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Blades' revival finally set Quinn motion: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
SHEFFIELD UTD 3 v CHARLTON 1: AS FOOTBALL prepares to enter the January sales, Sheffield United's second-half comeback was timed to perfection.
Trailing rock-bottom Charlton Athletic at the interval, Kevin Blackwell must have been sorely tempted to tear-up his plans for a measured recruitment drive and plot a wholesale makeover of the squad instead.
But two goals from Stephen Quinn, either side of a Danny Webber effort, lifted United back into the play-off positions and left a manager who felt like booing his own charges off the pitch following Hameur Bouzza's opener savouring a first win at Bramall Lane since November 1st triumph over Plymouth.
Blackwell, whose team enter the New Year sixth in the table, said: "To say we were frustrating at the start is an understatement.
"We just weren't at the races at all - no guile, no brightness, no speed of thought - and the crowd quite rightly gave them some stick when they came off for the break.
"To be honest, I told the lads that if I could have booed them off then I would've done as well, but you've got to give them credit because they held their hands up and admitted they hadn't been good enough.
"Then they went out there and put things right."
Quinn's personal fortunes mirrored United's afternoon.
Initially ineffective and aimless, together with Kyle Naughton he emerged as the driving force behind a much improved performance after the interval.
"Quinny, by his own standards, was awful at the start," Blackwell added. "But then he came through as man-of-the-match.
"Both him and Kyle are at important stages of their careers and, if they continue in the right vein, then they can go as high as they want to go.
"I always maintained that we needed to be within touching distance of the promotion positions at Christmas and so we are where we want to be.
"Now we've got to kick-on and put pressure on those above us."
Despite this Jeckyll and Hyde display, Blackwell is unlikely to be the most ferverent of shoppers when the transfer window swings open next week.
But, having used his programme notes to confirm that one or two fresh faces could be set to arrive, the opportunity to snap-up some bargains capable of accessorising what, on paper at least, is one of the division's most stylish outfits might prove too tempting to resist.
With Ugo Ehiogu nursing a damaged achilles, the heart of their back four is one area where United would certainly benefit from reinforcements.
Chris Morgan and Matthew Kilgallon, their central defensive pairing here, were rarely troubled by a Charlton side seemingly destined for relegation but, should either join the former England international on the sidelines, then Blackwell's options appear threadbare.
Unfortunately though, on the one occasion during a dour opening period when United's rearguard was called upon properly, it was found wanting.
Chances, until Nathan Dyer went close with a stooping 30th minute header, had been so rare that baiting Charlton striker Deon Burton, on-loan from Sheffield Wednesday, was an increasingly irritable crowd's only source of entertainment.
The opportunity should have sparked United into life but instead it provoked a response from the visitors who broke the deadlock four minutes later when Bouazza, finding himself in acres of space produced a clinical finish from Jonathan Fortune's clearance.
Ian Bennett, again preferred to Paddy Kenny between the posts, was powerless to prevent the Frenchman's shot finding its target.
United, looking a pale shadow of the side which just 48 hours earlier had been desperately unlucky to only claim a point at leaders Wolves, improved afterwards but, not for the first time in recent weeks, appeared nervous and tentative in front of their own supporters.
However, if they are to achieve anything this term, then coping with the weight of expectation placed upon their shoulders is a must.
Morgan, one player with the necessary strength of character, nodded a Quinn set-piece wide and, just past the hour, the Irishman dragged United level after a move so methodically constructed it belonged in another game.
Beattie, who had previously cut an isolated figure in attack, showed good awareness to control rather than snatch at Webber's cross before passing to Quinn who slid home.
Two goals in the final 18 minutes spared United blushes as they finally established a strangehold on the fixture.
Webber, scoring his first league goal since October 2007, converted at the second attempt after his first effort at been blocked on the line and then Quinn swept a trademark free-kick over the wall.
"We've seen him do that so many times now," Blackwell said. "Hopefully we got a few monkey's off our backs.
"We've not being going through our best period so hopefully we've over that now."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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