Tottenham Hotspur needed a 73rd-minute penalty from Andros Townsend to secure a slender 1-0

Tottenham Hotspur needed a 73rd-minute penalty from Andros Townsend to secure a slender 1-0 advantage over third tier Sheffield United after the home leg of their League Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

It had looked like being a frustrating evening for the Premier League side and four times winners, whose laboured efforts to break down their lower league opponents came to nothing for most of the encounter.

Yet a blatant handball from Jay McEveley gave the hosts the chance to finally break the deadlock and Townsend walloped home from the spot to give them a lead heading into next week's second leg at Bramall Lane.

The winners face either Liverpool or Chelsea, who drew 1-1 on Tuesday, in the final at Wembley