Sheffield United 1, Aston Villa United 3....

The unity Villa and their fans showed at Bramall Lane might mean Sweet FA if the claret and blues’ tense Premier League survival mission fatally falters.

But, as Gerard Houllier’s top-flight strugglers kept their season alive, the only remaining quest for silverware also offered up another heartening silver lining in a cloudier-than-expected campaign.

Not the fact that Villa are a step closer to Wembley – because many fans would willingly trade a trip to the home of football this season for guaranteed trips to the homes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea et al next season. (Equally, the winning mentality and feelgood effect of progressing in the cup could yet revitalise Villa).

But the biggest result in South Yorkshire at the weekend, bigger than the 3-1 win and the subsequent fourth-round tie against Blackburn, was the resounding realisation that Villa’s players, management and fans are in this together.

If it wasn’t completely apparent before Saturday then it is now – give the claret and blue supporters just a slither of encouragement and boy will they support you.

Despite dropping into the bottom three, despite calls for his head and despite Liverpool stepping up the sack race by removing Roy Hodgson, Houllier wasn’t quite in need of a miracle.

But, for a manager who has inadvertently specialised in turning things into whines, pleasing the 5,000 – the 5,000 vociferous away fans, that is – certainly hasn’t done him any harm ahead of next weekend’s Second City survival six-pointer at Birmingham. Villa’s wonderful following gave their confidence-shy side the platform to thrive with raucous, positive backing throughout. They might have put the chant in disenchantment after the Sunderland shocker, but that ‘Sacked in the Morning’ song soon became a ‘We’re going to Wembley’ ditty.

The away fans roared Villa on as Houllier’s players exploited the fragilities of Micky Adams’ Championship relegation contenders, who were missing a whole team’s worth of injured senior players.

How Sheffield could have done with Kyle Walker, the boyhood Blade who crowned a dream Villa debut by returning to cut his hometown club apart. Walker, the right-back on loan from Tottenham, had never scored before.

So a first career strike, especially a stylish stroll from near the halfway line and calm clip past the keeper to put his new team in front after just nine minutes should have been a cause for celebration.