Sunday’s FA Cup tie saw Rochdale welcome Tottenham. Billed as a ‘David vs Goliath’ fixture, the home side were hoping for a sprinkle of Cup magic to help them pull off the near impossible.
Although geographically 220 miles separate the clubs, they are worlds apart. Whilst Spurs are competing in the Champions League knockout stages, Rochdale lie miserably at the bottom of the League One table.
As expected, the game’s start was cagey with both sides wary of conceding an early goal. Lucas Moura showed his quality on his first full debut in a Spurs shirt, weaving in and out of the Rochdale men with promising flair.
A few one-two's in the penalty area between Heung-Min Son and Fernando Llorente undid the Dale defence but the visiting side failed to make anything from them. The best chance fell to the Spaniard who steadied himself from a rebound but couldn’t direct his effort on target, curling the ball wide of the right post.
Llorente would be made to rue that miss when, on the stroke of half-time, Alderweireld lost the ball and the Dale launched a determined counter-attack. An intelligent run off the ball saw striker and captain Ian Henderson in space near the penalty spot, and when the ball arrived at his feet, he coolly swept the ball under Vorm to put his team ahead going into the break.
- Second half drama -
The first half didn’t see the one-way traffic critics were expecting but, with Spurs forced to produce a comeback for the second time in five days, Pochettino knew his side would have to find a new gear in the second period.
Barely 15 minutes into the half, Lucas was played in on goal by Moussa Sissoko. The Brazilian lifted the ball into the roof of the net to grab his first goal for the club and level up the score. 1-1.
Dele Alli and Harry Kane then entered the fray as Pochettino went in pursuit of victory. It didn’t take long for the duo to make an impact on the tie when Alli was brought down in the box for a penalty. Alli’s compatriot stepped up and blasted the ball into the bottom left corner. The penalty conversion made it 2-1 and eight goals in six FA Cup appearances for Kane - a man in unstoppable form.
Rochdale, behind for the first time in the tie, were down but not out. In the 93rd minute, the ball came to substitute Steve Davies in the box. In a swift movement, the forward plucked the ball out of the air and found the net with a clean, low strike. A memorable moment for the Englishman who produced a crucial equaliser at the death to earn his side a replay at Wembley.
The winner of the replay will play either Swansea or Sheffield Wednesday in the quarter-finals.