C+P from The Sun Website NEIL WARNOCK looked ready to throw the towel in until Danny Webber came off the bench to score a controversial goal against his former club. Webber, back from a hamstring injury, netted the winner two minutes from time to leave the struggling Hornets adrift in the drop zone. The goal clearly looked offside but referee Martin Atkinson let it stand. The Blades had already missed a string of chances, mainly from French striker Christian Nade — who made his first top-flight start. Such was the frustration of Bramall boss Warnock, he complained that the Watford ball-boys were wiping greasy balls for their own team’s throw-ins with a towel, an act not offered to the visitors. Warnock, whose team were denied an equaliser against West Ham at the weekend, said: “I hope it was 20 yards offside. “We’ve had seven or eight major decisions go against us this season. I’m delighted. This was a massive game. If we want to stay in the Premiership we had to win this match. “I didn’t see the funny side with the towels.” The Blades had prepared for this crunch clash with a trip to the cinema to watch Casino Royale. Yet this was a match that proved more like Mission Impossible in terms of scoring, not surprising given that both teams had found the net just 18 times since promotion last May. NI_MPU('middle');NI_MPU('Embedded for DHTML');Warnock, who has been criticised for fielding a lone striker for much of the campaign, finally opted to play two up front, with Nade alongside Rob Hulse. Chris Morgan was also recalled to cope with Watford’s aerial threat as Phil Jagielka moved into midfield. It was a move that seemed to pay off as the Blades went close in the 19th minute. Jagielka fed Keith Gillespie but his close-range header went wide. Nade should have done better with his 35th-minute effort. Derek Geary headed into the area, Nade fired but keeper Richard Lee made a crude block. Watford had been dealt a blow before kick-off when striker Ashley Young pulled out with a cold adding to the loss of Hameur Bouazza and long-term injury Marlon King. But the Hornets started brightly, Tommy Smith forcing Paddy Kenny to tip the ball over his bar in the eighth minute. OUCH ... Webber looked offside before nodding in Kenny was again in action 14 minutes later saving a poor effort by Darius Henderson from a Matthew Spring corner. Then, with two minutes left on the clock, Webber — a £500,000 buy from Watford in June 2005 — got his second of the season after scoring the Blades’ only previous away goal, at Newcastle. Morgan headed Gillespie’s free-kick, Lee saved the shot, the ball bounced down and Webber nodded it over the line. To make matters worse for Watford, Chris Powell was sent off in injury-time after a second booking when he felled Gillespie. Boss Aidy Boothroyd said: “The goal was offside but we just didn’t perform. “We didn’t get started and we didn’t compete. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and they were the better side. “This result leaves me disappointed but not devastated. We just have to bounce back quickly.” v.orvice@the-sun.co.uk DREAM TEAM STAR MAN DANNY WEBBER (Sheffield United). Neat swoop. SUN RATINGS WATFORD: Lee 5, Chambers 6, Mackay 6, DeMerit 6, Powell 6, Spring 7 (Doyley 6), Francis 6, Mahon 6, McNamee 6 (Shittu 5), Smith 7, Henderson 6. Subs not used: Chamberlain, Stewart, Priskin. Booked: Henderson, Mahon, Powell. Sent off: Powell. SHEFF UTD: Kenny 6, Kozluk 6, Morgan 6, Davis 7 (Bromby 6), Geary 8, Gillespie 7, Leigertwood 6, Jagielka 7, A Quinn 6 (Kazim-Richards 5), Hulse 6, Nade 7 (Webber 8 ) . Subs not used: Montgomery, Law. Booked: Kozluk.
You have to say, Malky and Jay held a really good line there. Shouldn't have been missed by the linesman as it was so blatant - ah well, it's not the first time and we played badly enough to probably deserve it.
