Town continue to wait for an FA Cup victory as Sheffield United progressed to round four via a 1-0 victory at Portman Road, Nathan Thomas smashing the winner in the 25th minute. The Blues, who last won a match in the competition in January 2010, never looked like getting back into the game, failing to register a shot on target, and the Blades might have added to their lead in the second half.

Defender Tommy Smith, who is set to join the Colorado Rapids as revealed by TWTD earlier this afternoon, wasn’t included in a Town side featuring six changes from the one which lost 4-1 at Fulham in midweek.

Jonas Knudsen came in at centre-half alongside skipper Luke Chambers with Myles Kenlock at left-back and Dominic Iorfa at right-back as Town started in a 4-3-3 system.

Luke Hyam made his first start for 19 months in midfield alongside Callum Connolly and Kevin Bru

Up front, Freddie Sears was on the right and Bersant Celina on the left of central striker David McGoldrick.

New signing Aaron Drinan was on the bench alongside young defender Pat Webber and midfielder or striker Shane McLoughlin, whose only senior appearances for the Blues came at Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

The Blades made eight changes with former Town academy striker Caolan Lavery up front with skipper Billy Sharp, a regular Blues target over the years.

Town claimed an early penalty when Chambers headed the ball towards goal from a Celina corner from the right and it appeared to strike Daniel Lafferty on the arm. The Blues captain was adamant that the Blues should have been awarded a spot-kick but referee Mike Jones waved away the protests.

The home side had started the brighter of the two teams and in the seventh minute Celina brought the ball in a long way from the left before hitting a shot which deflected behind.

Town continued to look the better side with Iorfa proving a danger down the right, but on 15 Nathan Thomas hit the Blades’ first effort of the game wide from the edge of the box.

On 24 a corner on the right was played to Hyam on the edge of the area by Celina and the returning midfielder shot over. As the Blades prepared to take their goalkick, Chambers was booked for dissent claiming it had taken a deflection and ought to have been a corner.

A minute later, the visitors took the lead. Thomas, making only his second start for the South Yorkshiremen, was played the ball by Lavery 25 yards out and lashed a superb strike into the top corner of the net, Bartosz Bialkowski only managing to help it on with his right hand.

Town hadn’t threatened to get back on terms before the Blades went close to a second, Chris Basham cutting in from the left and shooting just wide in the 38th minute.

The Blues continued to having the lion’s share possession as half-time approached but without being able to carve out a chance. In the final scheduled minute Kenlock was played in on the left of the box but his low ball was cut out.

Just before the break Basham was booked for catching Bru in the head with a high boot, the Mauritius international subsequently requiring lengthy treatment.

Town had had plenty of the ball in a not overly enthralling first half but without creating anything of note, while the visitors had similarly carved out little at the other end. Thomas’s excellent goal had been rather out of place in the half as a whole.

The Blades swapped their goalscorer for Regan Slater ahead of the second half and the visitors had the first opportunity in the 48th minute when Bialkowski came out of his area to the right but was beaten to the ball by Sharp, who fed Slater as the Blues keeper ran back towards his goal but the sub shot over.

Two minutes later the Blades had an even better chance after Chambers played a weak pass back to Bialkowski. Sharp was quickly on to it and fed Lavery on the right of the box but the Town skipper got back to divert it off the line and wide.

The visitors continued to look the most likely scorers of the game’s second goal and on 54 Sharp flicked a header towards goal which Bialkowski reacted quickly to save, although the linesman’s flag had already been raised.

Town hadn’t appeared likely to get back on terms and it was little surprise that in the 61st minute 10-goal top scorer Martyn Waghorn was introduced for Hyam, who had put in his usual combative display on his return to the team.

Connolly wasn’t too far away from netting his fourth goal of his loan spell from Everton in the 68th minute but was unable to keep his header from Celina’s cross from the right down.

