Source: FOOTYMAD
Champions!
Sheffield United have claimed some long-awaited silverware! It's undoubtedly not up there with the UEFA Champions League or Europa League, but the rather insignificant Maltese Cup competition saw United come out on top. However, arguably, you class the results in pre-season games, effectively, as irrelevant. Players' state is at the pinnacle of importance, but United's triumph is pleasing. After Hibernians and Vittoriosa Stars drew a blank, the two sides had their fate decided from 12-yards; Hibernians won 3:1. United would now play out the final two matches, first against Vittoriosa Stars. Jamie Ward started for the first time since coming off in the Championship encounter against Barnsley last season. United took the lead in the 45-minute game. The provider and receiver were quite familiar; Richard Cresswell nodded in a Mark Yeates cross. New signings Kozluk, Ertl and Bogdanovic all played a part in the Blades' curtain raiser - it was the former's first appearance in a United shirt since returning. It finished 1:0 to United. The team was: Aksalu, Kozluk, Ertl, Morgan Taylor, Ward, James, Montgomery, Yeates, Cresswell, Bogdanovic. A selection of youngsters were then given a chance to shine in the final game against Hibernians. Roe, Chappell, James (who played the previous match also) and Lowton all started. United win this and they're the winners! Roe impacted on the game when he won a penalty after being felled in the penalty area. Daniel Bogdanovic, a Maltese superstar, slotted home the resulting spot-kick to hand Utd the initiative. Chappell doubled United's lead with a well-placed left-footer into the goalkeeper's bottom right-hand corner. Foster was carded after a tussle, but the pleasing news was that all of the players came through unscathed. The Blades team for this game was: Aksalu, Brown, Ertl, Morgan, Roe; Chapell, James, Lowton, Yeates: Evans, Bogdanovic (Foster 22). It ended 2:0 to United and the Blades won the Maltese JPL Cisk Lager Cup, with captain Chris Morgan raising a trophy in celebration of United's pre-season success in the Mediterranean. SHEFFIELD UNITED - Maltese Cup champions! The image used on this article is copyright to Action Images and SportBox.TV
