'It was crazy' - Carl Asaba remembers Sheffield United win over Wednesday that made the city red

Sheffield United's victory over rivals Wednesday on this day in 2001 will bring a smile to any Blade's face. But it won't be as big as the one Carl Asaba sports whenever he remembers that 2-1 win at Hillsborough.

It was a hugely important three points, not just for Asaba, who introduced himself in some style by scoring the winning goal and writing his name into United history, but to the club itself.

With the city having been in the hands of rivals Wednesday for some time, the balance of power was starting to shift towards the red half of the city and this win was the catalyst.

United had gone seven derby matches without success and had not won at Hillsborough since Bobby Davison's double in 1992.

It was also the 100th Steel City derby and United were very much the underdogs with Wednesday the more fancied outfit and a team of bigger name stars.

Having played in cup finals and at Wembley, Asaba was no stranger to big games. But this was something he had never experienced before.

"I remember the week building up to the match because I was being stopped in the shops, on the streets 'you can't lose to them' and it was something I wasn't used to," he told Yorkshire Live.

"In London, where I had been, you didn't really have derbies like that, but it was the intensity. It was something I had never been used to. I had played and scored at Hillsborough with Gillingham a few weeks before, so I was aware of the ground and the fans, but I wasn't prepared for the atmosphere that greeted us.

"It was something else, really, really special. I have played at Wembley in front of 70,000 against Man City and played in some big matches, a couple of play-off finals, but that was something to behold, a real atmosphere."

It was only the then