Sheffield Utd and Middlesbrough will require an FA Cup replay after drawing 0-0 at Bramall Lane in the firth round.
New Blades boss secures FA Cup fifth round replay
Kevin Blackwell's first game as manager of Sheffield United ended in a stalemate as the Blades drew 0-0 with Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Blackwell replaced former boss Bryan Robson on Thursday, but he could not mark his Blades managerial bow with a win as neither side did enough to earn a victory.
The first half began in bright fashion, but then descended into a scrappy affair as both teams became rushed in possession to leave goalmouth action in short supply.
And it was not until the stroke of half-time that the game came to life as Boro defender David Wheater was fortunate to avoid a straight red card for hauling down Billy Sharp and Blades forward James Beattie rattled the foot of the post with an 18-yard free-kick.
Fifteen minutes into the second half Boro had their best moment of the game as Mido produced an overhead effort from the edge of the area and forced United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to tip over.
Boro then had the better of things and introduced record signing Afonso Alves but they could not penertrate, as Emanuel Pogatetz wasted a late header from a Stewart Downing corner, to set up a replay at the Riverside.
Unfortunate
United were the more positive of the two sides before the break, and were perhaps unfortunate not to have taken the lead in an opening 45 minutes they chiefly controlled.
As early as the fifth minute the fingers of Mark Schwarzer were warmed by a stinging left-foot half-volley from Matt Kilgallon which just eluded Sharp and Lee Martin on the rebound.
Moments later United should then have had a penalty when a Sharp drive struck the arm of Fabio Rochemback inside the area - but referee Chris Foy was unmoved, perhaps unsighted.
Greater accuracy from Stead would have brought United the opening goal in the 27th minute, but in rising highest to a Martin corner amidst a crowd of Boro players, he planted a seven-yard header agonisingly wide.
Then, with the last kick of the first half, Beattie struck the post with a free-kick, despite a mix-up with Michael Tonge.
At the start of the second period Boro keeper Schwarzer needed to clutch a Jon Stead drive from the edge of the penalty area at the second attempt.
Boro come to life
After Kilgallon had headed a piercing far post free-kick from Martin into the side-netting, the visitors finally came to life just before the hour.
They created four chances in as many minutes, whereas in the previous 60 they had rarely stirred.
In the space of 60 seconds Kenny pulled off two fingertip reaction saves, initially denying Mido with an overhead free-kick from the edge of the area.
From the ensuing corner, Wheater conjured a bullet header which had Kenny reacting smartly to again push the ball over his own crossbar.
Downing was then inches away with a fierce 15-yard left-foot volley as he seized upon a chipped cross from Mido.
Soon after the Egyptian flicked on a long throw into the area that was caught by a first-time shot from Rochemback which flew narrowly wide.
Pogatetz came close to winning the tie for the visitors when the Austrian's close-range header from Downing's corner in the second minute of added time was blocked in front of goal.
