Lee Williamson's impressive free-kick earned United a deserved draw in the 125th Steel City derby and kept Wednesday in the relegation mire.

The Blades were the better side for the majority of the encounter but the home side grabbed the lead with United down to ten men due to Richard Cresswell's injury.

Midfielder Williamson gained parity on the hour to help United back up to 10th position and leave Wednesday in the bottom three. The Blades sold out their allocation of 5,500 tickets to swell the Hillsborough crowd to bigger than usual.

Both managers made one change for the second derby of the campaign - Blackwell used Williamson wide on the right instead of Little and Irvine included Clarke at the expense of Soares. There were a couple of surprises on the Blades bench where strikers Camara and Evans were named after injury problems.

Wearing the Sheffield Children's Hospital logo proudly on the front of the jerseys, thanks to the co-operation of the Malta Tourism Authority, United turned Wednesday around to kick towards their own Kop in the first half. The Blades fans in the Leppings Lane end were vociferous, making more noise, on occasions, than the other three Hillsborough stands put together.

Purse was lucky not to pick up the game's first booking. He was possibly helped by the fact that just 75 seconds had elapsed when he lunged in at Quinn. From the free-kick, Henderson got his head to the ball but Spurr conceded a corner.

United won a series of corners in the opening minutes and from one, on eight minutes, Henderson's free header struck Purse, cannoned against Grant's post and away to safety, fortunately for the home side.

In a nervous start, neither team could categorically claim to be on top and chances were limited. Wednesday had to wait until 16 minutes before registering their first attempt on goal and although Varney's shot went through Morgan's legs, Simonsen comfortably saved.

Just before the half hour, Simonsen's long clearance was flicked on by Henderson and Cresswell was in the clear but with Beevers making ground, the striker's shot, from a difficult position, was across goal and wide.

Referee Foy's first major involvement in the match was on 35 minutes and he appeared to get the decision wrong. Cresswell was adjudged to have fouled Johnson, but it was the United man that left the field with blood pouring from his face, caught by the Wednesday winger's elbow. It was Johnson - in the corresponding fixture last season - who did damage to Naughton.

Cresswell needed to leave the field for a full six minutes and with United down to ten men, Wednesday created three chances... and took the lead.

Spurr's free header from Potter's cross was over and then Connolly was forced to clear when Simonsen dropped Johnson's cross but the home side used their advantage on 41 minutes. From Varney's cross, midfielder POTTER arrived late in the box and beat Simonsen with a well-placed side-foot volley. Cresswell, complete with head bandage, returned just in time for the restart.

Five minutes of injury time was added at the end of the half, a Beevers flick header was wide from Johnson's cross, whilst the Blades were on the attack in a promising position when the half-time whistle blew.

A slow start to the second period prompted Blackwell into action, sending on Camara just eight minutes in. Harper was replaced with Cresswell and Quinn moving to fresh positions, enabling the Senegalese striker to go up front with Henderson.

Taylor, O'Connor, Quinn and Nolan were all booked in quick succession with the game becoming fractious but it played into United's hands. Nolan's yellow card was for a foul on Quinn and the Blades levelled from the free-kick.

On the hour, WILLIAMSON, from wide on the left, curled in a free-kick which looked over-hit but the ball struck Grant's back post and dropped into the net at the Kop end. Moments earlier, Quinn's fine volley was saved by Grant.

Before the game could re-commence after the goal, Blackwell was forced to withdraw the injured Taylor with Bartley, forcing another reshuffle, this time Nosworthy shifting to left-back.

Most of Wednesday's attacking intent came from the long throws of Spurr, although a hopeful ball forward put Varney in the clear and he was just about to pull the trigger when he was stopped by a last-ditch tackle from Morgan.

Camara and Cresswell delivered crosses that flew across goal, both the result of good work by Quinn, and Henderson headed Nosworthy's delivery into the arms of Grant.
On 78 minutes Camara forced another save out of Grant, slamming the rebound into the side-netting, whilst Little was the last of Blackwell's changes, taking over from the struggling Williamson.

Nerves were evident in the final ten minutes. Connolly failed to make sufficient contact to Little's free-kick and at the other end Johnson's shot was pushed away at his near post by Simonsen.

Varney's shot saved by Simonsen on 89 minutes, whilst an additional four was signalled soon after with Varney again prominent. The final chance fell to Johnson but he missed a sitter.

Wednesday: Grant, Spurr, Purse, Tudgay, Potter, Beevers, O'Connor, Clarke (Soares 79), Varney, Johnson, Nolan.
Unused: Hinds, Jeffers, Esajas, Simek, O'Donnell, Gray.

Blades: Simonsen, Montgomery, Morgan, Nosworthy, Henderson, Williamson (Little 79), Harper (Camara 53), Taylor (Bartley 61), Cresswell, Quinn, Connolly.
Unused: Evans, Yeates, Bennett, Seip.