Two minutes later, the Blades went somewhat nearer to doubling their lead, Samir Carruthers exchanging passes with Sharp before shooting from a tight angle on the left and Bialkowski saving well to his left. Moments later, Sam Baldock forced Bialkowski to save down to his right.

Lavery, who had put in a lively display against his old club, was replaced by Clayton Donaldson in the 73rd minute.

As the game moved into its final 10 minutes Jake Wright was booked for timewasting as the visitors prepared to take a freekick.

Town had had long spells on the ball but had failed to create a single chance to level.

On 83 Slater shot over for the Blades, then with two minutes remaining - and a frustrated Sir Bobby Robson Stand singing ‘We want a shot’ - Sharp was switched for John Fleck, who immediately shot over from distance.

The Blades looked the more likely scorers in injury time with sections of the Town support berating manager Mick McCarthy and singing ‘What a load of rubbish’.

Cameron Carter-Vickers was booked for a foul on McGoldrick just before the end and Chambers headed Celina’s freekick wide, before Knudsen blocked a Donaldson strike. Moments later, loud boos greeted the final whistle.

While the second half was more entertaining than the first, the Blades - who fielded a much less senior team than the Blues - had been the better side and ought to have won more comfortably.

The result and the dismal performance on top of the disappointing Christmas spell saw fans loudly express their frustration with manager McCarthy for the first time in a few months.

Town, now without a win in their last five, four of them defeats, rarely created anything throughout and the 40th anniversary of their 1978 FA Cup win will pass without a run in the competition.

Town: Bialkowski, Iorfa, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Kenlock, Connolly, Hyam (Waghorn 61), Bru, Celina, Sears, McGoldrick. Unused: M Crowe, Skuse, Garner, Drinan, Webber, McLoughlin.

Sheffield United: Blackman, Baldock, Basham, Thomas (Slater 46), Sharp (c) (Fleck 88), Wright, Carter-Vickers, Stearman, Lavery (Donaldson 73), Lafferty, Carruthers. Unused: Moore, Stevens, O’Connell, Norrington-Davies. Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire). Att:12,057 (Blades: 1,110).

Photo: TWTD

Geddis78 added 14:44 - Jan 7 Warktheline, yep, a season ticket holder. Never claim to go away and don't comment on away performances as I wasn't there. Perhaps any non attendees could do likewise. And whilst I am at it, why don't you set up a site for obsessed non fans like yourself to torture yourselves on, Those Were The Supporters? Northfar, no disrespect meant assuming you are a paying fan, my gripes are with those that don't actually go but spend half their lives on here.

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NorthFar added 14:55 - Jan 7 @geddis78 None taken. Your assumption is correct - I am a paying fan and I too only comment when I've actually seen a game.
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warktheline added 15:20 - Jan 7 You don't need to attend games these last 3 seasons to work out the mess this club is in! For example NO SHOT ON TARGET yesterday , oh but you needed to have been there to appreciate it! Clueless lemmings!
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Geddis78 added 15:30 - Jan 7 I don't think you get it Warktheline. We know we aren't very good and acknowledge at times we have been terrible. There are a number of those that accept, reluctantly, that we are no longer a big club and cannot compete financially with most of the other Championship teams. We support the team in this knowledge and hope for the best. If McCarthy had a comparable budget and players like Derby, Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday have, I would be the first to criticise. But he/we don't. Answer this, how many of our players have had other teams come in for in this or the summer transfer window? Bart. Moore. Maybe McGoldrick? That's about it. Enjoy listening to the game next Saturday on BBC Suffolk.

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midastouch added 15:42 - Jan 7 If anybody thought McCarthy could do a good job with a decent budget they would of come in for him by now. Whenever he's been linked with other jobs he has hardly been vocal in saying he wants to stay. But unsurprisingly nobody has been daft enough to put forward an actual concrete offer for him. The reason no other club has seriously come in for him is because nobody particularly fancies him being their manager because his brand of football is turgid!

