave Championship billionaires QPR a torrid time.

The 22-year-old left Bramall Lane as a youngster and returned for £1million a year ago.

He claimed two goals in the first 13 minutes and completed his treble early in the second half against the clueless Londoners.

Midfielder Greg Halford hurled in a long free-kick and striker Darius Henderson flick-headed the ball into the danger area and Sharp found space to stoop and place his accurate header out of Radek Cerny's reach after three minutes.

Two minutes later Henderson was helping out at the other end clearing after Kaspars Gorkss tried to squeeze a header in from a Daniel Parejo corner.

But the Sheffield club, beaten by an injury time goal from promotion favourites Birmingham last week, struck again.

Former Blades midfielder Mikele Leigertwood dithered and veteran Gary Speed stole the ball.

He angled an astute ball for Sharp who raced into space leaving Rangers trailing and rifled a cool shot past Cerny after 13 minutes.

The home side might have stretched their lead after 22 minutes when former Manchester City favourite Sun Jihai crossed and found Henderson, who headed down from close range but Cerny dived well to his left and held on.

United suffered a blow 11 minutes before half-time, when skipper Chris Morgan reluctantly bowed out with concussion under orders from the United bench and club doctor.

Three minutes before the break Sharp was within a whisker of a hat-trick after the smallest player on the pitch, Stephen Quinn, embarrassed the Rangers defence heading down for the striker whose angled shot was a fraction wide.

A minute later QPR's blushes were spared by a super save from Czech Republic international keeper Cerny.

Michael Tonge's right-foot shot from inside the area hit a crowd of players and bounced straight back to him.

His second attempt with the left foot was arrowing in, but Cerny made an impressive stop despite being unsighted.

And six minutes into the second half Sharp finally added his third goal when he stabbed the ball in from close range after Cerny flapped at a Tonge corner.

Sheffield United

Queens Park Rangers

Corners

86

Fouls

1611

Goal attempts

189

Shots off target

75

Offsides

21

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