Hammer and Tonge

If they should stumble, still blinking and blundering, into the Championship abyss, Alan Curbishley's under-achievers will surely recall the 39th minute at Bramall Lane as the catalyst for their downfall.

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Their mood went swiftly from one of relief, when Anton Ferdinand escaped a red card from the hapless Steve Bennett, to one of disbelief as Tonge delivered one of the free-kicks of the Premiership season.

Only Tonge's second goal of a campaign that the midfielder has found difficult, it was the breakthrough that triggered a steel-tempered performance to silence the nay-sayers writing off Neil Warnock's men.

Skipper Phil Jagielka and the magnificent Jon Stead added the second-half goals that gave Sheffield a firmer grip of the survival lifeline and left stunned West Ham to contemplate a doom-laden fixture list.

Jagielka and Warnock left the pitch deep in conversation amid the carnival celebrations of a 31,000-plus Bramall Lane crowd and for once these avid anglers were not bemoaning the one that got away.

But it was Tonge's strike, after Ferdinand balked goal-bound striker Christian Nade, that breathed fresh life into a team that had looked like relegation fodder only a week earlier after defeat against Newcastle.

Tonge, relegated to the bench that day, has found the Premiership tough but said: "I couldn't really have hit it any better. It was just what we needed, we didn't want to be chasing the game in that weather. The way the wall was set up, I thought that if I got it round the outside man the keeper might struggle because he wasn't going to be able to see — and that proved to be the case.

"We've been on a bit of a bad run and there was a lot of pressure on this game. The lads showed a lot of courage to come out and play as well as we did at times."

Tonge was one of the stars of United's near-miss season four years ago when, as a Championship side, they reached the semi-finals of both FA and League Cups before losing the play-off final to Wolves.

He said: "Staying up would make this a better season than that one. The Premier League is where everybody wants to be and it is a lot more difficult league-wise to get consistent results.

"This year we've done well. We have adapted well and have given ourselves a real chance with five games to go. Hopefully, we can do it but we know we are far from there at the minute."

Jagielka was the other jewel in United's crown in the class of 2003. Having resisted several suitors, West Ham included, he has switched from midfield to centre back in the seamless manner of a quality player.

His was a classic defender's goal from a poorly defended corner and Stead provided the late bonus of a superb goal from open play.

When he hit the unstoppable third beyond Green, it gave United their biggest win of the campaign and it was the first time they had scored three in the Premiership since March 1994 — a 3-2 win over West Ham.

Sheffield went down that season while Billy Bonds' men finished 13th. How Curbishley would settle for a repeat as he prepares for a week when Chelsea and Everton could send West Ham down.

They need to find the stomach for a scrap against four top-six clubs plus Wigan, but Curbishley refused to point the finger at Baby Bentley' players who looked like they were out for a Sunday spin.

He said: "I've told them Sheffield came out of too many skirmishes. There were too many 60-40s in our favour that were turned round. You need to win more of them.

"But I've not managed to turn it round and I take full responsibility. I've had 20-odd games to try, I've still got five left. The players have shown me ability in training, but we haven't quite put that on to the pitch. We're all in this together. I'm not going to blame anybody, I'm a major part of it. We have to think about how to attack Chelsea now and get a result."

Old Trafford tomorrow night is unlikely to enhance Sheffield's goal difference, but with home games to come against Watford and Wigan, Warnock has already factored an honourable defeat into his plans.

THE RUN-INS

Sheffield Utd

Tomorrow - MAN UTD (a)

Saturday - CHARLTON (a)

April 28 - WATFORD (h)

May 5 - ASTON VILLA (a)

May 13 - WIGAN (h)

West Ham United

Wednesday - CHELSEA (h)

Saturday - EVERTON (h)

April 28 - WIGAN (a)

May 5 - BOLTON (h)

May 13 - MAN UTD (a)