Full-time: Sheff Utd 2-2 Spurs (agg: 2-3)
That was an entertaining game played in rather unpleasant conditions and it was ultimately a heroic effort from the third tier side. However, for the fourth time this season, Christian Eriksen stepped up after the 87th minute to win the day for his team. Thanks for your time and your emails - I suggest you head over to Atletico Madrid v Barcelona, where Paul Doyle appears to be covering a completely bonkers game. Good night.
Spurs advance to the Capital One Cup final
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Bramall Lane, where a 2-2 draw on the night is enough to send Tottenham Hotspur into their eighth League Cup final. They looked to have put the tie well beyond Sheffield United courtesy of a goal from Christian Eriksen, but the introduction of Che Adams turned the game on its head. The 18-year-old scored two quick goals, but yet another late, late strike from Eriksen won the match for Spurs. They’ll play Chelsea at Wembley on the first day of March.
Updated
90+4 min: The fall-out from all that? Vorm is OK to continue after getting treatment, Basham gets booked for his excessive enthusiasm and Vertonghen is given a reprieve.
90+2 min: Basham tries to latch on to a through-ball, but is beaten to it by Michel Vorm. The Sheffield United defender slides in and clatters Vorm, angering Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker. Vertonghen grabs Basham round the throat, prompting the defender to fall to the ground, whereupon Walker tells him to get to his feet and stop making a meal of a light challenge.
Updated
90+1 min: Murphy advances down the insdie right channel and tries to pick out Chris Basham, who’s up from the back in attack. The ball goes out for a goal-kick.
89 min: Spurs substitution: Danny Rose on for Ryan Mason. There’ll be four minutes of added time.
GOAL! Sheff Utd 2-2 Spurs (agg: 2-3)
88 min: Christian Eriksen puts Spurs ahead with another wonderful finish. Running on to a through ball, he calmly slotted it into the bottom right-hand corner with a low diagonal effort from about six yards out.
Updated
85 min: While Che Adams will take the headlines should Sheffield United make the final, his team-mates Ryan Flynn and Jamie Murphy deserve plenty of credit for helping to tee him up for both goals with two fine crosses.
84 min: Sheffield United have Spurs on the ropes. With plenty of goal to aim at, Louis Reed sends a shot fizzing over the bar from about 16 yards after the ball takes a bit of a bobble.
81 min: Deep in Spurs territory, Sheffield United win a corner down by the corner flag. From the ensuing throw-in, Stefan Scougall is teed up for a long-range shot. His love drive is on target, but doesn’t trouble Michel Vorm. As things stand, this match is going to extra-time. Sheffield United will have to score again if they are to win the tie, as Spurs have the advantage of an away goal that is only counted at the end of extra time.
GOAL! Sheff Utd 2-1 Spurs (agg: 2-2)
A Sheffield United star is born. Che Adams scores again - this time with a long range effort that takes a deflection off Eric Dier. Hats off to Jamie Murphy, who set up the goal with a wonderful cross from the right after an industrious, jinking run down the flank.
Updated
GOAL! Sheffield Utd 1-1 Spurs (agg 1-2)
Seconds after taking to the field, Che Adams, a signing from non-league side Ilkeston Town, scores his first goal for Sheffield United. He’s just 18 years old and opens his account with a fine side-footed effort from the corner of the eight-yard box after the ball had rolled his way from the right. That’s an inspired substitution from Nigel Clough.
Updated
73 min: Spurs substitution: Andros Townsend on for Erik Lamela. Sheffield United double-substitution: Che Adams (winger) and Michael Higdon (burly striker) on for Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Marc McNulty.
@bglendenning Mcnulty up front for the blades wondering why their tactics aren't working against Spurs pic.twitter.com/eTQGUGrPyP
— Jezz Dresner (@Bishonen_boy) January 28, 2015
70 min: Scougall and Murphy combine down the left for Sheffield United and eventually work a cross into the Spurs penalty area. Marc McNulty handles the ball as he tries to control it and Michel Vorm hoofs the ensuing free-kick up the park.
