City: Simonsen, Hoefkens, Broomes, Hill (Buxton, 68), Dickinson, Skoko, Russell, Junior (Brammer, 68), Chadwick, Sidibe, Gallagher (Sigurdsson, 75). Subs (not used): de Goey, Kopteff,

Sheff Utd: Kenny, Kozluk, Morgan, Short, Unsworth, Ifill (Kabba, 58) Jagielka, Armstrong, Tonge, Shipperley (Akinbiyi, 58) Webber. Subs (not used): Montgomery, Gillespie, Lucketti.

A pulsating match against second-placed Sheffield Utd ended all-square after the visitors scored a late equaliser.

It was the Blades who would have been more pleased with the result despite their elevated position since City, having played some of their best football of the season, could and should have scored more goals than Josip Skoko's fifteenth minute strike.

The Blades improved in the second half but City were still making chances, with Skoko hitting the post just before Sheffield's goal, which came with just eight minutes to go.

Johan Boskamp made a total of six changes for the game. Michael Duberry, Sammy Bangoura, Dave Brammer and Hannes Sigurdsson were all not fit enough to start, although Brammer and Sigurdsson appeared on the bench.  Clint Hill resumed in defence, with Carl Dickinson making his first start at left-back.  Skoko returned to midfield after injury whilst Paul Gallagher and Mamady Sidibe also started.

Sheffield Utd arrived at a blustery Britannia no doubt buoyed by the recent lapses suffered by Watford and Leeds and hoping to consolidate their automatic promotion place.  Former City favourite Ade Akinbiyi was on the United bench on his first return to the Potteries since his departure fifteen months ago.

The large away contingent ensured a good atmosphere as the Potters made a bright start with some delightful passing football.

An early right wing cross from Carl Hoefkens caused panic in the Blades defence before the full-back raced into the penalty area to latch onto Junior's chip at the end of another impressive move only to hit his left-foot shot over the bar under pressure from a defender eight yards out. 

City were not to be denied, however, and scored the goal their confident and fluent football deserved after a quarter of an hour.

'Keeper Paddy Kenny came a long way out of his goal to try to collect a long diagonal ball. Centre-back Chris Morgan also went for it and under pressure from Sidibe, Kenny flapped at the ball which dropped for Skoko who, showing great awareness, headed the ball over the defenders and into the empty net from eighteen yards out.

The Potters were weaving some impressive patterns with quick passing and intelligent movement, with Junior and Skoko timing their passes to perfection and involving the wide players well.

As the noisy Boothen End urged the side on, Sidibe's strength and determination took him into the area but his shot went high and wide, preventing City from doubling their lead.

City were not only out-passing their opponents, but out-pacing them as well as they put previous slow starts well and truly behind them.

After twenty-five minutes the visitors finally increased their tempo to put City under some pressure, mainly down the right through Paul Ifill.

Nevertheless, newcomer Dickinson stuck to his task well, and after thirty-three minutes, City broke away quickly down their left, but Gallagher's final pass was not quite accurate enough for Darel Russell to convert.

With City playing with confidence, there was always hope of a second goal against a creaky Blades defence which was being opened up with an ease that did not bode well for their probable Premiership future.

Just before the break another swift move down the left ended with a poor cross from Russell and City had to be content with a single goal lead to take into half-time.

The Potters started the second half showing the same good movement and passing and should have scored after fifty minutes when Sidibe, set free by Skoko, bore down on the visitors goal. 

He appeared to have his ankles clipped, but refused to "do a Drogba" and stayed on his feet.  The stumble, however, took him wide of the goal and the chance was gone.

The City striker then tried a volley which went high and wide and Russell forced a diving save out of Kenny before Neil Warnock made a double substitution in his effort to get his side back into the game, bringing on Steve Kabba and Akinbiyi as he switched to 4-3-3.

This resulted in a better spell for the Blades, who began to win more of the possession and territory.

A Kabba cross sped across the face of the goal as Sheffield pressed, but Skoko twice delayed his shot in a City break-away which ended with Russell and Kenny clashing.

By this time, the dominant Hill had been forced to go off, making City re-organise at the back.Brammer and later Sigurdsson came on as the game switched rapidly from end to end.

With ten minutes to go, Skoko had a shot superbly blocked by Kenny but saw the ball spin up agonisingly to hit the post.

It proved to be a turning-point. Two minutes later, the visitors equalised.

City, breaking quickly out of defence, were in a good position going forward when Sigurdsson was muscled off the ball after he should have switched it quickly to his left to the spare man.

Short quickly pumped the ball forward to catch the City defence cold against the pacy Danny Webber who ran through impressively to finish past a disconsolate Steve Simonsen.

The visitors had hardly created a chance before, so it was a sickening blow for a City side which didn't deserve to be behind.  As ever an error had been severely punished. 

It can be a cruel game, but that's probably why we masochists turn up every week to watch it.

Still, it had been an enthralling encounter which proved that there is little to choose between many Championship sides - but probably a huge gap between the promotion contenders and the Premiership.

That could be either a good or a bad omen for City's future.

Bob James