Sheffield United v Wrexham: FA Cup fourth round replay – live | FA Cup
Share and Follow

Key events

HALF TIME: Sheffield United 0-0 Wrexham

Sheffield United have had the better chances. Had McAtee and Ndiaye kept their heads, they’d be in the lead. But as things stand, non-league Wrexham are holding a team who may be playing Premier League football next season. The fairytale of a home fifth-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur remains alive for the Red Dragons.

45 min +1: One corner leads to another, then Wrexham attempt to break upfield. Coulibaly wrestles Mullin, then handballs, and goes into the referee’s notebook.

45 min: McAtee tees up Berge, 20 yards out. He takes his eye off the ball and loses the chance to shoot first time. He eventually shoots, winning a corner.

43 min: “How did that not end in a Blades goal?” asks Mary Waltz of the McAtee-Ndiaye break. “Is it the Magic of the Cup? Is God a Dragon”? Or is crushing reality about to put a pin in the Wrexham balloon?” On ITV, Ally McCoist has just answered the first question. Ndiaye should have held his run, making it easy for McAtee to roll across and tee him up. But he went too early, possibly bringing offside into play, a state of affairs which may have made McAtee’s mind up for him.

41 min: A United corner from the right this time. Osborn pulls it back for Berge, whose shot on the penalty spot is blocked. Then the flag goes up for unnecessary argy-bargy in the middle.

39 min: Yet another United corner down the left. Osborn finds the head of Egan, who sends an unmarked effort over the bar.

37 min: Tozer buys a ticket to the raffle from 25 yards out on the right. His rising, swerving shot heads for the top left. It’s an easy enough parry for Davies in the end, but at least Wrexham have now warmed the United keeper’s hands.

36 min: Sharp attempts a curler from the edge of the Wrexham box but it’s straight at the keeper. Wrexham counter, Dalby crossing low from the left, Mullin denied on the penalty spot by Egan, who takes the ball off his toe.

35 min: This is better, quicker, more direct from United, though, as Ndiaye works his way in from the right briskly, laying off for Ahmedhodzic, who slaps a first-time shot straight at Lainton.

Robert Lainton makes a save from Anel Ahmedhodzic as Sheffield United go close again.
Robert Lainton makes a save from Anel Ahmedhodzic as Sheffield United go close again. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

Updated at 15.33 EST

33 min: Berge considers passing this way and that. Wrexham sit deep, holding their shape. Berge eventually makes a decision and pings it towards Basham on the right. Basham can’t control the pass. All a little too ponderous.

31 min: Mullin has come alive since taking that shot, and makes two probes down the left. Neither of his crosses passes muster, or the first man. But this is better from Wrexham … if you factor out the two-man break that should have led to the opening goal, that is, but hopefully you get the general gist.

29 min:Sheffield United should take the lead on the counter. Sharp heads clear. Cannon’s loose pass is intercepted, and suddenly McAtee and Ndiaye are barrelling clear on goal from the halfway line! McAtee takes the ball to the edge of the box and should tee up Ndiaye, to his left, for a tap-in … but decides to pass the ball into the bottom left himself, and steers it out for a goal kick! Oh dear.

James Mcatee must score! What a chance.
James Mcatee must score! What a chance. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 15.21 EST

28 min: Mullin controls a ball flicked down the middle, turns, and shoots from the edge of the D. The effort flicks off Ahmedhodzic for a corner, from which …

26 min: Berge drives at the Wrexham back line before teeing up Coulibaly for a shot. The full debutant slips while shooting and the ball sails over the bar in comedic fashion. The Wrexham fans stop singing their hymns and arias to enquire, in strident terms, what the exactly that was.

24 min: United work their way down the left again, Robinson and Osborn combining to earn another corner, which the latter takes. This one’s met at the near post, Egan eyebrowing gently goalwards, Tozer clearing easily enough. Berge curls in from the other flank. Sharp meets this one; Tozer heads clear again. United getting closer.

Billy Sharp goes close again for the home side.
Billy Sharp goes close again for the home side. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 15.15 EST

22 min: Berge, again prompting from deep, finds McAtee in a pocket of space in the middle of the park, 30 yards from goal. McAtee takes a touch forward and should take a whack, but opts to drift left before slicing wildly off target.

20 min: It’s been mainly United, though Wrexham will be happy with their start. Lainton hasn’t been troubled too much, and the away side have quietened the home crowd a tad.

