A GARTH Crooks penalty fired Stoke back to the summit of the Second Division in a game which marked midfielder Howard Kendall's 500th League appearance.

Kendall was typically heavily involved in a tightly-fought encounter at the Victoria Ground.

Stoke took the lead as early as the seventh minute when a Geoff Scott cross was headed home by Brendan O'Callaghan.

It was a great start for the Potters, but the Blades responded incisively and Kendall relished his battle with Argentinian opponent Alex Sabella in the middle of the park.

Roger Jones did well to touch away a fierce shot from Mick Speight after it cannoned off a Stoke defender.

But it was Stoke who should have claimed the game's second goal after 25 minutes. A fine run by Sammy Irvine set up the chance for Crooks from close range, but he fired straight at United keeper Conroy.

The visitors stepped up the ante and Jones needed to collect Sabella's swirling free-kick underneath his bar before a change of ends brought a change of fortunes for Harry Haslam's team.

Yet not initially, as Franks booted miserably over with the goal at his mercy after Sabella's corner was only half cleared by Stoke.

While O'Callaghan came close with a header on the end of a free-kick Sheffield had failed to clear, there was a growing threat from the Yorkshiremen in the second half.

And it duly brought an equaliser after 68 minutes when Calvert floated over a cross from the right and Jones was left stranded by Anderson's well-placed header.

Stoke responded well to the shock of being pegged back and Conroy was forced out of his area to clear from the marauding Paul Richardson.

And the visitors were left to angrily contest referee Walmsley's award of a penalty after Andy Keeley climbed on the back of Crooks with 16 minutes left.

The home striker made up for his first-half miss and ended his goalless spell by blasting the ball home hard past Conroy.

As the game developed a frantic pace in the closing minutes, Sabella and Matthews had efforts blocked by defenders, while Richardson's speculative lob just sailed over at the other end, before Stoke were able to claim their seventh league win of the season.

STOKE: Jones, Marsh, Scott, Kendall, Smith, Doyle, Dodd, Irvin, O'Callaghan, Crooks, Richardson. Sub: T Conroy.

SHEFFIELD UNITED: S Conroy, Franks, Calvert, Kenworthy, Matthews, Speight, Anderson, Keeley, Finnieston, Sabella, Hamson. Sub: Stainrod.