Butt was slapped in the face by the Spurs full-back, and the former England midfielder pushed the Tottenham player in the chest as the row continued in the tunnel. It even involved a bust up between two United team-mates, as Steven Taylor tried to hold back Butt.
Roeder: "They knew what happened. They'd already made their mind up that what had happened would pull them together tighter and that we'd come out with the result.
"I had to make a few points tactically but, in terms of sending them out motivated, that was done for us by what happened at half-time.
"The temperature was raised, that's all I'd say. Our players don't want to make anything of it but certainly the incident galvanised the players to go out and play and fight like they did in the second half.
"Only someone of Nicky Butt's character would have started the game, he has been ill all week and lost 7lb in two days.
"The boys on the bench were not well known, apart from Steve Harper who was basically child-minding for an hour and a half.
"The manner in which we did it, considering the adversity we've had, was thoroughly deserved and everyone played their part."