Tottenham 3-1 Morecambe: Kane, Lucas Moura and Winks rescue Spurs

Tottenham 3-1 Morecambe: Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Harry Winks rescue Spurs with late goals after struggling League One side had led much of the FA Cup tie through Anthony O’Conner strike

  • Harry Kane and Lucas Moura forced to come off the bench to help Tottenham Hotspur see off Morecambe
  • Anthony O’Connor had given the League One side strugglers a shock 33rd minute lead in north London
  • But Harry Winks’ fluke free-kick looped over everyone’s head to equalise with 16 minutes to play
  • Lucas Moura and Harry Kane then struck in the 85th and 88th minute to ensure victory for the home side 

Tottenham needed three goals in the final 16 minutes to avoid an FA Cup upset against Morecambe as they came from behind to win 3-1 on an afternoon when record signing Tanguy Ndombele was booed off by the home crowd.

Anthony O’Connor’s first-half goal had the League One side – 59 places below their hosts on the football ladder – dreaming of the most famous result in their history, but a late blitz spared Spurs’ blushes.

After Ndombele, who asked to leave the club last summer, angered the home fans by taking an age to leave the field when being substituted – surely a terminal act in the Frenchman’s underwhelming stay in north London – quickfire goals from Harry Winks, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane sent Antonio Conte’s side through to round four. 

Harry Kane (right) celebrates scoring Tottenham’s third goal with Emerson Royal in a 3-1 FA Cup third round victory

Spurs were forced to call on their main striker from off the bench, with the England captain scoring with two minutes left

Morcambe’s Jonathan Obika reacts after his side fell just 16 minutes short of recording a famous FA Cup upset

But Conte will have had his assertions that the majority of his squad are not good enough to compete for the major honours confirmed in a sub-standard display and Ndombele might not be the only one considered to be at the end of the road.

Morecambe, whose manager Stephen Robinson was absent due to a positive coronavirus test, put up a spirited display and can take heart in how their Premier League hosts struggled to get past them.

Conte made eight changes from the side that lost to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in the expectation that it would not be an issue against a side in a League One relegation battle.

And they may have enjoyed a far more comfortable afternoon had Spurs taken two chances within the first minute. 

Anthony O’Connor stunned Tottenham Hotspur after giving Morecambe a first half lead in their FA Cup third round tie

Tottenham supporters look on stunned as O’Connor celebrates near the corner flag following his opening goal

The centre-back struck in the 33rd minute to give the League One side an incredible lead against the Premier League outfit

MATCH FACTS 

Tottenham Hotspur: Gollini, Doherty, Tanganga, Rodon, Davies, Sessegnon, Lo Celso, Winks, Ndombele, Gil Salvatierra, Alli.

Subs: Lloris, Hojbjerg, Sanchez, Kane, Emerson, Lucas Moura, Skipp, Scarlett, Paskotsi.

Goals: Winks 74, Lucas Moura, Kane 88. 

Morecambe: Carson, Cooney, McLaughlin, O’Connor, Bedeau, Leigh, McLoughlin, Diagouraga, McCalmont, Ayunga, Stockton.

Subs: Letheren, Jones, McDonald, Wildig, Obika, Delaney, Mensah, Gibson, Gnahoua.

Goals: O’Connor 33. 

Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire)

 

Ndombele had a shot blocked from a promising position after only 36 seconds, with Ben Davies heading the resulting corner over.

Spurs continued to dominate, without carving too many opportunities out, though they did hit the woodwork when Matt Doherty headed a corner against the frame at the far post.

Morecambe had offered little going forward but stunned the home side by taking the lead in the 33rd minute.

After some shoddy defending saw Joe Rodon concede a needless corner, Japhet Tanganga’s offence was even worse from the set-piece as he did not track O’Connor’s movement and the Shrimps skipper slotted home Alfie McCalmont’s delivery from close range.

Spurs were booed off at half-time by fans who are used to seeing their second-string side failing to deliver. 

As Spurs struggled to break down Morecambe, Tanguy Ndombele was jeered off the pitch by home fans after he was subbed

There was relief around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s home fans when Harry Winks’ free-kick looped into the net

Winks celebrates with Lucas Moura after dragging Spurs level with just 16 minutes left in the third round tie

They created chances to level after the break but Dele Alli’s flick from a corner was well saved by Trevor Carson and Ryan Sessegnon shot wide after a loose ball fell to him inside the area.

Conte had seen enough and made a triple substitution with 21 minutes to go and it prompted Ndombele’s act of mindless defiance, which must surely spell the end of his Spurs career.

Ndombele was one of those taken off, but was not happy about it and proceeded to trudge across the pitch at a snail’s pace, appearing to go even slower when the home fans started voicing their anger.

The introduction of Moura and Kane changed the course of the game, though, as Spurs rattled off three goals in the final 16 minutes to win it. 

Spurs then pushed heavily for a winning goal, with Lucas Moura taking the ball past the keeper before giving them the lead

Moura’s goal came with just five minutes to play and spared huge embarrassment for Antonio Conte’s side

Despite securing progress into the fourth round, Conte will have been left seriously concerned with his fringe players

They needed a slice of luck to get level, as Winks’ free-kick was overhit, but it caught Morecambe goalkeeper Carson off the line and sailed into the far corner.

Moura completed the rescue act five minutes from time as he dispossessed Ryan McLaughlin on the halfway line, sprinted in on goal and calmly slotted home after rounding Carson.

Kane got in on the act as well, neatly tucking into the far corner after Giovani Lo Celso had teed him up.



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