68 min: Ryan Mason is put through on goal by Erik Lamela, only to be denied a glorious scoring opportunity by a brilliant covering challenge from Jose Baxter. Sheffield United need two goals in 20 minutes and are still playing with one up front. Seems a bit rum to me, but there you go.
66 min: Spurs win another free-kick directly about 30 yards from the Sheffield United goal, a mite left of centre. Harry Kane fancies this one and gets his shot on target, but it doesn’t trouble Mark Howard unduly.
65 min: Sheffield United substitute: Michael Doyle off, Louis Reed on for a walk on the wild side. Tottenham substitution: Moussa Dembele off, Paulinho on.
63 min: Ryan Flynn is sucked into a challenge by Ben Davies and is very, very lucky not to get a second yellow card from Mike Dean. Free-kick for Spurs a couple of yards outside the Sheffield United penalty area, well left of centre. Christian Eriksen sends it into the wall again.
60 min: Jose Baxter tries a shot from distance and drags it wide of the upright. As far as I can remember, Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm has only been tested once in this match. It was a test he failed.
Updated
59 min: Moussa Dembele loses his balance as he attempts to score from a long way out. His effort sails high and wide.
58 min: Sheffield United right-back Ryan Flynn gets booked for clipping the heels of Moussa Dembele.
57 min: Jan Vertonghen does well to block an attempted cross from Campbell Ryce, who’d attacked down the right flank. Most of Sheffield United’s forays into Spurs territory are going down the other flank.
55 min: Nothing comes from the free-kick. Sheffield United are doing well at the moment, controlling possession but creating little or nothing in the way of chances.
54 min: Moussa Dembele fouls Jamie Murphy after the winger gets in behind him and makes tracks for the left-side of the Spurs penalty area. The Spurs midfielder gets booked for his troubles.
53 min: Marc McNulty wins a corner for Sheffield United. The ball’s swung into the mixer and Harry Kane heads clear.
51 min: Jamie Murphy shoots from the edge of the final third, dragging a low effort wide of the upright. It was a bit over-ambitious and on the touchline, Nigel Clough looks less than impressed.
50 min: A good start to this second half from Sheffield United, who haven’t made any changes yet and are still playing with just Marc McNulty up front.
49 min: Moments before that free-kick was conceded, Jan Vertonghen had caused his team all sorts of problems with a woeful attempted clearance with his head. He got away with it.
48 min: Sheffield United win a free kick wide on the left, a good way out from the Sheffield United goal. The ball’s floated in towards the near post, where Kyle Walker heads clear.
47 min: Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason gets booked for a foul on Stefan Scougall.
Second half is GO at Bramall Lane ...
46 min: Moussa Dembele drives forward and plays the ball left and forward to Harry Kane. The striker twists and turns, before shooting a few feet wide of the left upright. No changes on either team.
HT at Bramall Lane: Sheff Utd 0-1 Spurs (agg: 0-2)
The teams go in for their half-time brew with Spurs leading courtesy of a splendid Christian Eriksen free-kick. Despite a good start, Sheffield United were in all sorts of bother by the time Mike Dean blew for the interval and will be glad of this opportunity to regroup.
45 min: Eriksen fails to make it two from two, firing this effort straight into the defensive wall.
44 min: Ryan Mason wins another free-kick in a Eriksen territory after getting hacked down by Michael Doyle, who gets booked. It’s in almost exactly the same spot from which the Dane scored earlier.
Updated
41 min: Good work down the right from Stefan Scougall, who picks out Marc McNulty a few yards outside the Spurs penalty area. His ambitious effort from distance fizzes wide and he gets a dirty look from Jose Baxter, who was to his left and in a good position to keep the move going.
39 min: Weather report: It’s snowing again at Bramall Lane, quite heavily by the looks of things. Tottenham’s opener has quietened the Bramall Lane crowd and Spurs are controlling the game, for the time being at least.
38 min: Crikey, I am having a shocker: Kyle Walker did get booked for that foul on Murphy. Apologies.
36 min: Kyle Walker clips the heels of Jamie Murphy after the Sheffield United man had sprinted clear of him. He gets a mini-lecture from referee Mike Dean, but no yellow card.
