Sheffield United where in a relegation battle when they visited Oldham Athletic on 3 May 1994 and having previously claimed victories over Norwich City (1-0) and Newcastle United (2-0) to aid any fears of relegation and would create a score draw at Oldham which in contrast would have been enough to save themselves from the drop any other season. But little did the Unitedites know that in five days time results against them would go horribly wrong and it would be the Blades (along with Oldham and Swindon Town) and not Everton who would face First Division football next season.
It was a match which was described as ``hard fought" in a match that meant as much to one side than the other - but this point put United in 18th place and only point ahead of Everton in the final relegation spot, but this point proved difficultto claim after 18 minutes when keeper Simon Tracey was dismissed for a professional foul. However Blades boss Dave Bassett wasn't to be naive about the situation; `We're still in the quagmire," he said, ``If we go to Chelsea and get a victory, we are safe. If not, we are dependent on other results, a draw might be enough, but we might even be able to lose."
In typical Bassett media propaganda he slated the Boundary Park pitch insisting that; `We should have trained at Grimsby, we don't have any beaches in Sheffield ," Bassett said. ``That heap of a pitch is a disgrace. You can't play anything but hump and lump out there."
For Oldham this situation put the Latics even more in the mire with only a likely outcome in four days time with the like hood taking place like a well scripted Holywood blockbuster; not even a marginal win would have saved them as they drew 1-1 with Norwich City having squeezed in a home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur (0-2) two days previous.
In the earlier exchanges the visitors, United played in the manor of a team which had only lost once in the last twelve matches (at home to Villa), Alan Cork was making his first appearance since February and was having a good game and he put the Blades ahead in the tenth minute when like a rabbit out of a hat he popped up to head home Dane Whitehouse's corner.
Oldham battled on and much to there credit found a way back in the game when Beckford turned home Holden's cross with Tracey who was having a nightmare of an evening allowed the ball to squirm under him and into the net. Come half-time the hosts looked the stronger of the two teams and with United down to ten men couldn't make it maximum points.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC (4-3-3): P Gerrard C Makin, R Jobson, C Fleming, N Pointon M Milligan, N Henry, R Holden D Beckford, S McCarthy, G Sharp.
SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-4-2): S Tracey C Bradshaw, B Gayle, P Beesley, R Nilsen J Flo (sub: A Kelly, 72min), P Rogers, J Gannon, D Whitehouse A Cork (sub: G Hodges 67), N Blake.