SPURS STUMBLE PAST TAMWORTH 3-0 AWAY AFTER EXTRA TIME TO REACH FA CUP FOURTH ROUND

Tottenham turned beating National League Tamworth into a monumental task and came close to abject humiliation before reaching the FA Cup fourth round after extra time.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were mind-numbingly poor in normal time at the Lamb Ground, then required a scrambled own goal from Tamworth’s Nathan Tshikuna to break the deadlock after 101 minutes.

Substitute Dejan Kulusevski added a superb strike, and then Brennan Johnson curled in a third after Postecoglou was forced to introduce his biggest attacking weaponry to break down Tamworth.

The home side, 96 places below Spurs in the fifth tier of football’s pyramid, performed magnificently and could not have been begrudged one of the FA Cup’s biggest shocks had they clinched victory in normal time.

Goalkeeper Jas Singh, hero of the penalty shootout win over Burton Albion in the second round, saved crucially from James Maddison and Timo Werner, who also saw a header cleared off the line by Haydn Hollis, in normal time.

Spurs, however, lived right on the edge, with Tamworth arguably looking more likely to score in the final moments before extra time, especially when Antonin Kinsky saved crucially from Jordan Cullinane Liburd with seconds left.

Postecoglou had introduced Dominic Solanke from the bench after the hour but needed to call on Son Heung-min and Kulusevski at the start of extra time to attempt to inject life into a desperate display, but even then it took a huge slice of good fortune to break Tamworth’s superb resistance and organisation.

There was no good fortune about Kulusevski’s superb low strike that finally allowed Spurs and Postecoglou some respite. Johnson’s third gave them a margin of victory that was harsh on their hosts.

Brilliant Tamworth take the glory

Tamworth’s big day offered up the enticing prospect of a piece of FA Cup history as they ran Premier League Spurs every inch of the way before running out of steam in extra time.

It may have also have been a reflection on Spurs, but for 90 minutes Andy Peaks’ part-timers were never second best at any point, defending with outstanding courage and also posing threats in attack, not just from the long throws of Tom Tonks.

Goalkeeper Singh was faultless, along with Hollis, and the fateful moments came seconds from the end when Tom McGlinchey saw a shot blocked by Yves Bissouma with team-mates unmarked six yards out, then Cullinane-Liburd had another big chance.

There was a touch of cup theatre before kick-off, with Beck-Ray Enoru having to repair the net so the tie could start. The striker then ran himself to a standstill with a top-class performance.

In the end, the greater fitness of Spurs inevitably told on Tamworth as the final scoreline delivered a harsh verdict on their performance, not reflecting just how tight this tie was for so long and how close the non-league side came to causing a giant upset.

Three years ago, Tamworth were in the domestic game’s seventh tier, the Southern League Central. This showpiece demonstrated just how far they have come under manager Peaks.

Tamworth may have lost but they can claim the glory from a classic FA Cup occasion.

Kesh Awefada

Kesh Awefada

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