Tottenham narrowly avoided a major FA Cup shock, securing a 3-0 victory over non-league Tamworth after extra time in the third round.
The scoreline ultimately flattered Spurs, who struggled throughout the initial 90 minutes and nearly faced a dramatic defeat when Tom McGlinchey and Jordan Cullinane-Liburd came agonizingly close to pulling off one of the greatest fairytales in the competition’s history during stoppage time.
However, it was Tamworth’s own mistake that broke the deadlock as Nathan Tshikuna, attempting to clear Brennan Johnson’s cross, inadvertently sent the ball into his own net in the 101st minute.
Dejan Kulusevski, a substitute, then made it 2-0 in the 107th minute, collecting a pass from Heung-Min Son and finishing low past Tamworth goalkeeper Jas Singh. Singh’s partner had been in hospital, giving birth to their son on Saturday night.
With Tamworth exhausted, Johnson sealed the win in the 118th minute, firing in a third goal that gave Spurs a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable win and spared Ange Postecoglou’s side from an embarrassing upset.
