Under-par Spurs battle past Tamworth in extra time

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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.

Postecoglou needs main men to avoid humiliation

'Absolutely brutal!' Tamworth own goal breaks deadlock against Spurs in 101st minute

Tottenham and manager Postecoglou left Tamworth feeling huge relief rather than any sense of celebration after threatening to become victims of a colossal FA Cup giant-killing act before making their escape in extra time.

Tamworth's 3G surface undoubtedly made control and passing more difficult - a change from life on the pristine surfaces of the Premier League - but there was no excuse for the laboured, lacklustre and dismal nature of Spurs' performance for the first 90 minutes.

Spurs were too often second to the ball, nervous at the back and outfought on occasions by a Tamworth side who played so many levels above their National League status.

Timo Werner once against showed he cannot be relied on in front of goal, while the rest of the Spurs side lacked the sense of urgency required for a classic FA Cup test.

One of the big plus points from Spurs and Postecoglou was another confident display from 21-year-old keeper Kinsky in what his second appearance after making his debut in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win over Liverpool.

He handled superbly under pressure and, while it is early days, looks a shrewd acquisition.

It showed how poorly Spurs were dealing with Tamworth that Postecoglou needed to call on his big names, even he would surely have preferred to rest Solanke, Son and Kulusevski before Wednesday's north London derby at Arsenal.

In the end, it was needs must and they made the difference, although it was an own goal in extra time that finally set them on their way from a neatly worked free-kick as Tamworth fatally switched off.

Spurs are in the fourth round - always the object of the exercise on third-round weekend - but the scoreline does not tell the full tale of a very uncomfortable afternoon for the Premier League giants against National League minnows.

Player of the match

B. Enoru
8.87
22 B. Enoru
8.87
26 H. Hollis
8.70
4 T. Tonks
8.63
19 T. McGlinchey
8.60
9 D. Creaney
8.59
33 B. Crompton
8.52
1 J. Singh
8.51
15 G. Morrison
8.50
8 B. Milnes
8.47
18 J. Cullinane-Liburd
8.46
14 K. Williams
8.32
3 C. Cockerill-Mollett
8.32
28 T. Sundire
8.27
6 A. Fletcher
8.18
20 N. Tshikuna
8.13
12 C. Wreh
8.11
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