Sheffield United 3-2 Middlesbrough
The FA Youth Cup Sponsored by E.ON
Fifth Round Proper
Thursday 1 February 2007
Bramall Lane
1 February 2007
VIDEO: Sheffield United 3-2 Middlesbrough

With excitement throughout, the Blades edge a fantastic contest played in the right spirit with some excellent goals.

Sheffield United will meet holders Liverpool in the Quarter Finals of The FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.ON after knocking out a highly-rated Middlesbrough side in the Fifth Round.

The Blades trailed twice at Bramall Lane on Thursday night before Keith Quinn - the youngest of the three brothers on the club's books - grabbed the second-half winner.

Stephen Thompson and Nathan Fisher both gave Middlesbrough the lead but full-back Adam Chapman - a scorer in all three of United's appearances in The FA Youth Cup this season - and Matt Lowton levelled before Quinn added the winner.

Both sides played their part in an entertaining first half. The visitors may have narrowly shaded the quality possession but the chances were equal, as was the goal count at the break.

Middlesbrough opened the scoring with their first attack on nine minutes as Jonathan Franks peeled away down the right and from the edge of the United penalty area delivered a low cross to Stephen Thompson, who controlled, turned and drilled a low shot beyond Stephen Hernandez from 16 yards.

The lead lasted just four minutes as United won a throw level with the left-hand edge of the Boro box. A flick on deceived the Boro backline and left-back Adam Chapman stole in unmarked before despatching a crisp volley well beyond Jason Steele from seven yards.

Boro had to dig deep and once they stabilised the game they counter-attacked with enthusiasm, sweeping swiftly forward to the edge of the United penalty area.

There Josh Walker picked out Nathan Fisher a couple of yards in from the right-hand edge and his exquisite right-footed shot curled way beyond the reach of Hernandez.

Boro's lead lasted until just four minutes before half-time when they failed to react quickly to second phase possession and midfielder Jacob Mellis (pictured) tucked in from close range.

The second half saw the Blades a much tougher, stronger set of players and they set about Boro in determined fashion.

Chances in the opening 15 minutes were limited at both ends but the breakthrough came just short of the hour mark as United took the lead for the first time.

A deep cross from the right was played into Boro's penalty area and after a collision involving John Johnson and Kyle Naughton, the referee pointed to the spot.

Keith Quinn struck the ball low to the right of Jason Steele, who pulled off a splendid save, but Quinn followed up to tuck in the rebound.

A Boro substitute, David Hillerby, pounced on a half chance in the closing stages but defender Sam Wedgbury got enough on the ball to force Hillerby wider than he would have liked.

The Boro man still managed a powerful shot on the turn, which flew into the side-netting. Boro were denied what would have been an equaliser deep into injury time when Josh Walker chipped over goalkeeper Hernandez and United's defenders scrambled the ball away from the goal-line.

Sheffield United: Hernandez, Walker, Chapman, Mellis, Wedgbury, Lowton, Askham, K Quinn, Gordon, Naughton, Tahar. Unused subs: Yates, Furniss, Hilton, Abdi, Okoko.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Honeyman, Langthorne, Johnson, Bennett (Hillerby 73), Robson, Smallwood (Cronesberry 71), Walker, Franks, Thompson, Fisher (Martin 81). Unused subs: Atkinson, Seiko.