34 min: Ryan Mason, who won the free-kick from which Christian Eriksen scored, robs Jamal Campbell-Ryce with a crunching tackle. Oof!
32 min: Harry Kane gallops forward into the Sheffield United penalty area, Jay McEveley to commit himself and with the defender on the seat of his shorts, shoots towards the near post. Mark Howard saves.
That Eriksen goal ...
From 20 yards out, well right of the D around the edge of the Sheffield United penalty area, Eriksen sent a curling effort goalwards.Goalkeeper Mark Howard seemed to presume the ball was going wide, then watched in horror as it hit the nagle of upright and crossbar with an almighty “thunk” and bounced into the back of the goal. It was a sensational effort from a footballer who specialises in the spectacular.
GOAL! Sheffield United 0-1 Spurs (agg: 0-2)
27 min: Christian Eriksen opens the scoring with a quite spectacular free-kick that goes in off the angle of upright and cross-bar. That was incredible.
Updated
26 min: With Harry Kane sprinting through the Sheffield United penalty area, Jay McEveley does well to shepherd him out of play, but not before the striker gets off a weak shot that caresses the outside of the upright.
Updated
24 min: There’s a brief lull, as I furiously go back through previous entries upon realising I’m doing that thing where I call Spurs goalkeeper Michael Vorm by the incorrect name of “Worm”. Sorry about that, Michael. I was not deliberately riffing on your pain at this difficult time. For some reason, I just have it in my head that your surname is spelt with a ‘W’.
Updated
20 min: Good work for Sheffield United’s Jamie Murphy, who gallops down the inside left and drills the ball low across the Spurs penalty area. Christian Eriksen can only half-clear and a period of sustained pressure from the Blades ensues. Spurs eventually clear their lines.
Updated
19 min: A promising Spurs move breaks down when Kane is penalised for offside.
18 min: Harry Kane tries his luck with a speculative attempt from distance after spotting a large gap between Sheffield United goalkeeper Mark Howard and his near post. Wide.
17 min: Dyed-in-the-wool Sheffield United fan and Tottenham Hotspur full-back Kyle Walker beats his man and sends a cross into the Sheffield United penalty area. Mark Howard blocks at the near post.
16 min: It’s been an absorbing opening quarter-hour and both sides will feel they should have scored.
13 min: Harry Kane squanders a decent scoring opportunity after latching on to a defence-splitting pass from Erik Lamela and shooting straight at Mark Howard.
12 min: That rick is unlikely to do Vorm’s confidence much good after the bollock he dropped against Leicester City on Saturday.
Updated
9 min: Bramall Lane is rocking tonight and Jamie Murphy almost gives them a goal to cheer when Michael Worm drops a clanger. After great work down the right, the pseed-merchant that is Jamal Campbell -Ryce leaves Ben Davies in his slipstream, before sending in a high cross. In the Spurs goal, Vorm comes to catch the ball and drops it under pressure. It doesn’t drop quite kindly enough for Mark McNulty, but he eventually pokes it to Jamie Murphy, who shoots straight at Vorm, who’d recovered, and Kyle Walker from about seven yards.
Updated
6 min: Tottenham win a corner off Bob Harris, which is played deep to the back post. With Benjamin Stambouli threatening, Jamal Campbell Rice sticks in a toe to make a crucial interception. Sheffield United clear their lines.
4 min: Sheffield United get forward for the first time, but fail to threaten. They’re a counter-attacking team by trade, according to my Blades-supporting colleague John Ashdown, so expect them to sit back deep, defending in numbers and attempt to pick off Spurs on the break tonight.
Updated
2 min: Spurs attempt to build from the back, passing the ball around just inside their own half. The balls pinged forward towards the right touchline, where Jay McEveley attempts to shepherd it out of play. Harry Kane chases what looks to be a lost cause, keeps the ball in play and drills a low cross into the penalty area, where it’s hammered clear. A let-off for McEveley, there.
Updated
The game is under way at Bramall Lane ...
1 min: Tottenham kick off and Mark Howard gets an early touch in the Sheffield United goal.
