Ndlovu's double banishes Burnley
Sheffield United 4 Burnley
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Your support makes all the difference.Two goals apiece from Michael Brown and Peter Ndlovu last night kept Sheffield United on course for the First Division play-offs, for which their FA Cup semi-final will be a useful rehearsal.
Chelsea or Arsenal will pose a much sterner test than lacklustre Burnley, whose own quarter-final defeat by Watford seemed to have drained them of both energy and resolve.
But the casual manner with which the Blades dispatched Burnley just three days after delivering the coup de grâce to Leeds will have increased their belief they can put even the Premiership's giants to the sword.
Nevertheless, manager Neil Warnock dismissed suggestions that they can still catch second-placed Leicester, 10 points clear but over whom they have two games in hand and who must still visit Bramall Lane.
Six goals seemed unlikely during a sedentary opening in which the teams seemed to be compensating for the legendary antipathy between Warnock and his opposite number Stan Ternent by treating each other with exaggerated respect.
But once the impressive Brown latched on to full-back Phil Jagielka's square ball and curled it delicately beyond Marlon Beresford into the far corner, United's fourth successive victory was in no doubt.
It was the midfielder's 15th of the season and number 16 was not far behind. This time he did the same thing with a dead ball, beating the defensive wall and a transfixed goalkeeper.
United's foot came off the pedal but Burnley showed no signs of catching up until defender Dean West was sacrificed for striker Robbie Blake. He worked the opening from which Gareth Taylor, six yards out, headed in Lee Briscoe's cross. It was an inconvenience United merely swatted away.
Enter substitute Ndlovu at the double. Steve Kabba, whose goal saw off Leeds, found Ndlovu for a simple tap in. Ndlovu then swept in a second from the edge of the box after a pass from Nick Montgomery.
Blake's 89th minute goal was scant consolation for Ternent. "It might have been a hangover from the FA Cup but it just wasn't good enough,'' he said. "United were the better side by a million miles.''
Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Jagielka, Murphy; Page, Kozluk; Montgomery (Curtis, 80), McCall (Ndlovu, 44), Brown, Tonge; Windass (Allison, 78), Kabba. Substitutes not used: Peschisolido, Javary.
Burnley (4-4-2); Beresford; West (Blake, 58), Diallo, Cox, Branch; Little (Cook 90), Weller, Davis, Briscoe (Grant, 64); Taylor, Moore. Substitutes not used: Michopoulous (gk), Papadopoulos.
Referee: A Butler (Nottinghamshire).
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