18 min: Ndiaye is looking lively, as he cuts in from the left, one-twos with Osborn, and takes a shot that’s blocked. The ball pings back to Robinson, who hoicks his deep cross harmlessly out for a goal kick. United quickly come again, Sharp crossing from the left. Lennon flicks away from danger with a couple of red-and-white shirts lurking.

16 min: Sharp takes the first shot in anger, bobbling a half-volley towards the bottom left from the edge of the Wrexham box. Lainton gets down to smother, though it was almost certainly going wide anyway.

15 min: Ndiaye dribbles into the Wrexham box from the left. Tozer blocks. Osborn latches onto the loose ball and sends yet another ball towards the far stick, from open play this time. There’s nobody there to attempt to take advantage this time.

13 min: Ndiaye turns briskly down the inside-right channel and loops a cross towards Sharp on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Just too much on the pass, which bounces out for a goal kick. Meanwhile Peter Oh’s opening zinger didn’t land with Joe Pearson. “But I liked Deadpool 2!” Tough crowd in tonight.

Iliman Ndiaye runs with the ball whilst under pressure from James Jones.
Iliman Ndiaye runs with the ball whilst under pressure from James Jones. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Updated at 15.05 EST

12 min: Osborn tries to release Ndiaye down the left but Tozer comes over to cover, at the expense of another corner. Osborn hits this one long as well. Egan rises highest at the far post and slaps a header straight at Lainton in the Wrexham goal. The hosts are on the front foot.

John Egan has a chance for United but heads straight at the keeper.
John Egan has a chance for United but heads straight at the keeper. Photograph: Phil Duncan/ProSports/Shutterstock

Updated at 15.11 EST

10 min: Sharp dribbles across the face of the Wrexham box but dithers over a shot and eventually runs into his own man McAtee. In an effort to make good, McAtee tries a shot from the edge of the D but it’s easily blocked.

9 min: Osborn sends the corner long. Robinson connects with a downward header but the ball doesn’t get through a crowded six-yard box.

8 min: Robinson whips a cross in from the left. Sharp is lurking, so Lennon does well to extend a leg and deflect the ball out for the first corner of the game. The hosts load the box. Osborn to take.

6 min: Berge is seeing a lot of the ball, playing quarterback with Wrexham lined up on the edge of their own box. He tries to find Basham with a forensic pass down the inside-right channel, but hits his pass too crisply and the ball flies out for a goal kick.

4 min: United push Wrexham back a little and probe this way and that. Possibly more representative of how most expect this replay to pan out, though we’ll see.

Oh, here we go.
Oh, here we go. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Updated at 14.55 EST

2 min: An early sign that Wrexham haven’t come here only to depart and die wondering. Mendy strides powerfully down the left wing and very nearly gets a shot away upon reaching the edge of the box. He’s barged off the ball and United counter through Sharp and Ndiaye. That move doesn’t come off either, but that’s a lovely open start to the game. Another 3-3 on the cards? Yes please! If you can! Yes please!

A paean to Magnet, Woodbines and chip butties rings around this famous old stadium … then the hosts get the ball rolling. The winner of this replay – which could go to extra time and penalty kicks – will host Tottenham Hotspur in round five. “I hate to break it to Wrexham fans but the sequel is almost always worse than the original,” quips Peter Oh, because somebody had to. He’s here all week, ladies and gentlemen. Try the popcorn.

Before kick-off, another perspective on Paul Mullin’s boots. “As an autistic football fan myself, Mullin’s message is great,” writes Yash Bagga of NHS England. “However just for the sake of awareness, I would really appreciate if you could include that most of us don’t like the puzzle-piece symbol. It has been used by some very questionable organisations in the past, notably Autism Speaks, and has its roots in a belief that there’s a piece missing from us that needs to be fit in the right place. But I really do appreciate Paul’s effort in generating awareness and his support for his son!”

The teams are out! Sheffield United wear their famous red and white stripes, while Wrexham sport second-choice blue. A wonderful old-school FA Cup replay atmosphere at Bramall Lane. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes! “The game isn’t on S4C,” sighs Alun Pugh. “The commentary is so gloriously biased towards Wales when we play it’s wonderful. I’m sure it would be the same for clwb pêl-droed Wrecsam tonight.”

Paul Mullin: a tale of two boots. The Wrexham striker showcases his good heart in more ways than one.

Obligatory Hollywood-on-Clywedog reference. “Hollywood makes all the difference!” begins Joe Pearson, our man in Indianapolis. “Since ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ premiered, I have seen the team play way more than I would have expected from your average National League football team. Today’s match is even on regular cable, being featured on ESPN2. And frankly, that’s bonkers! I can’t imagine how much their celebrity is adding to the bottom line via broadcast dollars (or pounds, I guess). I’m just glad Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney seem to be decent people, rather than irritating, arrogant fratboys. Or so it appears.”

