Blades win shoot-out thriller

Sheffield United defeated West Ham on penalties to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

Andy Liddell scored the decisive spot kick to secure The Blades' passage to the next round with a 3-1 penalty shoot-out win after both sides finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

Liddell gave the home side a 1-0 half time lead before Teddy Sheringham levelled matters from the penalty spot in the second half after Blades captain Chris Morgan was sent off for a professional foul on Marlon Harewood in the box.

The win takes Sheffield United to Highbury and a fifth round tie with Premiership giants Arsenal next weekend.

Good early pressure from The Blades saw them take an early lead from a free kick after Carl Fletcher was adjudged to have impeded Paul Shaw just outside the box.

Liddell, whose goals saw off Premiership side Aston Villa in the last round, struck a sublime right footed set-piece around the West Ham wall, past goalkeeper Stephen Bywater and into the far corner of the net for 1-0.

It was a deserved lead for Neil Warnock's side, who continued to threaten the West Ham goal right up until the half time whistle.

Michael Tonge tested Bywater with a strike right at the West Ham custodian before striker Andy Gray had three quality chances of his own in the half.

From a long clearance, Gray was unable to lob the ball past Bywater after Hammers defender Malky Mackay failed to play his headed back pass to his keeper.

The former Nottingham Forest and Bradford City hit-man than had another chance blocked away in the West Ham box after he connected with Phil Jagielka's low cross, as The Blades tried to catch their opponents on the break.

The Scotland striker was then left further frustrated with another goal-bound shot that was blocked away after Leigh Bromby found Gray with a low cross from the right.

Alan Pardew's side looked second best for most of the opening 45 minutes, with Hayden Mullins needing to replace the injured Luke Chadwick, who picked up a hamstring problem.

Goal-bound strikes from Harewood and teenager Mark Noble failed to test Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny while Sheringham squandered West Ham's best opportunity of the half.

The former England striker eluded Danny Cullip and the onrushing Kenny in the box before taking his time to tee up his shot at goal, but the veteran allowed Jon Harley to get in front of his strike, which deflected over the bar to safety.

The second half saw The Blades continue to test Bywater, but the West Ham keeper was equal to strikes from Tonge and Gray shortly after the restart.

Sheringham then went close with a fine right footed free kick that bent around the Sheffield United wall but sailed over the bar.

With The Blades seemingly in control of the contest, the match was suddenly turned on its head just after the hour mark.

Referee Mark Clattenburg adjudged Morgan to have taken down Harewood right in front of Kenny's goal for a penalty after the big striker latched onto Sheringham's header into the box.

Morgan was sent off for a professional foul before Sheringham stepped up to slot his spot kick past Kenny to level matters at 1-1.

The incident swung momentum in favour of The Hammers and Harewood looked to give his side the lead with an acute angle strike, but Kenny was able to stop it at the near post.

Despite being a man down, the home side continued to press for a winner in the dying stages while Harewood could have snatched it for The Hammers, but his late strike sliced wide of goal, as the cup tie went to extra time.

The extra half hour saw more pressure applied by the ten-man Blades, but substitute Mullins had the best chance of the period with a unmarked header that he put over the bar at the far post, as both sides were forced to settle the contest with a penalty shoot-out.

In the shoot-out, Kenny made two identical saves from Sheringham and Harewood while Gray and Harley converted their penalties for the home side.

With the score 2-1 to The Blades, West Ham's Fletcher sailed his penalty off the top of the bar and over to allow Liddell to win the tie.

The former Wigan Athletic striker duly converted to take the South Yorkshire side through to a trip to North London with a 3-1 shoot-out penalty success.