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BraveDave added 15:42 - Jan 7 Everyone can choose whether to attend or not, and it's not for anyone else to dictate how people spend their leisure time. Also, if someone wants to register a protest by not attending, that is their right. But what winds me up about warktheline is that he tries to suggest that he is a true fan by not going, that his actions are more likely to bring about a change for the good. However, this isn't the case - when you read back through his posts, you realise this is nothing to do with McCarthy - he hasn't been for years! So he is not just a fair weather fan, he is no fan at all!

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LWNR2013 added 15:45 - Jan 7 Geddis78 .. I agree with you mostly. Too many watch it on the radio from the comfort of their solitude. Which doesn't mean they can't have an opinion just means they don't actually know what they are talking about [maybe?)
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midastouch added 15:53 - Jan 7 If you need any further evidence that Mick isn't cut out for football at the top level please look at the following link, 5.4% win percentage in the top flight, the 3rd worst in history! http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/10-worst-managerial-records-premier-760635 If he did ever get us up (ha ha!) it would only end in tears and utter embarrassment! And the only 2 worse top-flight managerial records come from Terry O'Connor and Paul Jewell who both have a 0% win percentage in the top flight! And to think Marcus Heavens has been responsible for recruiting all 3 of them, you really couldn't make it up! ABSOLUTE INCOMPETENCE TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE!

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Bert added 16:02 - Jan 7 Well summed up Geddis 78. The regular six non attenders on here have removed their entitlement to be taken seriously. We all want the club to get out of the mire don't we ?As others have said, we may not want MM as our manager and tactician but being a supporter means sticking with the club in bad times. The dictionary explanation of 'football supporter ' is pretty clear to me and those who attend Portman Road.

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midastouch added 16:03 - Jan 7 Paul Jewell was very good at Wigan but that was his lot. A zero win percentage for Derby in the top-flight! And he was woeful for us and nobody else has been daft enough to give him another look! Jimmy Bullard explains as much (how PJ lost the plot as a manager) in his great book "Bend It Like Bullard."
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midastouch added 16:13 - Jan 7 Maybe this is the shortlist that Marcus Evans uses when he recruits managers: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/10-worst-managerial-records-premier-760635 Perhaps this is his twisted idea of consulting far and wide in the game. Well we've had 3 of those muppets, who's next from that list, please don't say Remi Garde with his 10% win percentage (still nearly double that of Mick at Wolves in the Prem!) or Billy Davies with his 7.1%! Surely any man in his right mind wouldn't touch anybody with a barge pole who is on that list of managerial infamy! Anybody that is apart from Marcus Heavens! Seriously, it's beyond a joke! He might be a good business man but when it comes to football he clearly hasn't got a Scooby Clue! He's had 10 years of failure in football, will it take him another 10 years to realise he's not cut out to make any sort of impression in the world of football? 10 years of mediocrity at best under ME and I haven't got any confidence in his ability or resolve to turn it round. In truth he's now a very small fish in a big pond when it comes to the finances needed to succeed in modern day football.

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Theipswich added 16:14 - Jan 7 if a final analysis can be made of McCarthy-s tenure, what shot him down has been the dreadful football. The worst played by an Ipswich Town team since 1936 and all it takes is to watch MOTD to see that football and how it should be played has passed McCathy by. Nobody wants to follow us anymore and youngsters don-t want to be associated with us. We are an admirable club and we can win or lose and accept both with aplomb BUT there is no excuse for the terrible football offered up. I understood yesterday that McCarthy was not interested in getting even a draw when he point blank refused to bring on attackers to salvage a result but was prepared to lose the match despite repeated assurances that some effort would be made to try for some cup run..even to the 4th round. Bad time to be a supporter of ITFC with this present regime.

