Blades fume at controversial penalty

Last updated : 12 November 2010 By BladesMadeditor @ The Walkers

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Sheffield United were seething on Wednesday night when referee Phil Gibbs awarded Leicester City a debatable 90th minute penalty after Mark Yeates allegedly handled in the area.

The Blades were leading going into stoppage time at the end of the 90, and it was a piece of fortune for their opponents to salvage a point.

It was an entertaining game which had an explosive start when Leciester's Paul Gallagher fired the Foxes into the lead with a stunning free-kick in the eighth minute.

It looked as if Sven Goran Eriksson's Leicester were to cruise to a win after heaping further pressure on Sheffield United's goal, but the Blades dealt their opposition a real hammer blow when loan signing Andy Reid burst through one-on-one on goal and calmly passed the ball to an unmarked Mark Yeates to slot in a Sheffield United equaliser.

The travelling 600 fans were the ones making the noise in temperatures below 0 and, with the home fans quietened, the hardy souls who made the trip to Leicestershire had even more to shout about on the stroke of half-time.

Nick Montgomery was fouled on the edge of the area, and Yeates stepped up to the plate again with another corker!

3228566The Irishman put the Yorkshiremen into a 1:2 lead at the interval.

The second-half was unarguably quieter than the first, but Leicester peppered Sheffield United's goal, forcing Simonsen to pull off a string of fine saves.

Gary Speed's contingent looked home and hosed but, in the first minute of injury time, United were penalised for a handball.

The player who allegedly made the offence was ironically Mark Yeates, and the United players continued to hover around the referee showing their dismay over the penalty being awarded, which they felt was harsh.

Leicester substitute Steven Howard had the duties from 12-yards, and he duly obliged and converted past the Blades goalkeeper to snatch victory away from United.

The match finished 2:2, but with both sides at the wrong end of the table, a draw was an unsatisfying outcome.

United travel back up the M1 feeling aggrieved by the late decision, but the scoreline will remain the same.

The final score from the Walkers Stadium, is, Leicester 2:2 Sheffield United.

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