Football: Bets off as Hughes exposes Blades

Sheffield United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Manchester United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

MANCHESTER UNITED sprinkled their sublime skills over a sodden Bramall Lane last night and extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to 15 points, a margin which provoked Ladbrokes to stop taking bets on the outcome of the competition. Three exquisite goals secured their victory, though scarcely reflected their superiority.

Manchester United, subjected to two defeats here last year, revealed scant regard for recent history or the hostile elements, settling into their fluent, cohesive game and taking command of the match with two goals in 27 minutes. A ferocious strike from Mark Hughes and a cool finish from Lee Sharpe illustrated the chasm between the two clubs who meet again in the third round of the FA Cup next month.

Sheffield United confronted the illustrious visitors with their own brand of bold, aggressive football, making use of the flanks to launch swift counter- attacks and attempting to stretch the defence. With more accurate crosses, that policy would have paid dividends in the opening minutes, but the genuine penetration was achieved by Manchester.

Ryan Giggs examined the paucity of the home defence, slipping down the outside and firing a low shot which Alan Kelly was grateful to see swept away by a colleague.

The reprieve was brief. Paul Parker searched out Brian McClair who laid it back to his old striking comrade, Hughes. The Welshman strode on to it and beat Kelly with a rising shot to the goalkeeper's right, his 10th goal of the season.

Hughes provided the crucial lay-off for Manchester's second, after 27 minutes. Paul Ince received, then played the ball into the path of Sharpe, homing in from the right. Sharpe displayed consummate composure and placed the ball past the advancing yet hopelessly exposed Kelly.

Glyn Hodges was presented with a rare opportunity to respond for Sheffield, only to misjudge the pace of the ball off the slippery surface.

Willie Falconer, too, might have caused Peter Schmeichel anxiety, early in the second half. He headed over with Manchester's defence in disorder. Hodges had a shot blocked as Sheffield maintained the pressure and their most convincing spell of the match.

All to no avail. Schmeichel and his colleagues resisted, and Giggs released Eric Cantona on the hour. The Frenchman galloped almost half the length of the pitch and his shot clipped the inside of the near post on its way to registering the League leaders' third.

To compound Sheffield's plight, their central defender Paul Beesley was carried off on a stretcher with concussion. He was detained in hospital overnight for observation.

On Ladbroke's decision to call off all bets, Manchester's captain, Steve Bruce, said: 'The bookies are normally good judges - let's hope they've got it right this time.'

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kelly; Gage, Tuttle, Beesley (Rogers, 62), Nilsen; Bradshaw, Hoyland, Falconer, Ward; Hodges, Scott (Flo, 56). Substitute not used: Muggleton (gk).

Manchester United (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Parker, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin; Sharpe, Ince, McClair (Keane, 72), Giggs; Hughes, Cantona. Substitutes not used: Kanchelskis, Sealey (gk).

Referee: A Gunn (Sussex).