Vassilis Borbokis crossed from the right, Holdsworth had a firm header from six yards and somehow, brilliantly, Steve Ogrizovic managed to tip it around the post.Coventry's profligacy appeared unlikely to matter until the closing minutes when United, whose play had owed more to the bludgeon than the rapier throughout, forced a series of corners. Telfer clearly felt lucky, thumping a low drive that skidded on the turf and bounced over Kelly's dive and into the net.All United could offer in this period were hit and hope shots from long range But, after 31 minutes they almost equalised. After three minutes George Boateng fired narrowly wide while a minute later Darren Huckerby, as quick a player as there is England, burst through the United midfield, to pepper Kelly's hands with a 20- yard shot.The impression was that a Coventry goal would come any moment and it duly arrived after 10 minutes. Trond-Egil Soltvedt was fouled 35 yards, at a range that only an optimist would regard as a potent opportunity.
It would have been a long, late journey back to the Midlands.Dave Holdsworth was the man who got the equaliser, but in the end it was Alan Kelly who emerged the home hero. The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper saved three of Coventry's four penalties in the shoot-out and successful strikes from Roger Nilsen, Bobby Ford and Wayne Quinn put the tie beyond the visitors.If the result appears a surprise this morning it will be more so to anyone who saw normal time. Coventry began at a rush and only over-confidence slowed them. The Premiership side let this match slip from their grasp as badly as any butterfingered slip fielder.For 89 minutes they assumed a casual control that had been earned with Paul Telfer's early goal and if they had had an ounce of ruthlessness in them they would have won this tie by a mile.
Instead they allowed United an equaliser with a minute remaining of normal time and ultimately paid the penalty. He missed a winner as a result, with Paul Carberry deputising on Unguided Missile to give Gordon Richards a rare Festival winner. Brian Harding takes over on One Man today, while Richards confirmed that The Grey Monk will be absent from tomorrow's Gold Cup.. Sheffield United 1 Coventry City 1 aet; score at 90 min 1-1; Sheffield Utd win 3-1 on penalties SHEFFIELD United have jettisoned a manager, a chairman and their two leading scorers this season, but, unconventional though the route has been, they are only one match away from the FA Cup final. Last night the First Division side earned a semi-final against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on April 5 after converting a seemingly lost cause in this replay into a winning one, earning a semi-final against Newcastle United on April 5 after extra time and penalties.For a club that was in disarray when Nigel Spackman resigned five days before the clubs met for their 1-1 draw in the first match it was a famous and unlikely victory and one that will be bitterly regretted by Coventry.
