In one of the greatest FA Cup mismatches in recent memory, non-league minnows Tamworth took Premier League powerhouse Tottenham Hotspur to the absolute limit, holding the giants scoreless through 90 minutes before eventually succumbing 3-0 in extra time. The heroic performance from the seventh-tier side earned them a standing ovation from the packed crowd at the tiny Lamb Ground.
Tamworth’s Heroic Stand
Playing on their humble artificial pitch, 150 spots below Tottenham in the English soccer pyramid, Tamworth brought an unrelenting fighting spirit from the opening whistle. Spurs, captained by James Maddison and featuring several regulars from their midweek Premier League win, struggled to find their footing early against the swarming underdogs.
Tamworth striker Beck-Ray Enoru nearly shocked the visitors just 25 seconds in, unleashing a rasping shot that forced a lunging save from Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky. The home fans, who had volunteered Saturday morning to help clear snow off the pitch so the match could proceed, roared their approval.
Chances at Both Ends
As the first half unfolded, Tottenham began to find their footing and create chances of their own. England international Maddison came closest to breaking the deadlock on 31 minutes, but his curling effort was expertly parried wide by Tamworth keeper Jas Singh.
Tamworth refused to be cowed by their prestigious opposition, carving out opportunities of their own. Enoru remained a constant menace, while Mikey Moore and Callum Cockerill-Mollett both forced saves from Kinsky. At halftime, somehow, improbably, the score remained level at 0-0.
Spurs Substitutes Make the Difference
Perhaps sensing the very real possibility of a historic cupset, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou called for reinforcements, sending on Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski in search of a winner. The two substitutes would ultimately make the difference, but not before some late scares.
Deep into second-half stoppage time, a slip by Solanke nearly let in Tamworth’s McGlinchey for a famous winner, but Bissouma’s sliding block and Kinsky’s quick reactions kept the score level. Finally, in the 101st minute, the resistance was broken as Solanke’s effort deflected off the unfortunate Tshikuna for an own goal. Kulusevski added an insurance marker six minutes later, before Johnson’s third added a flattering sheen to the scoreline.
Plucky Tamworth Earn Plaudits in Defeat
The final 3-0 score did little justice to Tamworth’s monumental effort, as the sixth-tier part-timers went toe-to-toe with their illustrious opponents for two hours. In the end, Tottenham’s superior quality and fitness told, but the non-league side emerged with heads held very high.
“The lads were immense, every single one of them,” said proud Tamworth manager Andy Peaks. “To take a Premier League side to extra time, it’s the stuff of dreams. We didn’t get the result but the performance was everything we could have asked for and more.”
Tottenham, for their part, breathed a huge sigh of relief to escape the Lamb Ground with victory and a place in the fourth round. On a day filled with FA Cup upsets elsewhere, Spurs will consider themselves fortunate to have avoided one of the biggest cupsets of all time by the narrowest of margins.
