Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino: 'It was difficult, but in the end, over two games, we deserve to go through'

Published: 29 January, 2015
by DAN CARRIER

SPURS booked a spring trip to Wembley last night (Wednesday) after seeing off League One Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

A two-all draw was enough to give Spurs a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Spurs took a first-half lead through Christian Eriksen but they had a scare after two late United goals threatened to turn the tie upside down.

It took a late Eriksen winner to confirm Spurs’ place in the final and, speaking after the game, striker Harry Kane said: “It means the world to us. 

“We had to show our character. After they scored, we had to go again and get another goal. In the end, we had the quality.”

He said he was confident of taking on league leaders Chelsea in the March final.

Kane added: “We have had two good games this season against Chelsea and it’s one each. This is the decider and there’s no better place to play it.”

On a dreary Yorkshire night, Spurs started brightly, pegging back United and creating chances.

Kane had numerous opportunities and struck a post on 25 minutes. Moments later, Benjamin Stambouli won a free-kick and Eriksen slammed an effort into the top corner to give Spurs a two-goal aggregate lead.

As it began to look like Spurs had done enough to go through, United substitute 18-year-old Che Adams scored twice. On 78 minutes, Adams finished neatly from an angle to create a frantic ending, and then a minute later he levelled things. But just as United sensed an upset, Eriksen was set free by Kane on 88 minutes and the Danish forward scored the winner.

Spurs will now face Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday, March 1 in what will be the White Hart Lane club’s eighth League Cup Final. 

Spurs head coach Mauricio Pochettino said: “We needed to kill the match at 1-0 but then it became an emotional game. It was difficult, but in the end, over two games, we deserve to go through.”