OPPO: Sheffield United
VENUE: Stadium of Light
RESULT: Sunderland 1 (Smith 14) Sheffield Utd 0
TEAM: Poom, Breen, Babb, McCartney, Wright, Oster (Thornton 84), Arca (Thirlwell 76), McAteer, Whitley, Smith (Stewart 84), Kyle.
SUBS NOT USED: Ingham, Williams
BACK IN BLACK: Steve Dunn (Bristol)
ATTENDANCE: 37,115
MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS
We could have done with another goal to kill it off altogether but it didn’t come, but what a great finish from Tommy Smith.
“I’ve known Neil Warnock a long time as a manager – I didn’t expect him to take any chances with this match, I knew he wouldn’t let his side lie down and die. I was expecting an onslaught from them in the second half, and it came. It’s been a rip-roaring cup tie!”
I’d attribute this win to the players themselves – it was them, and they did a great job. We didn’t get any sentiment from Sheffield United.”
It was typical cup-tie stuff in the opening spell and Sunderland lived dangerously in the seventh minute when Jason McAteer chopped down Ashley Ward.
Sunderland went ahead in the 14th minute and it was a goal of genuine quality. Arca found George McCartney with a great ball down the left flank and he picked out Smith who took a touch before unleshing a left-foot shot which found the corner.
Oster, who has found a new lease of life at the Stadium of Light this season, gave Blades left-back Robert Kozluk a hard time and twice cross by the winger nearly led to Sunderland’s second goal.
Sunderland forced a succession of corners towards the interval and United had to produce some good last-gasp defending.
McAteer, who put in a typical all-action midfield display, went close with a header four minutes before half-time.
It was a bright start to the second half by the Blades.
Warnock has obviously fired up his charges at half-time as they were much better after the break and Sunderland lived dangerously in the 10-minute spell after the interval.
The game was much more evenly matched in the second half.
Allison, known as the Chief, was a constant menace to Sunderland.
Ndlovu was allowed a strike when he should not have been in the 65th minute when Sunderland’s defenders let a kick from Kenny bounce instead of attacking it.
It was a nervy finish as Sunderland were pushed deeper and deeper by a spirited Blades side, but they defended well and it was hard to pick a man of the match from their back four.
The Blades battled gamely in the second half with Phil Jagielka going close, but Sunderland’s resilient defending gave them the semi-final berth.
It looked as though the hectic early action had subsided until Sunderland took the lead on 15 minutes and it was an old United problem that caused the downfall. Smith was given two much time and space on the edge of the area to place a shot across Kenny and into the corner.
United tried to hit back immediately and were given the chance to do so on a number of occasions.
Sunderland’s nearpost corner routine caused a few problems for Paddy Kenny and his defence in the first half.
United made a lively start to the second period.
With the singing United fans adding to the tremendous atmosphere, the visitors were asking questions of Sunderland’s back line with all three substitutes causing problems.
The home side weathered the early storm but in the middle section of the second period United continued to have more possession.
Montgomery forged for United’s cause but chances became more sparse as the half wore on.
United failed to create another chance and saw their FA Cup dream come to an end.
”THE CATS WHISKERS”
…a battling and stubborn performance backed by a superb home crowd.
Sunderland played some of their best football of their campaign in a lively match.
It was Sunderland’s blistering start that rocked Sheffield and set the tone for their deserved victory.
Smith’s goal came after a brilliant sweeping move that went the length of the pitch.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic although Sunderland had by far the greater amount of goal-mouth action.
Commitment, passion and noise. It was just like the old days for Sunderland.
They turned the Stadium of Light into the Stadium of Fight as they held off wave after wave of Sheffield attacks
McCarthy’s men had to show guts to survive.
Simply reaching the last four is a huge achievement for McCarthy after the trauma of relegation to the Nationwide League and the blood-letting which followed.
Sunderland thoroughly deserve their place in the semi-finals after out-playing the Blades.
The Blades continued to play their part in the action but Sunderland keeper Mart Poom was always confident to take crosses while the back-line looked strong and well organised.
The one surprise was that Julio Arca was being kept quiet by Blades full-back Phil Jagielka.
Sunderland played as well as they have all season. They had the edge on the flanks, driven forward by John Oster and Julio Arca.
United were caught badly off balance and did not recover until the interval.
McCarthy warned his players they would be facing an onslaught after the interval and the Blades did indeed come scything down. In the second 45 minutes, Warnock’s side had well over 60 per cent of possession.
Poom did not have a serious shot to save in the Sunderland goal.
The Wearsiders just about deserved to squeeze through a tense sixth-round battle.
Smith produced his outstanding finish here to beat the diving Paddy Kenny with a curling shot after a burst down the left by George McCartney.
Sunderland dominated the opening exchanges and went on to control the rest of the first half as United struggled to come to terms with the big occasion.
The visitors gradually got on top in a second period which to the horror of the Stadium of Light faithful was extended by over five minutes by referee Steve Dunn.
Despite United’s clear territorial advantage after the break, Sunderland goalkeeper Mart Poom was never seriously tested.
McCarthy’s team have put aside months of mediocrity and rediscovered the essence of themselves; shortly after 6pm yesterday evening, the Stadium of Light was reverberating to the sort of roar that was once indelibly associated with Roker Park.
This was not a victory to greatly please the eye, but it stirred the heart and certainly moved the spirit. It was raw and desperate and itchy.
United were bowled over by the depth of Sunderland’s emotion.
Although the latter portion of the game was a scrap, Arca was sublime until leaving with a medial ligament injury, Jeff Whitley was a dervish, the defence was sound and they deserved success.
Player ratings: M Poom 6 — S Wright 7, G Breen 7, P Babb 7, G McCartney 8 — J Oster 6 (sub: S Thornton, 84min), J McAteer 6, J Whitley 8, J Arca 7 — K Kyle 6, T Smith 7 (sub: M Stewart, 84).
Sunderland’s, extraordinary rebirth was emphasised by yesterday’s passage into the semi-finals.
McCarthy deliberated whether to start Smith or the more experienced Marcus Stewart alongside Kevin Kyle. His decision was vindicated as early as the 15th minute.
Phil Jagielka kept Julio Arca uncommonly quiet but such individual triumphs could not mask United’s weaknesses further forward.
Paul Peschisolido’s acceleration finally fazing McCarthy’s rearguard and helping ensure United enjoyed more than 60% of possession in a much better second-half display.
The rare glimpses of skill were provided by Tonge, John Oster, who offered Sunderland an assured right-sided outlet, and Smith, whose drifting out wide discomfited markers.
Guardian MoTM – Tommy Smith
Smith struck in the 12th minute to decide a full-blooded Cup tie.
Despite laying siege to Sunderland’s goal in the second half, Sheffield failed to create many clear chances.
Two fully committed teams certainly produced a frantic start.
Sunderland’s stirring start saw them take a 12th minute lead with a finely crafted goal.
Sunderland conceded a series of free-kicks in dangerous areas but Tonge was the culprit on three occasions with poor delivery to let the Black Cats off the hook.
Sunderland worked the flanks well and Oster and Arca loaded in a series of crosses which kept Blades central defenders Robert Page and Chris Morgan in full-time employment.
For all their pressure and possession, the Blades failed to carve out many clear-cut chances to test Poom.