SHEFF UTD: Kenny, Short, Unsworth, Geary, Lucketti, Jagielka,Kabba (Dyer 82), Montgomery (Armstrong 60), Tonge, Akinbiyi,Webber (Ifill 79).
Subs Not Used: Morgan, Shipperley.
LEEDS UTD: Sullivan, Kelly, Crainey, Butler, Kilgallon, Miller,Bakke (Pugh 80), Derry, Hulse, Douglas, Healy (Moore 79).
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Beckford, Graham.
Att: 29,329
Although there was less to play for than we had hoped a few weeks ago, this was still a tempestuous derby that was always near boiling point. And it tipped over the edge when Neil Warnock lost the plot and was sent to the stands in disgrace.
The 57-year-old has a head full of ‘broken toys’, and I don’t think the Premiership realises what it will face next season. If Jose Mourinho has a question mark over his ego … Warnock is up there in Never-Never-Land.
He was enraged by defender Gary Kelly’s late tackle on Craig Short shortly before the interval. Kelly had already been booked moments earlier and when Warnock used a range of expletives to express his anger to Leeds counterpart Kevin Blackwell (the only way he can express himself, obviously due to a lack of brain cells) he was sent off by referee Graham Poll.
However, the Blades boss refused to go quietly and it took almost 60 seconds for a police officer to forcibly remove Warnock from the touchline and usher him into the stands.
David Healy spectacularly drew Leeds level after 42 minutes and old wounds between Warnock and his former Bramall Lane assistant Blackwell reopened.
The pair fell out in bitter circumstances after Blackwell quit Bramall Lane in the summer of 2003 to become Peter Reid’s assistant at Elland Road. Warnock was upset to learn from a journalist that Blackwell was leaving and the pair’s relationship subsequently deteriorated.
While there has since been a slight thaw in the cold war between the pair, it was abundantly clear there remains a significant degree of ill feeling.
With 10 minutes played the script went in Warnock’s favour as United went ahead, albeit in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.
David Unsworth swung a dangerous inswinging corner over from the right flank but instead of simply nodding the ball clear at the near post, Eirik Bakke headed past Neil Sullivan.
But Leeds were level after 42 minutes when Healy cut in from the left flank and curled a delightful left-foot effort into the bottom corner from 19 yards.
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