City 2, Sheffield United 2

CITY will be scratching their heads this morning at how they did not come out on top in a pulsating Yorkshire derby.

Sky Sports and the telly viewers got their money's worth from a High Noon showdown at Valley Parade that had a bit of everything.

But in the cold light of day, Phil Parkinson's troops will reflect on a win that was squandered away as traditional bogey team Sheffield United climbed off the canvas to grab an unexpected point.

For an hour, the Blades were not in the game as City played with the confidence and belief of a side in form.

A goal from the rarest of sources, James Meredith, and then another from the most predictable, Devante Cole, were no more than the hosts had deserved.

But then it all fell apart as the Blades struck twice in the space of four minutes to blow their advantage to smithereens.

There could still have been a dramatic repeat of the last-gasp win in the previous home game but James Hanson's header was cleared off the line with the final touch of the day to leave the permanently-positive Nigel Adkins by far the happier of the two managers.

Over a month after joining the club, Brad Jones finally got his first outing as Ben Williams paid the price for his Fleetwood blunder.

The former Liverpool stopper was hardly a stranger to the big occasion but he had not featured in a senior game since Boxing Day.

Josh Morris' knee injury gave winger Paul Anderson the opportunity to start justifying his reputation and a third change saw Lee Evans preferred to Billy Knott in the City engine room. That looked an inspired switch on Parkinson's part as the Welshman was hugely influential.

City's recent record against the Blades has been a miserable one but they were facing a side stung by back-to-back home losses.

Adkins has encouraged the Bramall Lane faithful to board the 'Bladesacoaster' this season but the defeats to Bury and Colchester were dips nobody saw coming.

City looked to prey on any uncertainty with a lively opening and Evans was at the forefront with his set-piece accuracy.

His first just eluded Cole before Rory McArdle met another with a goalbound touch that was blocked by keeper Mark Howard.

He was also called into action to save Hanson's header from a Mark Marshall cross as City piled on the early pressure.

City looked to have a fair shout for a penalty when Anderson went down under Chris Basham's tackle but referee Neil Swarbrick indicated the defender had got a piece of the ball.

Billy Sharp had the ball in the City net just before the half-hour mark but his lob was ruled out early for offside. It was a sign that Sheffield United were growing more into the game and the more subdued atmosphere reflected that.

City v Sheffield Utd match pictures

But that all changed after 34 minutes as City grabbed the lead they had threatened with a move started and finished by Meredith.

The left back fed Anderson for a cross aimed towards Cole and continued his run into the penalty area. David Edgar misdirected his clearing header and Basham failed to react to Meredith's run, allowing him to clip the ball past Howard from the tightest of angles.

It was only the Australian's second goal in City colours – the previous one had come way back in October 2012 against Cheltenham.

Sheffield United's backline was creaking like one that had shipped six goals in their last two games and those nerves were evident again as skipper Jay McEveley nodded Anderson's cross back towards his own goal before they could clear.

City's domination up to the break was such that Jones had only been involved once to catch a looping header from Marc McNulty.

There was no hint of a let-up after the break – with City doubling their lead just two minutes in.

Gary Liddle's ball over the top should have been dealt with but Edgar played it against Cole and the deflection took it past Howard in front of a screaming Kop.

It may have been a lucky break for City but, like Meredith's opener, came from the sheer persistence of the home player to chase the cause down. Cole deserved his reward for that.

The Blades looked buried at that point but Adkins threw on two strikers, Jose Baxter and Conor Sammon, to liven things up. It was to prove a pivotal switch as the visitors suddenly possessed a physical threat against a previously-unruffled home back four.

Baxter quickly set up Neill Collins for a header over before Sheffield United halved the deficit on 66 minutes. It was another softish goal, City failing to react to Craig Alcock's long throw as Basham flicked home a header off Meredith.

The momentum had shifted – and within four minutes the Blades were level. Baxter was the architect with a searching long pass which Sharp brought down. Jones saved his first shot but the former Leeds man followed up to bury the rebound.

The contest was up for grabs again. Anderson tested Howard with a header, McNulty responding with a drive past the side-netting.

Marshall narrowly missed the far corner with an angled drive but the Blades fancied the win just as much by that point and Jones threw himself across goal to keep out a stoppage-time header from Collins.

There was still time for one final City threat as sub Knott's corner picked out Hanson. His header was flying towards the net but Baxter was in the right place at the right time to turn it over the bar before Swarbrick could bring the breathless proceedings to a halt.

A great advert for League One and Yorkshire football, no doubt. But a big opportunity gone begging from a claret and amber perspective.

Attendance: 19,317