Football: BLADES BOSS: WE ARE OUT OF IT NOW; THE BATTLE FOR PROMOTION: SHEFF UTD 1 IPSWICH 1.

Byline: IAN EDWARDS 

SHEFFIELD UNITED boss Neil Warnock last night wrote off his side's chances of making the First Division play-offs.

The Blades were held to a draw at Bramall Lane by fellow top-six hopefuls Ipswich and now Warnock feels there will be no end-of-season jamboree.

United have won just two of their last eight matches and must now rely on other teams giving them a helping hand, combined with a last-day victory at Preston next weekend, to lift them into the play-off places.

But Warnock is already planning for next season and he said: "I should be saying the right things, such as while it's mathematically possible we will give it our best shot.

"But, for me, we've no chance now. You don't get the results that we now need tomorrow. I am not that much of an optimist. It has been frustrating over the last six weeks. It is clear we have not been good enough.

"I have been here for four-and-a-half years now and every two years or so we have had to change things and it's that time again. We are at the stage where we've got one or two young lads coming through and there are one or two Bosmans I can pick up in the summer.

"I believe Sheffield United fans can look forward to an exciting future."

After last season's play-off final defeat by Wolves, Warnock said he would give it one more season before bowing out.

But the 55-year-old signed a new contract earlier in this campaign and now is determined to see that through.

Ipswich boss Joe Royle will spend the summer cursing referee Eddie Ilderton if Ipswich fail to make it into the play-offs.

Royle was satisfied with the point earned by Ian Westlake's 71st-minute strike that edged them closer to a top-six finish, and what was even more pleasing for the Ipswich boss was the manner in which his side rallied after Andy Gray's seventh goal of the season - from the penalty spot after 64 minutes - threatened to send his side crashing to what would have been a damaging defeat.

But less than satisfactory for Royle was the Tyne and Wear official he said denied Ipswich two "blatant" penalties.

Twice, Chris Morgan was shown by TV replays to have handled in the area - first after a shot from Jermain Wright and then a cross from Darren Bent.

"The second one from Bent was a blatant penalty. I was going to say the referee was partially sighted, but he was not in the best place to see it," said Royle. "But the referee's assistant was only 15 yards away. If he is not going to give those decisions. What is he there for?

"For two officials to miss something like that it is unforgivable, really. It was a good point and we would have settled for it, but when you have decisions like that go against you it is hard to take."

Victory over Cardiff on the final day will keep alive Royle's hopes of making it an East Anglian double with Norwich in the Premiership.

It has been a remarkable turn-around after they were bottom of Division One six games into the campaign.

He added: "I have always said we needed four points from our last two games and nothing has changed, but I would have settled for that after our start."

CAPTION(S):

GET REAL: Sheffield United striker Wayne Allison powers in a header above Ipswich's John McGreal at Bramall Lane last night; WARNOCK: "We've no chance"