Tottenham could have “lost their heads” on their way to beating Tamworth after extra time in the FA Cup third round, manager Ange Postecoglou has said.
The fifth-tier Lambs had chances to become only the third non-league side to beat top-flight opposition in the Premier League era, missing out only behind Nathan Tshikuna’s wretched 101st-minute own goal as Spurs toiled ahead. scoring twice more in their 3-0 win.
“You go into every game of football with trepidation, knowing you might slip up because of the challenges,” Postecoglou told ITV Sport after avoiding an embarrassment to a team 96 places below Tottenham in the football pyramid.
“We had some challenges but, for the most part, the boys kept their heads and handled it well. It’s very easy to lose your head on a day like this when things don’t go your way and you realize the consequences.”
Djed Spence’s ball 🔥
Kulusevski’s finish 😮💨Tottenham finally produced a moment of top quality to put the game to bed #ITVFootball | #FACup pic.twitter.com/1aNMGR7noj
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 12, 2025
‘Hard to score’ against Tamworth
Spurs became the second team this season to beat Liverpool in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday, but the 16th-placed team in the National League proved more troublesome at the 4,000-capacity Lamb Ground.
“It’s just a game of football,” Postecoglou replied when asked about his side’s apparent difference in performance levels over the course of four days.
“It’s difficult to score goals, no matter who you play. It was always a matter of staying calm and persistent.
“We stayed calm and could see they were tiring, which gave us more room to play. As far as I know, we’re going through to the next round – and that was the goal.”
“As far as I know we got through to the next round, that was the goal”
Andze Postecoglou is speaking @GabrielClarke05 for its sides #FACup third round performance against Tamworth#ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/jRXyxupPhc
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 12, 2025
FA Cup third round: Spurs through
Postecoglou’s strong starting line-up struggled to find creative inspiration, with only James Maddison looking a real threat before the break.
Home keeper Jas Singh made several fine saves, while team-mates Thomas McGlinchey and Jordan Cullinane-Liburd had close-range chances in quick succession just before the end of normal time.
“We’ve done ourselves proud”
Haydn Hollis reflects on a great Tamworth performance and THAT ability 😮💨#ITVFootball | #FACup | @GabrielClarke05 pic.twitter.com/pIQQ8kYZ9v
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 12, 2025
Dominic Solanke was among the players to come on for Spurs during the second half, while the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Sean Heung-min joined the England striker in extra time.
Kulusevski’s clinical strike and Brennan Johnson’s curling effort from inside the box sealed victory for Spurs, who will discover their fourth round opponents around 5 p.m. Sunday GMT.
