Sheffield Utd lead Walsall at break

A solitary strike from Tommy Mooney gave Sheffield United the advantage over their fellow Division One opponents Walsall.

Michael Brown broke down the left and, after beating two defenders, he drilled his shot in at goalkeeper James Walker who could not hold onto the ball and Mooney side-footed home from close-range in the 37th minute.

United had enjoyed the better exchanges in the half with Walker tipping Steve Kabba’s cut-back from Michael Tonge’s cross around the post.

However, Darren Wrack tested Paddy Kenny with a curling, long-range shot after Shaun Murphy blocked Junior’s passage to goal.

A match low on incident made it difficult to tell the difference between the Premiership and Division One combatants.

Tommy Smith threatened for Watford when he crossed to Micah Hyde but he choked his shot and the ball bobbled through to goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Sunderland went straight down the other end and Kevin Phillips’ 30-yard strike went just wide as the half finished goalless.

Norwich could have been behind as early as the fourth minute at St Mary’s Stadium as

Southampton’s Brett Ormerod drilled a shot against a post but the visitors recovered from that scare to go in 0-0 at half-time.

The Canaries were not overawed and Paul McVeigh’s 25-yard strike went inches past Antti Niemi’s post before David Nielsen latched onto a through-ball only to be denied by the advancing Niemi.

New England cap James Beattie tested Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green with a 30-yard free-kick which had to pushed over the crossbar.

Late on in the half Beattie met a right-wing cross with a downward header but Green was up to the task.