Danny Hall tracks down former Blades hero Alan Kelly for his view on where the derby will be won or lost
SHEFFIELD United legend Alan Kelly believes Blades goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has come back “better than ever” after his error in the last Steel City derby.
As United prepare for the short journey to Hillsborough on Sunday, Kelly believes that Simonsen’s experience will prove crucial as Danny Wilson’s men aim to continue their push for automatic promotion back to the Championship.
Veteran stopper Simonsen, 32, came under fire from large sections of the Bramall Lane crowd in October as United threw away a two-goal lead against their fiercest rivals, who scored twice in the last eight minutes.
Stephen Quinn and Ched Evans had put United 2-0 up within the first 20 minutes at Bramall Lane – but Gary Madine broke the home side’s hearts with a dramatic equaliser after Simonsen came for a cross and was beaten to the ball.
Subsequent inconsistent displays – in a 4-2 win at Preston North End and a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient – led United manager Wilson to drop Simonsen from his starting XI, instead playing teenage understudy George Long.
But since being restored to the United starting line-up, Simonsen has been in imperious form and the recent hard-fought 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town – in which he produced stunning saves to deny Danny Ward and Oscar Gobern – was his fourth clean sheet in five League One games.
Simonsen will once again be tested aerially against Wednesday but Kelly, who spent seven years at Bramall Lane after arriving from Preston, believes that he will be able to cope.
“Every mistake you make as a goalkeeper is scrutinised, and more often than not they result in conceding goals,” Kelly, 43, told the Yorkshire Post.
“Goalkeepers know this every time they go out onto the pitch. I am biased, obviously, but it really is the hardest position to play – and especially in derby games.
“The occasion puts massive pressure on players, and goalkeepers in particular.
“But Steve is experienced enough to handle it, of that there is no doubt. He was left out for a while, and now he’s come back better than ever.
“Of course, he’ll be determined to put things right after the last derby, but he’d have been determined to do well for his team anyway. It’s just important he puts that out of his mind and doesn’t let himself get carried away – if he does that, then he risks letting down the team, the club and the fans.
“It’s a goalkeeper’s job to be that calming voice on the pitch and, if you’re called upon, give your team a chance to nick a point and maybe even all three.”
With both Sheffield teams firmly in the promotion mix – United occupy second position on 62 points while Wednesday sit in third on 57 – the 127th competitive meeting between the two rivals will be one of the most eagerly anticipated in recent memory, and over 35,000 fans are expected.
During a spell at Preston’s Centre of Excellence, Kelly saw Wednesday at close quarters and believes that the style of football between the two teams is “miles apart”.
“Wednesday are a direct and physical team, so United will have to stand up to that,” he said.
“But if they can get onto the ball and play how they’re capable of playing, I’m tipping a sneaky away win.”
Kelly made 217 league appearances for United before moving to Blackburn Rovers, and won 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Unsurprisingly, he rates the Sheffield derby as one of the biggest games of his career.
“The atmosphere that these games generate is unbelievable, and the passion is unrivalled,” said Kelly, the Republic of Ireland’s goalkeeping coach.
“Everyone always asks me about the 1993 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley (which Wednesday won 2-1 thanks to Chris Waddle and Mark Bright, Alan Cork scoring for United).
“But the derby that always sticks in my mind was my first ever; and my sixth game in a United shirt. Someone had set off a red flare or two, and it reminded me of a Milan derby.
“Some of the tackles were unreal, too – I remember Mark Bright almost cut Paul Beesley in half, and nowadays there’d have been five red cards. But games like this show how much football means to the people of Sheffield, and United fans in particular.
“In the tunnel, the hairs on the back of my neck really did stand up and I thought to myself ‘bloody hell, Kelly, this isn’t a game for the faint-hearted.’
“It was a great introduction to my Sheffield United career, and I’ll never forget my time there.”
Kelly’s affinity with the Sheffield United supporters was so strong that he turned down a loan move to Hillsborough during his time at Blackburn Rovers.
“Paul Jewell wanted to take me on loan, and I just said to him ‘you’re joking, surely?’” Kelly recalls.
“I’d spent seven happy years at Bramall Lane, so I turned it down straight away. It wasn’t Paul Jewell, but someone at Wednesday said to me ‘United don’t pay your mortgage any more’. But I didn’t care.
“There was no chance I could go and play for them. Once a Blade, always a Blade.”
