Goals from Jon Stead and Danny Webber ensured that the Blades advanced in the Carling Cup with victory over Chesterfield at Bramall Lane.
United had too much firepower as Stead's superb double and Webber's clinical finish handed Bryan Robson a win in his first cup match as Blades boss. Aussie international David Carney made his debut and looked good going forward as the home side displayed some industrious moments in the final third.
Robson made six changes to his starting line-up, whilst Chesterfield boss Richardson included former Blades men Jack Lester and Wayne Allison in attack.
It was a scrappy opening five minutes as both sides battled to stamp their authority on the match. Then, after eight minutes, Naysmith was forced to withdraw after an earlier knock. On 11 minutes, United strung together a decent move as substitute Quinn played a pass to Stead on the left flank but the striker's attempted curler drifted wide of the far post.
Two minutes later, the Blades opened the scoring with a superbly-taken goal. Webber's determined burst through the middle saw him pull the trigger on a powerful drive from 20 yards which goalkeeper Roche parried out only as far as Carney. He laid the ball back to STEAD and he struck a stinging shot into the far corner.
However, three minutes after taking the lead, United conceded. From a cross from the left, LESTER managed to bravely nod the ball past Kenny from close range ahead of Armstrong's boot.
The goal clearly filled the visitors with confidence as first Kovacs dragged a shot wide from nine yards out and then Lester fired a low 20-yard drive wide - Kenny got the slightest of touches on it but the referee gave a goal-kick.
United produced a fine move in the 31st minute when a triangle of passes between Quinn, Stead and Webber saw the latter's shot from 15 yards draw a solid stop from Roche. Seeking a second goal before the break, the Blades came close again after 35 minutes - Carney latched on to Armstrong's throw into the box, went down under Picken's challenge but the referee waved play on and then Quinn's sidefoot effort was tipped round the post.
Chesterfield won two corners in quick succession which the Blades managed to defend before two minutes of added time were announced. In the first minute of injury time, United moved 2-1 ahead through another fine finish from STEAD. Bromby's pin-point lofted ball into the box saw the striker chest it down, wait for goalkeeper Roche to go to ground before coolly lifting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
United got the second period underway attacking the Kop and immediately went on the attack. Tonge released Webber down the inside left channel, he cut inside and Webber's shooting leg was clipped by Kovacs but the referee dismissed the Blades' shouts for a penalty. Next, Carney's well-weighted pass picked out Armstrong, tearing down the left, and his sweetly-struck strike sailed just a whisker past the far post.
In the 53rd minute, Picken's ball into the box from the right-hand side saw Allison's downward header well saved at point-blank range by Kenny before the striker miscued the rebound.
United enjoyed a spell of pressure next as Carney's corner saw Leigertwood's volley from the edge of the box deflected wide for a second corner. When the second corner came in, the ball appeared to strike the hand of Leven but that indiscretion was not spotted by the officials.
The spell of pressure paid off as United stretched their lead in the 55th minute. Armstrong's slide-rule pass found WEBBER's run into the box and the striker darted forward before firing a clinical low and hard shot across the goalkeeper.
On 58 minutes, as the game began to open up, United launched an excellent attack as Geary beat two men down the right, played the ball inside to Stead but, due to a tight angle, he pulled it back to Carney whose fierce goal-bound drive was hacked off the line by Kovacs.
Ex-Blades striker Allison received a warm applause when he was replaced by Lowry and on 68 minutes, Carney's intelligent flick with the outside of his boot set Stead away and he tucked the ball away only to be denied a hat-trick by the linesman's offside flag. A minute later, Kenny had to be on his toes to tip over Downes' glancing header from Winter's left-wing delivery.
Tonge lost possession in the middle of the park and Niven capitalised, breaking forward to the edge of the United area. He slipped the ball right to Lester, who cleverly squeezed between Kilgallon and Armstrong before shooting just wide.
United made a double change after 78 minutes when goalscorers Stead and Webber made way for Horsfield and Shelton in a straight swap in attack and both looked lively, whilst late on Leigertwood tried his luck with a speculative long-range drive which sailed over Roche's upright.
Blades: Kenny, Bromby, Naysmith (A. Quinn 9), Stead (Horsfield 78), Webber (Shelton 78), Carney, Kilgallon, Tonge, Armstrong, Leigertwood, Geary.
Unused: Bennett, Lucketti
Chesterfield: Roche, Kovacs, Picken, Ward (Smith 34), Niven, Robertson, Lester, Downes, Winter, Leven, Allison (Lowry 66).
Unused: Gray, Fletcher, O'Hare.
