Sponsored by
Both clubs' fans left wanting more after enthralling encounter: PAUL THOMPSON'S DERBY VERDICT
FANS raised placards to spell out the name Derek Dooley in red and white across the John Street stand.
There was also a minute's applause to honour the great man and he would surely have approved of the action when it was done and dusted over an hour and half later.
The 120th Sheffield derby was one of the most surprising and enthralling of recent times.
It had something for everyone but no-one got everything they wanted.
Most Wednesday fans would have taken a point before the game. They ended up mourning the two points that got away, instead.
Unitedites yearned for revenge for the Hillsborough defeat. They didn't get it. But for them the Blades' fightback will have been exhilarating.
Neutrals - if there were any in the crowd - just saw a cracking game, fought in a sporting spirit by the players.
Only one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half? Extraordinary, and it reflected the way the play flowed.
United were more forceful and dangerous than in the January clash between the clubs.
Wednesday produced some of their best passing and movement in weeks.
What is about wingers that makes them influential in these games?
Jermaine Johnson had been a star in the Hillsborough derby; last night it was United's right winger David Cotterill who at times took the eye with pacey runs, and Wednesday's left-flank man Franck Songo'o who shone with his trickery and shooting power.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that Johnson was to blame for Wednesday missing out on victory, but he was involved in key incidents. It looked to me like he should have got the ball away in the Wednesday box before United pounced for their first goal.
And two minutes before the equaliser, Johnson was away down the left, needing only to look up and pick out the unmarked Songo'o to create a 3-1 lead, but he made a hash of the opening.
There was no denying the excellence of James Beattie's free kick, however, or the new-found goal-poaching of Adam Bolder.
Both teams produced moments of class.
There was the cross from Steve Watson that provided Bolder with the first of two goals; the run and shot by Songo'o which led to Bolder's second; the saves by Lee Grant from Billy Sharp and Jon Stead.
Paddy Kenny matched Grant's standards by denying Songo'o and Bartosz Slusarksi.
Gary Speed produced a venomous strike at goal, and Beattie's equaliser was outstanding. No doubt the watching Neil Warnock will have compared it with a similar goal scored by one of his Crystal Palace players, Ben Watson, at Hillsborough last month.
Most Wednesday fans never expected their team to be 2-0 up at Bramall Lane. The Wednesday of early season probably would have crumbled after seeing such a lead wiped out.
These days they are made of sterner stuff, and they coped with the loss of Graham Kavanagh, who strained his hamstring.
When the fourth official showed that there would be four extra minutes at the end of the second half a spontaneous roar went up from United supporters because they saw the potential for a late winner.
But it was Wednesday who went for it in injury time.
Brian Laws hadn't taken off Songo'o and sent on defender Richard Hinds in an attempt to shut up shop: Songo'o had been suffering cramp and had picked up a booking; Hinds went to right back, Watson into central midfield and Burton O'Brien to the left.
Both teams tried to play positive football throughout.
On the whole United looked a more dynamic team under Kevin Blackwell than under their previous manager.
Maybe a chant from Owls fans of "there's only one Bryan Robson" was a mischievous expression of regret.
There was something for both sets of fans to cheer last night.
Here's to the next Sheffield derby, whenever that might be.
What do you think? Post your comments below.
READ MORE
Honours even: Click here for Match report and full photo slideshow.
Owls thwarted by late free-kick: Read James Shield's derby verdict.
Fans clash at Steel City derby - PICTURES
Football headlines.
More Blades.
More Owls.
More Spireites.
More Rovers.
More Reds.
More Millers.
More Ice Hockey.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories.READ MORE
Football headlines.
More Blades.
More Owls.
More Spireites.
More Rovers.
More Reds.
More Millers.
More Ice Hockey.
More rugby.
More boxing.
Sports columnists.
All sport categories.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
