MENTALITY A KEY FACTOR IN OUR SEASON

United will be running out at Wembley in April, after Tommy Doyle’s wonder strike settled a pulsating Emirates FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers in the Blades favour on Sunday afternoon.

Rovers twice led thanks to goals from Ben Brereton-Diaz and Sammie Szmodics, but a Sam Gallagher goal restored parity before the break, before Oli McBurnie levelled late on meaning Doyle’s 25-yard screamer proved decisive.

Boss Heckingbottom made one change for the last-eight encounter, with

McBurnie recalled at the expense of Jebbison, who dropped to the nine-man bench, which also included Coulibaly and Arblaster. United started positively with Pears drawn into action twice in a matter of minutes. McAtee was denied having found himself through on goal from Egan’s pass, before Doyle tried his luck from distance.

But on 21 minutes, following a lengthy delay, VAR suggested the referee check a possible handball by Robinson after he had blocked Gallagher’s shot before Foderingham tipped over. A penalty was awarded and duly converted by BRERETONDIAZ, with the United defender booked prior to Rovers taking the lead.

Less than seven minutes later though, United restored parity as Lowe’s shot from a partially cleared corner took a big deflection off GALLAGHER to wrong foot his goalkeeper and nestle in the far corner.

Before the break, Hyam saw header tipped over by Foderingham, before Gallagher glanced another header wide from the resulting corner.

United were quickly out of the blocks in the second half, but McAtee and then Baldock failed to capitilise on opening, before the former was denied by Pears as he latched on to a short back pass from Travis. And the visitors then netted against the run of play as SZMODICS broke the offside trap and fired low and hard into Foderingham’s bottom corner. Carter was cautioned for a late challenge on McBurnie, as Sharp was introduced