Halford on song for Blades

Halford celebrated putting United ahead early in the FA Cup fifth-round tie by lifting his shirt to reveal a T-shirt promoting a record company he has invested in.That was in the sixth minute of what proved an eventful afternoon at Bramall Lane for Halford, who started up front as a makeshift striker due to injuries and suspensions.The right-back on loan from Sunderland was then moved to central defence after captain Chris Morgan went off injured and ended the match with three stitches in a facial wound for his trouble.His efforts were not quite enough for the Championship side to claim a Premier League scalp as Hull's Kamil Zayatte hit back to force a replay.But one man who should be happy is Eric Nicoli, the former chairman of EMI who recently set up R&R World, a new label on the lookout for unsigned talent.R&R not only received some publicity as Halford scored but got plenty more as the 24-year-old spoke lucidly after the match."I am part of a record company, so I was just trying to advertise them," said Halford of his goal celebrations."I asked the referee beforehand and he said it was fine, so I'll blame it on him if it's not!"I am just an investor and trying to publicise it a little bit."One of my best mates I grew up with through school went through Pop Idol and actually got to the last 16."He has progressed and is now manager of one of the bands, so he got me interested."I put as much money as I could into it so hopefully the rewards will be bigger."Among the groups Halford hopes will make it are a boyband called Vice and a rock band named Oswald.But for now his immediate priorities are impressing for the promotion-pushing Blades, who were booed off just a week ago after losing to rivals Sheffield Wednesday."I thought I adapted well and I thought we deserved to go through," he said."I think I am quite comfortable up there and hopefully it showed."All the lads were saying if I'd have stayed up front and Morgs had stayed on, we'd have turned them over. But it wasn't our day."United boss Kevin Blackwell also hailed the performance of Halford, who along with winger David Cotterill stood out for the home side."And he is not bad in goal either, no joke," Blackwell said. "That is why we go away without having a goalkeeper [on the bench]."He is as daft as a brush but he is talented. He can do anything sports-wise. Sometimes he doesn't realise how good he can be."The sides will meet again at the KC Stadium a week on Thursday in the middle of what will now be an important few days for Hull.Hull are still in danger of being sucked into a relegation scrap after winning just one of their last 16 league games.The FA Cup replay will come three days after a crucial clash against Tottenham and three before another vital encounter with Blackburn.But Hull boss Phil Brown, who fielded a strong side in an attempt to guide his club into the quarter-finals for the first time since 1971, had few complaints.Some Hull players were aggrieved at Halford's goal, as he headed in a Cotterill cross, but Brown saw nothing untoward."If the shoe was on the other foot I'd have been disappointed with that," Brown said."As far as I was concerned it was a good goal. They heard a whistle and some of the players stopped - I didn't hear it."I thought the lad Cotterill had a great game. Andy Dawson has had top international wingers in his pocket but Cotterill was their outstanding talent."

Source: Team_Talk