2-2 v Sheffield United - 28 January 2015 - Away

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 2

Sheffield United

Sheffield United

2

  • Adams
    77'
    79'
Details
Match Number

7105

Opposition
Sheffield united

Sheffield United

Opposition Level

3

Competition
League cup

League Cup

Round / Leg

Semi Final - 2nd Leg

Won On Aggregate

Season

2014/15

Date

28th January 2015

Kick Off

19:45

Venue

Bramall Lane

Attendance

30,236

Referee

Mike Dean

Weather at Kick Off

2.2° - Clear

Facts & Milestones
  • 7069th overall match (3362 wins, 1558 draws, 2136 losses)

  • 5497th competitive match (2462 wins, 1290 draws, 1745 losses)

  • team

    96th match vs Sheffield United (38 wins, 28 draws, 30 losses)

  • competition

    205th League Cup match (123 wins, 30 draws, 52 losses)

  • 6473rd match in England (3030 wins, 1456 draws, 1974 losses)

  • 47th match at Bramall Lane (8 wins, 15 draws, 24 losses)

  • 8th consecutive match with a goal scored

Report

Tottenham survived a strong fightback from League One side Sheffield United to set up a League Cup final with Chelsea after another late goal from Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen's magnificent first-half free-kick put Spurs 2-0 up on aggregate.

United's 18-year-old substitute Che Adams then struck twice from close range in three minutes, bringing the prospect of extra time into focus.

But Eriksen secured a 3-2 aggregate win with a composed low finish.

Spurs beat Chelsea in the League Cup final in 2008 for their last piece of silverware, and the two London sides will now meet again at Wembley on Sunday 1 March, just three days after Tottenham's Europa League trip away to Fiorentina.

Jose Mourinho's Blues will start as favourites but Spurs will take confidence from both their superb 5-3 win over Chelsea on New Year's Day and the canny knack of Eriksen to score important late goals.

Four times this season, the Dane has scored decisive goals in the 87th minute or later.

Spurs held a 1-0 lead after last week's first leg at White Hart Lane, but Blades boss Nigel Clough had lost only three out of 21 cup games in charge and had already knocked out Premier League sides West Ham and Southampton in this season's League Cup, and seen his team win 3-0 at top-flight Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round.

The hosts needed to score the first goal and had the game's earliest chance when Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm - retained despite a shocking mistake in their weekend FA Cup loss to Leicester - spilled a cross, but Jamie Murphy's shot was blocked on the line by former Blades defender Kyle Walker.

With heavy snow falling and backed by a full house at Bramall Lane, the hosts may have sensed a chance to build pressure, but Vorm was not tested again as Spurs took charge.

Harry Kane was a constant menace up front but passed up at least four good chances before Eriksen bent in a wonderful 25-yard free-kick off the inside of the post.

That left United needing to score twice to send the game to extra time, but despite an improved display they created little until a manic last 15 minutes.

Adams, a recent signing from non-league side Ilkeston Town, had only played 136 minutes of professional football and scored his first senior goal with a composed finish at the back post from Ryan Flynn's excellent cross.

And when Adams controlled a Murphy cross to fire in with the help of an Eric Dier deflection two minutes later, Bramall Lane sensed another cup upset after the weekend's FA Cup heroics from Bradford and Middlesbrough.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen clashed with Chris Basham as the Blades looked for a third, but Eriksen steered Spurs into the final with two minutes remaining, running on to Kane's pass to calmly slot home left-footed from the edge of the penalty area.

Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough: "I'm incredibly proud of the players, to run a team like Spurs so close, that bit of quality made the difference.

"We knew one goal would change the complexion. We got the second and then had a chance for a third and just missed it.

"We were disappointed when we came away from White Hart Lane with a 1-0 defeat and we're even more so tonight, as we came so close."

Timeline
KO

Michael Doyle

45'
HT

Ryan Flynn

58'

Ché Adams

77'

Ché Adams

79'

Chris Basham

90'
FT
Location
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