Middlesbrough beat Stockport County 3-1 yesterday to lead the Nationwide First Division into the new year, but the non-appearance of Emerson after his Christmas break at home in Brazil took the edge off their celebrations. Emerson, who went missing at one stage last season, was given permission by Robson to return home during a two-match suspension, but he was expected back for the game against Stockport. "We got a telephone call yesterday saying that Emerson had not got on a plane to arrive back in England. Substitute not used: Fjortoft.Charlton Athletic: Salmon; Brown, Bowen, Jones, Rufus, Chapple, Newton, Kinsella (Parker, 71), Robinson (Barness, 66), Mendonca, Leaburn (Bright, 66).Referee: G Laws (Whitley Bay).Bookings: Charlton: Chapple, Parker.Man of the match: Borbokis.Attendance: 18,677.. Borbokis produced a teasing cross, Taylor headed against a post and Deane bundled the loose ball over the line for his 13th goal of the season.Nicky Marker finished off Charlton in the 64th minute with a text-book header at the far post from a Borbokis free-kick. Kelly foiled Mendonca, diving bravely at his feet, and the former United striker fired over the top before the substitute Mark Bright netted for Charlton a minute from time heading in a Scott Parker corner.Goals: Taylor (8) 1-0; Saunders (32) 2-0; Deane (57) 3-0; Marker (64) 4-0; Bright (89) 4-1.Sheffield United: Kelly; Borbokis (Stuart, 77), Woodhouse, Ford, Lee, Nilsen, Saunders, Marker, Taylor, Deane (Kachuro, 80), Hutchison. Don Hutchison picked out Curtis Woodhouse on the left flank, he found Dean Saunders whose first-time shot cannoned off a post and Gareth Taylor finished from close range.Carl Leaburn hit the bar for Charlton and Alan Kelly, who has reclaimed his place in the United goal from the injured Simon Tracey, palmed a fierce shot from Shaun Newton around a post before United grabbed a second goal, carved out by Borbokis, when Saunders drilled the ball past Mike Salmon from close range.Brian Deane added a third in the 57th minute. Sheffield United 4 Charlton Athletic 1 Sheffield United demolished their London promotion rivals with a four- goal blitz to leapfrog over Alan Curbishley's side. The Greek international Vas Borbokis played a starring role with a hand in all four goals before running himself into the ground and being substituted in the 77th minute.Nigel Spackman's side produced one of their best displays of the season against a Charlton team that arrived at Bramall Lane with four straight wins behind them.The Sheffield side swept ahead in the eighth minute with a sweet four- man move started by Borbokis which sliced through the Charlton back four. Substitute not used: Snijders.Wolverhampton Wanderers: Stowell, Muscat, Froggatt, Atkins, Richards, Curle, Goodman (Paatelainen, 40), Simpson, Keane (Robinson, h-t), Freedman, Osborn. Substitute not used: Daley.Referee: P Taylor (Cheshunt).Booked: Wolves: Paatelainen.Man of the match: Richards.Attendance: 10,898.. Port Vale 0 Wolves 2 Dean Richards was outstanding in defence after his comeback from a long injury lay-off and earned fulsome praise from his manage, Mark McGhee "Dean was excellent," he said. "He has had two outstanding games and to do that so soon speaks volumes for his ability. Port Vale are now on their worst run since 1983 - this was their six consecutive loss but their manager John Rudge insisted: "We were the better team."Vale's lively start made nonsense of recent form as they forced five corners in the opening four minutes. A header from the former Wolves striker Lee Mills was cleared off the line by Kevin Muscat in the second minute while Paul Simpson repeated the feat, this time denying Tony Naylor.But atrocious conditions soon made quality football impossible with the players struggling to keep their feet.Against the run of play the visitors took the lead in injury-time with their first serious attack. Muscat played a one-two with Mark Atkins before beating Paul Musselwhite with a fierce shot inside the near post.Vale twice came close to an equaliser in the early stages of the second half when Wayne Corden's effort flicked the bar and then Mills muscled his way through but Richards got back to hack off the line.The home side never gave up with a Corden cross bouncing on the bar and Andy Porter's shot skimming just wide, but Doug Freedman rolled in the second three minutes from time to secure the points for Wolves.Goals: Muscat 45 (1-0); Freedman 87 (2-0).Port Vale: Musselwhite, Talbot, Tankard, Bogie, Hill, Beesley, Ainsworth, Porter, Mills, Naylor (Foyle, 80), Corden (Jansson, 80). It was the first goal Sunderland had conceded in six matches.Sunderland took control in the second half but Whitehead kept them out with a series of fine saves.. Substitute not used: HjeldeReferee: A Wiley (Burntwood).Bookings: Manchester City: Dickov, Brannan; Nottingham Forest: Woan, Bonalair, Cooper.Man of the match: Campbell.Attendance: 31,839.. Oxford United 1 Sunderland 1 Sunderland extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches with a battling draw at the Manor Ground yesterday. Two solid defences limited the number of clear-cut chances and a point each was a fair result. Oxford, under their caretaker manager Malcolm Crosby, were twice dangerous through Joey Beauchamp early on. But it was Sunderland who took the lead with a fortunate goal after 14 minutes.Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips combined to give Nicky Summerbee a shooting chance and his low shot took a wicked deflection off Phillips and beat the unsighted Phil Whitehead.Oxford equalised after 27 minutes when the defender Darren Holloway handled a Stuart Massey corner and Nigel Jemson sent Lionel Perez the wrong way from the penalty spot. All three goals were preventable and we got punished for it.''Goals: Van Hooijdonk (pen 31) 0-1; Campbell (52) 0-2; Van Hooijdonk (pen 56) 0-3; Shelia (57) 1-3; Dickov (80) 2-3.Manchester City (4-4-2): Wright; Brightwell, Wiekens, Shelia, Vaughan (Van Blerk, h-t); Brannan, Russell, Kinkladze, Brown (Scully, 75); Dickov, Rosler. Substitute not used: Whitley.Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Beasant; Lyttle, Cooper, Chettle, Rogers; Stone, Johnson (Armstrong, 88), Gemmill, Woan (Bonalair, 41); Van Hooijdonk, Campbell.