Sheffield United 1 Spurs 0: Blades one step from Wembley after more cup woe for Harry Kane and Spurs

The Wales legend and ex-Spurs favourite - who helped himself to a hat-trick on the previous meeting between these two clubs - is now resident on the golf course as opposed to the football pitch, but there were supposedly plenty of present-day players to be concerned with.

Harry Kane was here as were Richarlison, Hueung-Min Son, Ivan Perisic and plenty of others as well. Yet a parochial Yorkshire crowd on a cold, wer March night has never been a respecter of reputations and United gloriously took the hint.

Paul Heckingbottom - who watched events unfold from the gantry while he served the first of a three-game ban after being charged by the FA following his red card against Middlesbrough - will have savoured a happier evening, a fortnight on as Stuart McCall and Jack Lester in the technical area.

Speaking of Boro, United reprised the Teessiders' cup victory over Spurs a year to the day and there were clear similarities as a Championship side showed more heart and desire than their visitors.

Spurs went out at the last-16 stage for the fourth season running and the Blades reward is a home game with Blackburn Rovers. The winners of that will go to Wembley.

Heckingbottom predicted a special night under the lights and his on-message indomitable charges, who included a debutant in Andre Brooks and another making just his second start in Ismaila Coulibaly, were listening and delivered one.

And it was fitting that their young player who many have been talking about in Iliman Ndiaye made it such a famous evening late on.

Picking up the ball in the position he loves, he twisted and turned past two Spurs defenders before rifling home a low drive.

Heckingbottom acknowledged the need for his Blades side to be the top of their game both with and without the ball to give themselves the best possible chance, yet above all else, the message was to enjoy it with the pressure of an intense promotion crusade briefly off. They did.

There will also have been a crossing of fingers that one or two visiting players would have an off-night as well. A fair number did.

Sheffield lad Brooks, who started the season on loan at Bradford (Park Avenue), found himself thrust into the spotlight and given Heckingbottom is not overly prone to sentiment, it was a clear vote of confidence.

The teenager did have his heart in his mouth early on and was indebted to a fine challenge from Anel Ahmedhodzic after Lucas Moura sped away after his errant pass.

Other than that, for Brooks and United, the hosts had few genuine alarms in the opening 45 minutes, with the much-changed hosts ferocious in their work ethic, hard but fair in the tackle and refusing to let their exalted opponents settle.

Spurs saw plenty of the ball for sure, but lacked rhythm and flow and United were opened up just once in the opening half-hour.

Davinson Sanchez’s probing pass down United’s defensive channel on the left found a free Richarlison with his rasping shot flying just over.

Their only other scare came when Eric Dier’s pinpoint pass found the lurking Moura, with his floated cross on clipping the bar.

At the other end, Spurs heaved an even bigger sign of relief ahead of the break when the chance that the Blades were patiently waiting for was fluffed.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s weak header provided Coulibaly with a sight of goal, but his aim was wayward when it called for far more composure.

Still, a goalless scoreline was a moral victory for United. Spurs, mindful of events in the North Riding a year to the day, needed to up their intensity or run the risk of trouble.

A flicked header from Ivan Perisic was fortunately straight at Foderingham, but there was no onslaught. Substitute Kane was soon limbering up.

The more regular chants for his appearance were indicative of Spurs fans growing unease.He finally arrived, belatedly.

But the decisive moment came in the Spurs goal, while Kane nodded a late chance to level wide. No third goal on successive trips to the Lane. Not this time and the watching Antonio Conte, still back home convalescing in Italy, won’t be feeling any better as he gets ready for his return to England.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Basham, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson; Baldock (Lowe 62), Coulibaly (Berge 62), Doyle, Osborn, Brooks (Ndiaye 73); McAtee (Fleck 85); Sharp. Substitutes unused: A Davies, McBurnie, Norwood, Jebbison, Sachdev.

Tottenham Hotspur: Forster: Sanchez, Dier, B Davies; Pedro Porro (Danjuma 82), Sarr (Skipp 74), Hojbjerg, Perisic; Lucas (Kulusevski 73), Richarlison (Kane 65), Son. Substitutes unused: Austin, Tanganga, Romero, Lenglet, Devine.

Referee: J Brooks (Leicestershire).