Two efforts off the line, two shots struck the post, two disallowed goals, the lion`s share of possession and the majority of the goalscoring chances, only fitting then, that a game this one sided should end 4-0.
However, few people in the stadium will have expected to see Scunthorpe United come away with the 4-0 victory at Bramall Lane, in what was one of the most bizarre games of football, the stadium will have ever seen.
Gary Speed`s unchanged Blades were the better side from the off, with Jamie Ward twice going close early on, including a shot cannoned off the post. Ched Evans had a shot blocked and Johnny Ertl headed wide as the Blades looked set to open the scoring.
Evans had two further efforts blocked by Canavan before striking the base of the post from eighteen yards. United were eventually punished for not taking their chances, when Chris Dagnall brought the ball down on the edge of the area, turned and struck left footed into the bottom corner, sending the stadium into stunned silence.
Richard Cresswell was handed the chance of the game as he burst beyond the defence, but opted to shoot from the tightest of angles when Evans was ready to tap the ball home from six yards. The Blades final chance of the half came when Kyle Bartley headed a corner goalwards only to see Josh Wright clear off the line.
The second half began in a scrappy manner, with neither side claiming much of a grip on the game until the Blades appeared to have grabbed an equaliser. Stephen Jordan`s deep free-kick was volleyed home at the far post, but the referee blew for an offence off the ball, leaving the score at 1-0.
Nick Montgomery cleared Byrne`s header off the line before finding himself at fault for Scunthorpe`s second. Josh Wright`s set-piece was headed home easily by David Mirfin, after Montgomery was caught in no man`s land, not knowing whether to mark the player or the post, and eventually doing neither.
The third goal, came thanks to Nyron Nosworthy`s eccentricity, after the giving the ball away high up the pitch, he tracked back, only to fall over, allowing Dagnall to round Simonsen and put the game beyond any doubt.
Cresswell had another effort cleared off the line, and Daniel Bogdanovic headed over before the former had a second effort ruled out for offside in stoppage time.
Prior to this, Scunthorpe put the game beyond doubt when substitute Martin Woolford capitalised on Simonsen`s mistake to curl home from 45 yards.
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