Halfway through the half, Obika turned provider when he got to the dead ball line and dragged a low ball back for Townsend to run onto and produce a precise low shot that was well saved by Lee, when the Spurs man should have done better with the opening. Tottenham could have gone further ahead when Ryan Mason burst onto a ball in the box and Lee rushed out and with the ball past him, clattered the nippy Tottenham striker. It was not enough to convince the officials, who seemed to think the keeper had not touched the ball ... and gave a goal kick !!
Spurs were passing the ball about confidently and used little triangles to get around the United players, who were taking a physical approach in up-ending Adam Smith on a few occasions to stop his forward progress. However, more often, Spurs moved the ball well and Bostock was mobile and showed a good touch on the ball. He played the ball into Obika, who set up Mason to curl a delightful effort just wide of the far post.
Obika should have added a second a few minutes before the break, when he was through on goal, but when he was one-on-one with Lee, he lifted it over the keeper, but also wide of the target.
The interval did not see any changes and four minutes in Naser Kasim struck a fine free-kick from outside the penalty area that brought a good tip wide from the goalie, who had to move his feet well to reach the shot. Within a minute Kasim hit a low shot that Lee dived to hold just inside his post, just as he did five minutes later, when Adam Smith strode forward to hit a corner cleared out to him with a low drive through a crowded penalty area.
The young Belgian striker Jose-Paul M'Puku showed a nice touch on the ball when he cams on as a sub, firstly setting up Obika on the right to hit a shot into the side-netting and then creating his hat-trick goal. Obika also had another opportunity to hit the net when M'Puku through with only Lee to beat, but the keeper smothered the ball at the Spurs striker's feet and then Mason got away on the right side of midfield to clip a shot over the keeper from 25 yards out and his performance would have been nicely rounded off had it gone in. However, unluckily for him, the ball glanced off the crossbar and went away. Townsend hit Lee with a shot in added time as Spurs kept pressing forward and kept the Blades players at bay.
There was little for Olsson to do at the Spurs end in the second half and the defence, with captain Caulker particularly impressive until cramp hit him, were solid and strong enough to keep a clean sheet.
The goals when they came were simply created. Fourteen minutes and the first goal saw Calum Butcher play a straight ball through the middle of the United defence for Obika to run onto and as Lee came out, Jonathan nudged a low shot past him to nestle the ball in the back of the net.
His second was made for himself, when he took the ball off one of the United midfielders, ran on towards goal and put the ball past Lee as he came out once more in the 65th minute. Ten minutes later, the striker was provided with the chance by substitute Jose-Paul M'Puku, whose neat ball left Obika in the clear to slide his shot into the goal for a hat-trick from a host of chances.
Of the other player to impress, Dean Parrett was mobile and wanted to be involved, while he was ably supported on the right flank by defender Adam Smith. On the other side, Sam Cox was sticking to his defensive duties and was getting well stuck into his tackles, while Caulker strutted in the centre of defence while Butcher fitted in well alongside him.
