MICKEY: WE CAN LORD IT OVER SPURS
w pitch and ng, because n fire. things are sure things
nd a good reward now for the players and the fans because they deserve it. I played at Wembley in the play-off final for Newport and got us back in the league.
“That’s the only problem – I’ve got a 100 per cent record at Wembley and I don’t want to spoil it.”
Kane spared Spurs’ blushes with his 30th club goal this season, and admitted they were relieved to get a chance to finish the job in next week’s replay, when they were so close to humiliation.
In the first half especially, the visitors simply failed to match Newport’s desire and boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted Flynn’s side wanted it more. Spurs also looked unsettled in surroundings a world away from those at the Premier League’s pristine grounds.
Watching Pochettino’s players having to spread out amongst the dining chairs to do their pre-match stretches in a room that used to be Newport’s corporate hospitality suite was a bizarre sight.
The crowd were raucous and right on top of the players, with makeshift stands added at both ends of the tight ground to boost attendance, and the pitch was cut up, leaving it looking every inch like one also used by two rugby teams.
Kane said: “This felt like one of my old loan spells. When I was in League One with Orient. Sometimes it is tough to come back here and play on these pitches.
“I was playing here five or six years ago. I got the opportunity, thankfully, and managed to take it. If I didn’t, then who knows where I would be now.
“Sometimes, it is good to come here and remind yourself that this isn’t so far away, if you don’t carry on working hard, and get your head down.” MICKEY DEMETRIOU aims to complete a unique double by playing at Wembley in next week’s replay.
The Newport defender (holding off Heung-min Son, below) said: “I haven’t played at Wembley, the home of football before, but I have played at the home of cricket, Lord’s.
“So, if selected, it will be a tick off the sheet.
“When I was growing up, I played for my local team in Sussex, for Findon Cricket Club, and we got through to the final of the National Village Cup.
“The final is always at Lord’s, so that was a big experience for me as a 17-year-old.
“I don’t get to play cricket any more but, if I can make the odd game here or there, it’s great.
“Hopefully, this will be another great experience, if I can stay fit for these next two games and play at Wembley. The atmosphere at home was brilliant, just shy of 10,000 fans.
“It will be nice to get them and a few more at Wembley. They’ll have 50,000 there and it will be another great experience.”
Padraig Amond reckons Newport can go one better and stun Tottenham at Wembley.
“Of course we can beat Spurs,” said the striker (opening the scoring for County, top), after his team came just eight minutes away from causing a big cup upset. “We nearly beat them today so let’s see what happens.
“It is just disappointing to draw the game, and it is kind of scary saying that, because it is Tottenham. But it is true.
“People are saying it is greedy to be disappointed, but we were eight minutes away from one of the greatest shocks in the history of the FA Cup.”