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FOOTBALLRANGERS FLOORED BY WARD
Jame Ward came off the bench to net the Blade's second goal Wednesday January 13,2010 By Daily Express reporterQPR 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED 3 JAMIE WARD steered Sheffield United into the fourth round as the home fans turned on Queens Park Rangers once again.
Ward came off the bench to net the Blades’ second goal with his first touch. Then he set up Richard Cresswell for their third as a crowd of fewer than 6,000 taunted manager Paul Hart. Although a fourth-round tie with Premier League opposition was at stake in this replay after a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane two weeks ago, the empty seats on all sides of Loftus Road spoke volumes. Rangers began as though they wanted to wrap the tie up as soon as possible, but when Jay Simpson set up Mikele Leigertwood on the edge of the box the midfielder screwed his shot wide. Alejandro Faurlin then forced Blades goalkeeper Mark Bunn into a diving parry, and when Ched Evans chopped the Argentinian down from behind he became the first to be booked. Simpson sent a header flashing wide, but United’s response was to take a 19th-minute lead through Lee Williamson. Nick Montgomery picked him out in space beyond the far post and, after chesting the ball down he gave Rangers’ keeper Radek Cerny no chance with an angled drive. Simpson missed the target after Faurlin’s clever ball gave him space in the box and Akos Buzsaky came close for Rangers next attack. Cresswell, who made his loan move from Stoke permanent earlier in the week, came close to doubling United’s lead with a header from a corner. Faurlin fired just over as he was falling as Rangers began to assert themselves. Gorkss was booked for clipping Evans’s heels as they chased a through-ball and scorer Williamson was replaced by Ward with 23 minutes remaining.
It proved to be a master stroke by Blades boss Kevin Blackwell as the new boy put the ball in the net within seconds. Stephen Quinn squared the ball from the left for the Ward to fire under Cerny’s body. Hart was booed for replacing Faurlin with Adel Taarabt and United went three up as Cresswell made it 3-0, with Ward the supplier this time. Chants of, “You don’t know what you’re doing” rang out, but Buszaky pulled one back from the spot after Geary was adjudged to have handled. Damion Stewart headed home a Buzsaky free-kick in the 88th minute to give Rangers hope, but the Blades held on.
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