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Both Shelton and Phillips benched, but Phillips came on. Shelton still the fourth-choice striker at Sheffield.
Stoke 0-1 Sheff Utd
PA
Gary Cahill's goal just before half-time earned Sheffield United a slightly fortuitous 1-0 win as Stoke slumped to a third successive home defeat on a cold and windy night at the Britannia Stadium.
Once again, the Potters played the better football but had nothing to show for it after Cahill headed home to put the Blades on course for a sixth league game unbeaten.
The defeat, which marked the first time Stoke had lost three home games on the bounce since Tony Pulis retook the helm, saw the Potters edge further away from the play-offs but allowed United into the top half of the Coca-Cola Championship.
In the 10th minute a long throw from the left caused confusion and after Mamady Sidibe's header was cleared, Rory Delap's lofted effort required a back-tracking Ian Bennett to tip over.
That had the Boothen End faithful purring and a moment later they were roaring as clever play from Ricardo Fuller set up first John Eustace and then Delap for thumping shot that was blocked.
In the 20th minute Fuller was at the heart of another intelligent move that led to him curling a dangerous effort narrowly wide and the fans, seemingly unaffected by the icy winds that blew around the Britannia Stadium, sounded their approval.
The Blades finally came into the game after the half-hour mark and had their first effort when James Beattie spotted Steve Simonsen off his line and tried an audacious effort from 40 yards that the `keeper calmly headed clear of danger.
Another long-range shot in the 40th minute - this time from Nick Montgomery - doubled United's first-half chances, before Australian David Carney fired into the side-netting after a great cross-field ball from Danny Webber.
That was a warning that Stoke failed to heed and, with two minutes of the half left, Carney's corner was not fully cleared and when Webber crossed back in, Cahill's header just made it across the goal-line before Simonsen could reach it.
The second period started as the first had ended, with Stoke in the ascendancy, but playing more direct football compared to their first-half intricacy.
In the 55th minute Fuller found Sidibe and he beat his marker to burst into the area, but his attempted cut-back was blocked and when the pair combined again five minutes later, Sidibe's half-volley was easy for Bennett to gather.
Once again, though, Stoke were almost caught on the break as Carney's cross sought out Beattie in the area, but the recently-crowned Championship player of the month Ryan Shawcross got in ahead of him to clear.
Pulis brought on Jon Parkin for Sidibe shortly after to try and add some weight to his forward line, and it almost paid immediate dividends, Parkin putting Fuller through and only a last-ditch tackle from Cahill preventing an almost certain equaliser.
In the 72nd minute Webber spun and struck a sweet strike that went narrowly over, but the visitors seemed content to sit on their lead.
Six minutes later Stoke handed a debut to Jamaican midfielder Demar Phillips to give them more attacking impetus on the left, and he was soon denied a penalty after bursting into the area and going to ground under Cahill's challenge.
Four minutes from time Fuller headed a throw back across the area and Parkin headed goalwards but was denied by an alert Bennett.
Deep into injury-time Stoke laid siege to the United goal and after Fuller also had claims for a penalty waved away, Shawcross' stinging volley was saved acrobatically and the visitors held on for the win.
Stoke 0-1 Sheff Utd
PA
Gary Cahill's goal just before half-time earned Sheffield United a slightly fortuitous 1-0 win as Stoke slumped to a third successive home defeat on a cold and windy night at the Britannia Stadium.
Once again, the Potters played the better football but had nothing to show for it after Cahill headed home to put the Blades on course for a sixth league game unbeaten.
The defeat, which marked the first time Stoke had lost three home games on the bounce since Tony Pulis retook the helm, saw the Potters edge further away from the play-offs but allowed United into the top half of the Coca-Cola Championship.
In the 10th minute a long throw from the left caused confusion and after Mamady Sidibe's header was cleared, Rory Delap's lofted effort required a back-tracking Ian Bennett to tip over.
That had the Boothen End faithful purring and a moment later they were roaring as clever play from Ricardo Fuller set up first John Eustace and then Delap for thumping shot that was blocked.
In the 20th minute Fuller was at the heart of another intelligent move that led to him curling a dangerous effort narrowly wide and the fans, seemingly unaffected by the icy winds that blew around the Britannia Stadium, sounded their approval.
The Blades finally came into the game after the half-hour mark and had their first effort when James Beattie spotted Steve Simonsen off his line and tried an audacious effort from 40 yards that the `keeper calmly headed clear of danger.
Another long-range shot in the 40th minute - this time from Nick Montgomery - doubled United's first-half chances, before Australian David Carney fired into the side-netting after a great cross-field ball from Danny Webber.
That was a warning that Stoke failed to heed and, with two minutes of the half left, Carney's corner was not fully cleared and when Webber crossed back in, Cahill's header just made it across the goal-line before Simonsen could reach it.
The second period started as the first had ended, with Stoke in the ascendancy, but playing more direct football compared to their first-half intricacy.
In the 55th minute Fuller found Sidibe and he beat his marker to burst into the area, but his attempted cut-back was blocked and when the pair combined again five minutes later, Sidibe's half-volley was easy for Bennett to gather.
Once again, though, Stoke were almost caught on the break as Carney's cross sought out Beattie in the area, but the recently-crowned Championship player of the month Ryan Shawcross got in ahead of him to clear.
Pulis brought on Jon Parkin for Sidibe shortly after to try and add some weight to his forward line, and it almost paid immediate dividends, Parkin putting Fuller through and only a last-ditch tackle from Cahill preventing an almost certain equaliser.
In the 72nd minute Webber spun and struck a sweet strike that went narrowly over, but the visitors seemed content to sit on their lead.
Six minutes later Stoke handed a debut to Jamaican midfielder Demar Phillips to give them more attacking impetus on the left, and he was soon denied a penalty after bursting into the area and going to ground under Cahill's challenge.
Four minutes from time Fuller headed a throw back across the area and Parkin headed goalwards but was denied by an alert Bennett.
Deep into injury-time Stoke laid siege to the United goal and after Fuller also had claims for a penalty waved away, Shawcross' stinging volley was saved acrobatically and the visitors held on for the win.
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