Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 AFC Wimbledon
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Manager Mauricio Pochettino said Harry Kane could stay at Tottenham for his entire career after the England striker scored twice in the FA Cup third-round win over AFC Wimbledon.
Two goals from Kane and one from Jan Vertonghen gave Tottenham a 3-0 win over the League One side at Wembley Stadium.
Kane scored his 25th goal of the season when he poked in from close range in the 63rd minute and added his 26th two minutes later by finishing from Kyle Walker-Peters' pass.
"I told him only a few special players can spend all their career in one club," said Pochettino.
"I think Harry is this type of a player who can stay all his career at Tottenham because he loves Tottenham and has always been at Tottenham, but in football you cannot be sure.
"We need to be clever how we manage him. The player needs to choose to stay here, you cannot force the player to stay here. Our job is to try to work together and try to achieve everything we want at the club."
Kane, 24, came through the ranks at Spurs, but is yet to win a trophy.
Defender Vertonghen made it 3-0 in the 71st minute with a deflected long-range strike for his first goal since October 2013.
Despite conceding more than 80% of possession in the first half, Neal Ardley's men came closest to opening the scoring when Jimmy Abdou's strike was pushed on to the crossbar by Spurs keeper Michel Vorm.
Spurs persistence breaks Wimbledon resolve
This was AFC Wimbledon's first FA Cup appearance at Wembley - 30 years after predecessors Wimbledon stunned Liverpool in the 1988 final.
The reformed club have risen up the Football League but currently sit 21st in League One.
But at times on Sunday, the class of 2017-18 displayed the spirit of the 'Crazy Gang' - minus the craziness - as they frustrated their more illustrious opponents.
They were disciplined in defence during the first half and nullified the threat of the Tottenham attack as they tried to play through the middle.
Argentine Erik Lamela had the home side's best chance when his attempt to dink a shot over George Long was clawed away by the keeper.
That came after Spurs were given an almighty jolt when Comoros international Abdou, on a rare foray forward, struck a splendid effort that Vorm tipped on to the bar. The follow-up from Liam Trotter was fired straight at the Dutch keeper.
The ball came in contact with the same woodwork again soon after the break when a low drive from Mousa Dembele cannoned off the post, before Kane finally broke the deadlock.
This time the supply line was from the wing as Moussa Sissoko delivered a low ball from the right that was bundled in.
Moments later, Kane scored his 125th goal for Tottenham, sweeping home from close range after Walker-Peters' shot found its way to England striker.
And the eight-time winners all but sealed their passage into the next round when Belgian defender Vertonghen launched a powerful strike which took a nick off Barry Fuller en route to beating Wimbledon keeper Long.
'We gave it a real go' - reaction
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "It was a difficult game. Wimbledon played so well. They had a few chances which they could have scored from. It was a solid performance from us. The second half was difficult - they started well and had some chances. We scored then and again soon after - the game was over.
"We are happy because we're in the draw. We hope to get a home draw. The team deserves this. This is a competition we'll like to go far in. In my opinion I try to put out the best side to play."
Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley: "I'm proud of the group. I wanted to stay in the game and not be out of it before it started and we did that.
"Their goals we could have done better with. But to go in 0-0 at half time was great, and the fans were incredible. We've come through it and done the club proud.
"We knew that it was going to be hard to get territory. We knew it was going to come down to a set-piece or a moment to do something.
"Plenty of Premier League teams have come here and conceded five. We had a few half-chances, the gameplan worked for 55 minutes. He made good subs. He's not got bad players on the bench.
"I did make a joke at half-time that just as you get tired they'll bring on the big guns. We knew that would be the case. We gave it a real go."
- Published7 January 2018
- Published3 January 2018