SHEFFIELD UTD 1, HULL C 1

YOU can't win 'em all, as United boss Kevin Blackwell will confirm after taking a mighty FA Cup double gamble.

The first paid off spectacularly but the second went disastrously wrong, a desperate losing punt that added up to a replay at the KC Stadium on Thursday week.

Blackwell, dogged by the lack of a big target man after the sale of James Beattie and suspension of Darius Henderson, pushed 6ft 5in defender Greg Halford up front from the start.

And the man who has struggled at top level put the Blades in front and caused Hull big problems for half an hour.

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Halford was unloaded after just three appearances for Reading, then sent out on loan twice by Sunderland after both clubs paid a total of £6million in fees.

He has not convinced at Bramall Lane, either, but this was his day - and not just for his attacking threat either.

Risk

His tall story took another twist as Blackwell's second gamble backfired.

With injury problems at the back, the manager took a major risk with Chris Morgan after a fitness test on an ankle.

MINE'S A HALF - Greg Halford celebrates his opener for the Blades

The United skipper lasted 34 minutes. Then, as he was being carried off around the track - this time with a knee problem - Hull equalised.

It came from a set-piece, Kamil Zayatte heading in from exactly the space Morgan would have been covering.

Halford dropped back to centre-back in the second half and did a solid job, helping give the Blades another chance in a typical incident-packed Cup-tie.

Halford made one crucial saving tackle on Caleb Folan, then suffered a bad head injury that needed stitches on the touchline, treatment lasting several minutes. He returned with the archetypal hero's head bandage to battle through to the end.

His giant presence up front had taken just seven minutes to take effect. The chance was opened up by David Cotterill, who proved a problem throughout for City with pinpoint service from wide.

The winger - not a notable crowd favourite - got off to the worst of starts, stepping over a ball drilled across by Halford in the first minute. It was a real chance gone begging - but Cotterill soon made up for the miss.

Whistle

His perfect cross picked out Halford at the back post, where the big man powered his header across Boaz Myhill.

Hull players complained they were distracted by a whistle in the crowd. There was not much in the way of a reply, though, as the Blades pushed forward with the confidence of the goal. But with confusion at the back after Morgan left the field, the visitors took full advantage.

They are a threat in the air from set-pieces anyway, but Morgan's absence made the danger greater and Zayatte cashed in.

Dean Marney's free-kick was curled to the edge of the six-yard box and the Guinea midfielder thundered in the header.

PHIL-ING GOOD - Hull boss Phil Brown enjoys Zayatte's goal

Halford, caught out by the pace of Folan, still snuffed out the danger and at the same time escaped penalty appeals to referee Andre Marriner.

Hull's menace in the air was there again as Paddy Kenny saved on the line from a Richard Garcia header.

Bandaged

Hulll had more of the ball after the break but the chances, or half-chances, were mostly made by the Championship side.

Sub Danny Webber headed another good cross from Cotterill over the bar after setting up the move. Then Stephen Quinn failed to hit the target from the edge of the box.

It was tough going for the Blades but the boldly bandaged Halford epitomised the fighting spirit that earned the replay.

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