FA CUP THIRD ROUND REPLAY
WEDNESDAY 14TH JANUARY, 2015
(8PM)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 4 (2) BURNLEY 2 (2)

Spurs scorers:-
Paulinho, 10
Capoue, 45
Chiriches, 49
Rose, 52

Burnley scorers:-
Sordell, 3
Wallace, 8

Attendance:- 24,367

Referee:- Craig Pawson
Assistants:- John Brooks & Mark Scholes
Fourth Official:- Stuart Attwell

Teams:-
Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Vorm; Chiriches (sub Dier, 80), Kaboul (Capt.), Vertonghen, Davies; Capoue, Stambouli; Townsend (sub Onomah, 76), Paulinho, Rose (sub Chadli, 59); Soldado

Subs not used:- Lloris; Naughton; Dembele; Kane

Booked:- Chiriches (foul on Kightly)

Burnley (4-4-2):- Heaton; Trippier (sub Reid, 67), Duff (Capt.), Keane, Mee; Wallace (sub Boyd, 88), Arfield, Jones (sub Marney, 76), Kightly; Vokes, Sordell

Subs not used:- Gilks; Lafferty; Ings, Barnes

Booked:- Arfield (foul on Paulinho), Keane (foul on Chadli)

Not so easy at The Lane

With a team selection that gave some Spurs fans kittens, and cause to scratch their heads, then a disastrous start going two goals down in 8 minutes, it looked like being a disastrous night for Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs in front of a poor FA Cup crowd of 24,367. However, Spurs got one goal back very quickly, and kept their heads and composure to pull themselves back into the game just before half-time, and then scored two quick goals themselves early in the second half. Spurs had already been stroking the ball about quite well, and kept control of the game to finish worthy victors, earning a fourth round home tie against Leicester.

Club captain Younes Kaboul made a surprise start, and it was his first since the Besiktas game in early December. He also wore the armband. There were a couple of fractious moments in the game – one in each half – when he seemed to be having an argument with Jan Vertonghen, then Michel Vorm, perhaps hinting at some of the behind the scenes frictions that have kept Kaboul out of the side for so long. Paulinho also made a rare start, and took on Christian Eriksen’s playmaker role, making a good fist of it too. It was Paulinho who scored our first goal, to quickly put us in touch with the visitors in the 10th minute.

Etienne Capoue made his first start since November, and we had two left backs, with Ben Davies playing behind Danny Rose on the left. It should be remembered that Danny Rose started his career as a winger. It is fair to say that some of the players treated as “outcasts” by many fans did well, with three of them scoring goals too!

Sean Dyche also made changes, with first choice strikers Danny Ings and Ashley Barnes not leaving the bench. Sam Vokes got his first start since returning from serious injury, and his strike partner was former Watford, Bolton and England under-21 striker Marvin Sordell, still only 23 but not setting the world on fire as had been hoped when Bolton signed him from Watford.

There was a pocket of Burnley fans in the lower south-west corner, but there were plenty of empty seats around the ground. It seems there is no magic in the FA Cup these days and an all Premier League replay between two teams with great tradition and history cannot attract a full house, even though there was no TV coverage of this game.

Spurs kicked off playing towards the Paxton End, and got a nasty shock in the third minute, when Kaboul and Vertonghen were asleep as Trippier’s long cross from the right was allowed to reach Sordell, who had too much space and time to put a quick shot past Vorm’s right hand. Things got even worse very quickly as Stambouli fouled Trippier not far outside the box. Wallace stepped up and took the free kick which took a wicked deflection off the wall, and left Vorm stranded, with the ball again hitting the net to his right.

Spurs didn’t panic though, and they knew there was plenty of time to get back in the game. They made a start in no time, when Townsend crossed; Soldado headed the ball on and Paulinho took one touch before firing home from close range. It was only Paulinho’s second goal of the season. The first had been early on against AEL in the Europa League play-off.

Andros Townsend had a good game tonight, getting plenty of balls into the area, which, after all, is what he’s paid for. A good low cross after 18 minutes won a corner from which Stambouli hit a shot over the target from outside the box on the left-hand side. Andros did very well to win and retain the ball down the right after 25 minutes, hitting a cross which was met beyond the back post by Danny Rose. He cut the ball back for Stambouli, who again missed the target.

Townsend had a pop at goal after a Spurs throw on the left, but he was also way off target here. Chiriches was guilty of a couple of erroneous passes in his own half into the middle to the opposition, but overall, he played well, working well with Townsend down the right flank. He sent Townsend away after 36 minutes, and the cross reached firstly Soldado, then Paulinho, but Burnley managed to clear. Spurs won a corner after a good cross-field ball from Chiriches to Rose. From the corner, Kaboul had two chances, and Stambouli had one. Both players had shots blocked, then Kaboul pushed his final effort outside the post.

Two minutes before half-time, Spurs had an excellent chance and should have scored. They made a break through Paulinho, who had been fouled, but the referee allowed play to continue. Townsend crossed to Soldado, who was in front of goal, but contrived to hit his shot against the bar. The man is jinxed! Arfield was booked by the referee for the foul that he had observed in the build-up.

All was well as we entered first half added time, with Davies getting to the line and crossing low. Paulinho tried to shoot and failed, and the ball ran to Capoue on the edge of the box. He hit a thunderous shot that no-one was going to stop. My son Greg immediately predicted a 4-2 score-line, and I heard similar mutterings around me in the interval.

Spurs came out of the blocks well. Chiriches over-lapped Townsend and won a corner. From a subsequent corner, taken by Paulinho, it was Chiriches who scored at the back post from close range, for his first goal since December, 2013. More importantly, Spurs had taken the lead, and when they scored again within minutes, they never looked like losing the tie.

The fourth goal came after Stambouli played a ball out to Soldado who was towards the right. Soldado crossed hard and low, and Danny Rose finished from close range in front of the Park Lane stand. It wasn’t long before Rose was replaced by Chadli, who had plenty of impact down that left side. Kaboul hit a great long pass from the right which found Chadli. Chadli got to the line and hit a cross which passed in front of goal, causing plenty of “oohs” in the crowd.

There was a tussle between Kaboul and Sordell in the Spurs area. Kaboul just about managed to come out on top, and referee Craig Pawson saw no offence, with no protest either by Sordell.

Soldado had a great solo effort, ending in a shot outside the post. At the other end, Burnley had what was now a rare chance with Wallace trying from long range, and hitting his shot wide. On 75 minutes, after a Townsend free kick, Chadli got the ball inside to Capoue, whose attempt was blocked. Townsend was then replaced by 17 year old Josh Onomah, who has been on the bench twice so far this season, but now got his senior debut. Onomah played in an advanced midfield role, and didn’t put a foot wrong, winning cheers with a useful first touch. We will see plenty of this young man in the not too distant future.

Vertonghen made a great saving tackle on Wallace in the Spurs area, and Wallace needed treatment, and was replaced by Boyd late in the game. Stambouli made some good touches down the left side, before hitting a dangerous ball into the box which Keane involuntarily touched back to his keeper without penalty. Soldado had an effort saved after receiving the ball from the right. Chadli took a late free kick which passed outside Heaton’s left post.

Spurs saw out the three minutes of added time. Pochettino has successfully “used the squad” and preserved key players for Saturday, with focus also upon next Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final first leg against Sheffield United. I hope more Spurs fans can be bothered to attend that one!

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