Blades manager Paul Heckingbottom talks to ITV. “Another tough one! … for both teams it’s a break from the league … we’re both at the top end of our respective leagues, so that’s obviously a priority but this is a game you want to win … we’re expecting another tough game … we were OK in patches down at Wrexham but without the ball we weren’t … we need to be on the front foot and dominate the game … we know we have to concentrate for the full 90 minutes and defend our box … we’ll certainly be using the bench in this game … we know the schedule coming up and if we could have made more changes, we would have … Oli McBurnie has a sore calf and we aren’t taking any risks … we are light so if he’d been available and fit he’d have played, he’d have had to play, but with the schedule we wanted to wrap him up and get him ready for the weekend.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson speaks to ITV. “It was a terrific first game … to come here to a great stadium, we’re looking forward to giving a good account of ourselves … some our changes are enforced, but in terms of Andy Cannon coming in, I just felt we needed some fresh legs in the midfield … it’s a cup tie, we’re going to have a real go … we fully respect them, they’re an excellent team … I believe we can create opportunities against them … we’re ready, we’re excited, we’re going to embrace it and give our 4,700 fans something to cheer about.”

The magic of Hollywood. Phil Parkinson is followed by a Disney crew Bramall Lane.
The magic of Hollywood. Phil Parkinson is followed by a Disney crew at Bramall Lane. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Updated at 14.28 EST

Sheffield United make five changes to the XI selected to start the 3-3 draw at the Racecourse Ground. Sander Berge, Billy Sharp, Jack Robinson and Iliman Ndiaye all start, while Ismaila Coulibaly makes his full debut. Oliver Norwood drops to the bench, while Jayden Bogle, Tommy Doyle, Oli McBurnie and Daniel Jebbison miss out altogether.

Wrexham make seven changes to the XI that started the original fourth-round tie at Y Cae Ras. Rob Lainton, Max Cleworth, Harry Lennon, Jacob Mendy, James Jones, Andy Cannon and Sam Dalby replace Mark Howard, Callum McFadzean, Aaron Hayden, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Tom O’Connor, Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer.

The teams

Sheffield United: Davies, Basham, Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson, Osborn, Berge, Coulibaly, McAtee, Ndiaye, Sharp.
Subs: Foderingham, Lowe, Norwood, Clark, Arblaster, Brooks, Marsh, Starbuck.

Wrexham: Lainton, Forde, Cleworth, Tozer, Lennon, Mendy, Young, Jones, Cannon, Mullin, Dalby.
Subs: Watson, James, Butler, Hosannah, McAlinden, O’Connor, Lee, Palmer, Bickerstaff.

Five changes from the XI that started at The Racecourse Ground. 🔴

Ismaila Coulibaly makes his full debut in midfield, whilst Sander Berge, Billy Sharp, Jack Robinson and Iliman Ndiaye all start.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗦! ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/nIiNnts3vY

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) February 7, 2023

Preamble

The weekend before last, this blockbuster starring Ryan Reynolds premiered …

… and now tonight you are invited to the unveiling of the sequel. Red carpet arrivals at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

New Recall Effort Against Gavin Newsom Begins With Signature Collection in California

The most recent attempt to remove California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom is…

White House Faces Accusations of Dishonesty Regarding KJP Ending Interview Abruptly on Local Radio Station

As we previously reported, when Joe Biden went to North Carolina on…

Forced to Vacate My Home in Just 10 Minutes After an Unexpected Notice from My Landlord – The House Was Lost Shortly After I Relocated

A FAMILY was given 10 minutes to leave their home after learning…

Small House Community Offers Free Rent to a Limited Number of Residents – But There’s a Limit on the Duration of Stay

A NEW tiny home community is opening this fall in California ——…

“Shopper Frustrated by People Struggling with Self-Checkout, but Some Point to a Significant System Issue”

A SHOPPER has called others out for not being able to use…

Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta launched a confidential initiative called ‘Project Ghostbusters’ to spy on Snapchat and other competitors.

Newly unsealed court documents from an ongoing class action lawsuit against Meta…

Individuals Labeling Me as the ‘DEI Mayor’ Lack the Boldness to Utter the ‘N-Word’

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut” that critics…

“Chase Customer Outraged After Discovering $2,000 Missing From Their Account, Takes Action When Bank Refuses to Assist”

A CHASE customer has revealed that fraudsters took thousands of dollars from…