Not long now: The teams are out of the dressing room on a pitch that looks unaffected by the snow that’s been falling. Sheffield United’s players wear red and white striped shirts, black shorts and white socks. Tottenham’s wear yellow shirts with blue trim, yellow shorts and yellow socks.
@bglendenning At least they are not likening my Spurs to the Bassian Thrush http://t.co/IQRzXZlI0T
— Jeff Lucas (@Jeff_Lucas12) January 28, 2015
These teams: Nigel Clough has made just one change from the team that lost at White Hart Lane, with Jose Baxter in for Louis Reed, who drops to the bench in what has probably not been a perfect day for the 17-year-old.
Andros Townsend is the glaring omission from the Spurs line-up, having scored in his past two games. Emmanuel Adebayor is also out from the side that won the first leg.
An email from Jezz Dresner: “Surely Tottehnam are more flamingo like really: fancy dans who nonetheless put on a convincing display as a collective these days,” he says.
Updated
An email from Justin Kavanagh: “Given their history, wouldn’t a peacock be a better bird to adorn the Spurs crest?” he says. “All flourishing feathers but rarely gets off the ground and you wouldn’t bet on it winning any cockfights.”
Here's our man Jamie Jackson with the weather
A light-consistency, heavy-volume snow falling at Bramall Lane now... #sufc v #thfc
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) January 28, 2015
Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur
Sheff Utd: Howard, Flynn, Basham, McEveley, Harris, Doyle, Baxter, Campbell-Ryce, Scougall, Murphy, McNulty.
Subs: Alcock, Higdon, Reed, Turner, Kennedy, Adams, Kieran Wallace.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm, Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Davies, Mason, Stambouli, Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen, Kane.
Subs: Rose, Paulinho, Soldado, Adebayor, Townsend, Fazio, Friedel.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Mauricio Pochettino speaks ...
Having given an entertaining account of the hazards of life as a player with Newell’s Old Boys travelling to Colombia for the second leg of a Copa Libertadores semi-final to Amy Lawrence, the Tottenham manager turned his attention to this evening’s match, which he expects to be comparatively civilised and low key.
“Our fans expect us to arrive at the final at Wembley,” he said. “But we need to play better than Sheffield, show more energy than Sheffield and try to fight. For me we need to go there thinking it is 0-0. I believe we will need to score. We have to forget about the first leg and show the mentality to win.”
Nigel Clough speaks ...
Talking ahead of tonight’s match, the Sheffield United manager has been hammering home the importance of home advantage for his League One underdogs: “We’re at home and 25,000 of the 30,000 will be cheering us on, that will make a difference,” he said. “It’s a different kind of atmosphere and a different kind of football than they’ re used to. Even in the big Premier League games, it can be a little bit of a damp squib. The pitch quality isn’t as good as they’re used to playing on week in, week out. We’ve got to make it everything they’re not comfortable with.”
The Capital One Cup and away goals ...
Slightly patronising notice: Away goals do count in these semi-finals, but only at the end of extra time. Say, for example, the score at the end of 90 minutes happens to be 2-1 to Sheffield United (making it 2-2 on aggregate), extra time will be played. If there are no further goals in those 30 minutes and the score remains the same, Spurs will proceed to the final on away goals.
Good evening everybody ...
After last night’s snarling epic at Stamford Bridge, it’s up to Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur to provide the Capital One Cup entertainment this evening, as they go toe-to-toe at Bramall Lane for the second leg of their semi-final.
A place against Chelsea in the final at Wembley on the first day of March (we’re working on the presumption here that what feels like the longest January in living memory will actually end some time) is up for grabs and Tottenham have a slender advantage. They lead 1-0 from the first leg, courtesy of an Andros Townsend penalty, but are unlikely to have it all their own way against a League One side that has beaten five different Premier League teams in cup competitions over the past 13 months.
That said, a contrarian could justifiably argue that none of the Big Boy scalps they’ve taken were anywhere as high-end as that of the wattle that adorns the head of the cockerel on the Spurs crest. Or the wattle that you’d think should adorn the head of the cockerel on the Spurs crest, only to discover on closer inspection that he doesn’t actually have one. How strange.
