SHEFFIELD UNITED 0 CITY 2
Zenith Data Systems Trophy North Quarter Final
22nd January 1991
Attendance 5,106
Scorer Ward(10 & 77)
Ref A Seville
City Coton, Hill, Pointon, Harper, Hendry, Redmond, White, Allen, Quinn, Megson, Ward – Subs Heath(46), Brightwell(82)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 23RD JANUARY 1991
Mark Ward must wish he could play against Sheffield United every week.
Two more goals blunted the Blades as Manchester City clinched, a Zenith Cup northern area semi-final place at Leeds next month.
That took his tally to four in four days with a weekend double giving the Blues a welcome League lift.
And after also hitting A brace at Bramhall Lane for West Ham before his December moved to City last season, Dave Bassett will be happy to see the back of the Blue’s winger.
City rarely looked in serious danger last night once they had weathered a home blitz that could have left struggling United leading 3-1.
But as at First Division level on Saturday, the Blades lacked a fine cutting edge in front of goal and Tony Coton was rarely troubled.
Ian Bryson wastefully shot over with only the City goalkeeper to beat after three minutes and ex-Maine Road striker Carl Bradshaw blazed hopelessly wide of Coton When he had a clear run at goal 13 minutes later.
In between, Ward exploded a superb left-foot efforts after Colin Hill had failed to control Alan Harper’s cleverly flighted long ball.
From that point there was only one team in it. The Blues still had plenty of defending to do, but they calmly soaked up pressure with skipper Steve Redmond having an outstanding match.
He rarely put a foot wrong in covering and chasing at the back where on loan Andy Hill was making a debut that improved steadily as the game progressed.
City, too, gradually made their greater class and quality tell although it needed a second deadly strike from Ward to put the tie beyond United’s reach.
And if his first goal was a carbon copy of his second on Saturday, the 77th minute effort last night was equally a repeat. Gary Megson this time found David White on the right and the low, driven cross was met confidently by Ward who, with six penalties, is now joint top scorer.
Despite the absence of manager Peter Reid, in hospital for a minor knee operation that will keep him out of the even more vital FA Cup tie this weekend, City functioned efficiently.
Megson clipped the bar and missed another close-in chance, and Niall Quinn squandered, a hat-trick of opportunities that could have made City’s quarter final victory even more emphatic.
But this remains a competition with no public appeal. The crowd was a pathetic 5,106, City’s pre-match sales amounted to just 11 tickets, with three ties on the night all involving First Division sides attracting a total of just 16,049 fans.
Will the Football League never learn?