McNulty pounces as Blades burst Southampton bubble

The League One Blades, who reached the last four of the FA Cup last season, saw off West Ham in the second round and were at it again in a one-sided quarter-final as Marc McNulty's 63rd-minute winner gave them a 1-0 victory over Ronald Koeman's men at Bramall Lane. McNulty pounced from close range and that proved enough, but their winning margin and Southampton's humiliation would have been far greater had goalkeeper Fraser Forster not made a string of fine saves.

The defeat is a fifth in a row and on this evidence the bubble has firmly burst on Southampton's stellar start to the campaign, with the visitors worryingly out-fought by Nigel Clough's men.

They rarely threatened throughout and their misery was compounded at the death when Florin Gardos was dismissed for hauling down McNulty. The Blades are no strangers to beating top-flight opposition, having seen off the Hammers, Aston Villa and Fulham over the last 12 months, and they immediately settled, more than holding their own against a team ranked 45 places above them in the football pyramid.

They hit the woodwork in just the third minute when defender Jay McEveley's looping effort landed on top of the bar after Forster had spilled a cross, though the visitors did have defenders on the line protecting the goal.

The hosts continued to impress and a rampant spell before half-time saw them nearly break the deadlock on two occasions. First after a fine passing move Louis Reed drilled a 20-yard effort just over the bar, and shortly afterwards Florent Cuvelier skewed wide from a great position.

United sensed blood in the second half and moments after Forster made another fine stop to deny Michael Doyle they took a deserved lead. A free-kick on the edge of the area was hit low by Harris and Forster could not hold it, with McNulty following up and bundling home from close range.

The Blades, who could have added a second had Forster not made another save to deny Murphy, saw out the game without danger.