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blueboy1981 added 16:50 - Jan 7 Bert .......... ever thought of looking in the mirror and asking yourself this question :- Am I really an ITFC Supporter or are Evans / McCarthy taking me taking me for being a MUG.... ??? Maybe worth considering.
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Northstandveteran added 17:00 - Jan 7 Could the 6 of you wear inflatable sumo outfits and massive inflatable gloves and have an ' It's a knockout ' style, tag team punch up at half time? Even I'd return and pay £30 for half time entertainment like that! 😂
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haircut101 added 17:07 - Jan 7 the Dinos post match comments make Donald Trump sound sensible
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Geddis78 added 17:14 - Jan 7 I'd be up for that but half of them wouldn't be there. Blue boy, I am sure Bert like anyone else who goes regularly to Portman Road does consider themselves to be fans. We certainly contribute more to the club than those that stay away. Mugs? There have been loads of games that could not be deemed value for money but if you want to be literal, I suppose the guy who buys a club millions in debt and loses millions of pounds a year would be up there under the definition of mug.

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shortmarine1969 added 17:23 - Jan 7 He does not loose millions a year, in gets aded to our debt which he gets interest on , and he bought the debt (that he has been getting interest) on for pence in the pound.!!..it,s a play on words that he is out of pocket millions a year.
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warktheline added 17:47 - Jan 7 @geddis, you name the game and I'll be more than happy to thrash out our differences! Before kick off because I won't be attending with lemmings!
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warktheline added 17:58 - Jan 7 Must say the vigour shown by Mick's happy chappie boys has been most impressive ! Backs against the wall stuff! Is the writing on the wall boys? Blind faith isn't recommended as time unfolds !
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warktheline added 18:02 - Jan 7 @BRAVE Dave, happy for you to join the 'jolly up' , you're most welcome !
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vanmunt added 18:07 - Jan 7 So the happy clappies have moved on from our game in hand to I go to more games than you so I'm a better supporter and know more than you.. what's next, my dad can beat up your dad.
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Spanishblueblood added 18:23 - Jan 7 May i just say, that by continuing to go and watch itfc, you are in fact supporting the current regime. This is no way to go about trying to get change, which is obviously needed. Therefore, your blind faith is actually causing more damage, this does therefore, make you less of a supporter imo! Oh and if you think the current regime is not in need of massive change.....then you are bloody clueless when it comes to football. Just an opinion you understand

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blue75 added 18:43 - Jan 7 There are many ways to protest about the way our club is run. Staying away can work but obviously not with our owner as attendances have been falling since he took over. I feel the only way is to protest at the ground its wether there's enough support for change. Too many say what's wrong but still defend the manager. Mr Evans needs to have it pointed out we're not happy as well as protests at the ground, post on the Marcus Evans Group social media we can all do that those that go and those that don't, he'll get the message that way his customers don't want us filling pages with how crap he runs our club. Time to quit bitching at each other and target the ones at fault Evans and McCarthy!!

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BraveDave added 18:47 - Jan 7 As mentioned previously, if people want to protest by not going, that's up to them. I wouldn't criticise them for that, and maybe that's a valid way to get your point across. And you are still entitled to an opinion whether you go or not. But warktheline clearly never goes, even when things are going well. So for him to suggest that he doesn't go out of some sort of protest is laughable. To be honest, I have quite a bit of sympathy for those fans who have had enough and choose to spend their money elsewhere. I can understand that argument. But warktheline is not one of those people. Now if any of the above somehow proves I'm a McCarthy fan or 'Happy Clapper' then I'm clearly banging my head against a very dense brick wall!

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Taricco_Fan added 19:05 - Jan 7 This back-and-forth oneupmanship regarding who are the real fans is ridiculous. We're ALL fans otherwise we wouldn't be here. Anyone who objects to the way the club is run is completely within their rights to vote with their feet. Doesn't make them any less of a fan. Money talks the loudest in football these days and the only voice we have as fans is to choose not to attend. I don't get to as many games as I used to because the football is dross and I object to paying £30 for the privilege. Doesn't stop me caring passionately about the club.

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