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CRYSTAL PALACE 1 SHEFFIELD UNITED 0 - MATCH REPORT
IF familiarity really does breed contempt then this should have been a brutal, no-holds-barred contest.
But while the Selhurst Park crowd did witness some ferocious challenges, not least goalscorer Alan Lee's elbow on Nick Montgomery, Paul Hart, facing Sheffield United for the fourth time in less than three months, will have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of his side's progress.
The former Portsmouth and Queens Park Rangers chief, fast becoming football's very own patron saint of apparently lost causes, used his first set of programme notes since climbing into one of the Championship's hottest hot-seats to describe the visitors as "a hard-working, well-organised team".
Trouble was, from Kevin Blackwell's perspective, they were also thoroughly ineffectual in front of goal and failed to muster an opportunity of note en route to a sixth successive away defeat.
"Palace fought like dogs for Paul," said Blackwell. "And perhaps, in certain areas, we didn't fight enough.
"But it's always tough to come to somewhere when a new man has just taken charge.
"It was frustrating, very frustrating. But we can't afford to start sulking about it. We've just got to go out there and put things right."
Blackwell has bemoaned the fact that a turbulent economic climate means managers now have to grasp finance as well as formations, so it was fitting that his next destination was a club which has been especially hard hit by the downturn.
Glad all over?
Recent events, Saturday's result apart, mean Palace are anything but at present, having seen administration, and subsequent points deduction, not only cost them any chance of promotion but also thrust Neil Warnock into the arms of QPR.
Blackwell will have been glad to avoid - until this weekend at least - the hullaballo which inevitably surrounds every meeting with his ally turned adversary, but warnings that Hart's arrival would coax a performance out of a squad which, one or two notable exceptions apart, still retains most of the faces who had appeared destined to challenge United for a play-off berth proved correct.
Blackwell admitted he was "disappointed" by the defending which allowed Lee, ghosting in front of his marker before prodding home Danny Butterfield's cross, to claim the only strike of the afternoon.
It was, however, at the other end of the field where United flattered to deceive.
"We didn't create enough chances," admitted Blackwell. "Our plan was to win the game."
Whether or not their failure to do so can be attributed to the decision to employ Richard Cresswell as a lone frontman - the fact that Blackwell needed to explain that Jamie Ward had been tasked with providing support spoke volumes - will doubtless be debated until United return to action at Peterborough tomorrow.
A year ago, their away form was propelling them to the brink of automatic promotion.
Twelve months on, it has become a real handicap.
"We beat our own records for wins away last season," Blackwell said. "But not many of those lads are left here now."
Calvin Andrew sliced a close-range shot high and wide as United heads cleared following Lee's intervention although he was later fortunate to escape a red card after leaving Montgomery prostrate on the turf.
Referee Andy Penn and his assistants inexplicably failed to take any action while Blackwell, already facing an FA charge for lambasting match officials, understandably opted not to comment.
"I'll leave it up to other people to say what they saw," he said.
Henri Camara's introduction failed to swing the momentum back in United's favour despite his exploits against Plymouth Argyle last weekend.
"The lad has got a niggle," insisted Blackwell afterwards. "That's why we couldn't take the risk."
Indeed it was not until Ched Evans stepped off the bench during the closing stages that Palace 'keeper Julian Speroni appeared to be under anything which even slightly resembled a threat.
"You always know you've been in a game when you come up against United," Hart said. "We stood up to them, did the basics well and then played some decent stuff when we could.
"They're a very tough team and I've been in this business long enough now to know that getting results is never easy.
"It's always difficult."
On this occasion, though, nowhere near difficult enough.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
