Sheffield United 2 Leeds United 0

Last updated : 29 August 2004 By Footymad Previewer

Sheffield United came out on top in a disappointing Yorkshire derby as Ashley Ward and Jon Harley snapped in two second-half goals.

The match lacked any passion and it was the Sheffield side that always had the upper hand against a toothless Leeds United side.

Midfielders Alan Quinn and Michael Tonge caught out Leeds in the 16th minute from a quickly taken corner, Tonge cutting inside to slam in a low shot from 12 yards that was snapped up on the line by Neil Sullivan.

Michael Ricketts, looking for his first goal since moving from Middlesbrough in the summer, tried his luck from 25 yards with a stinging drive, the ball spinning wide of Paddy Kenny's right-hand post.

Tonge found space on the right flank on 27 minutes, but slammed the ball into the sidenetting before Sullivan twice foiled the Sheffield side.

The ex-Chelsea keeper spooned away a Quinn cross with Ward waiting to pounce and blocked Ward's close-range strike after the big striker turned quickly.

Sullivan was beaten in the 35th minute as Andy Gray shrugged off Stephen Crainey's challenge to steer the ball beyond the diving keeper and inches wide of the far post.

Midfielder Frazer Richardson caught United on the break two minutes before the interval cutting in from the right.

Hardworking Ward broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, Tonge threading the ball to the striker who lashed a low shot past the helpless Sullivan from 12 yards.

Skipper Chris Morgan was kept out by minutes later Sullivan stretching to tip his fierce header over the top.

Harley killed off Leeds in the 62nd minute with a spectacular free-kick from 23 yards, curling his left-foot strike into the top right-hand corner after Michael Duberry had upended Gray.

Duberry hit the bar 13 minutes from time as Leeds looked for a way back, before Ward crashed a header against the woodwork from Harley's precise cross.