Spurs pushed, Liverpool out
Tottenham need late Kane goal to avoid upset, while Reds lose as VAR causes confusion
Tottenham survived a huge scare in the FA Cup as a late Harry Kane goal rescued a 1-1 draw at fourth-tier Newport in the fourth round yesterday. Newport led for 44 minutes until Kane’s 82nd-minute equaliser but the League Two side held on at 10,000seat Rodney Parade to secure a rich replay at 90,000-seat Wembley.
Spurs sit 71 places higher than Newport in the league pyramid but fell behind when Padraig Amond rose highest to head home Robbie Willmott’s cross late in the first half.
An ignominious exit loomed for a reasonably strong Tottenham outfit but, with the visitors seemingly fast running out of ideas, substitute Son Heung-min flicked on a corner and Kane ended a frustrating night in front of goal with the simplest of farpost tap-ins. It was his 30th goal of the season.
“It was always going to be hard in the second half, but they’ve made me the proudest manager in the country,” Newport coach Mike Flynn said. “Let’s be honest, it was the only mistake we made all day and we got punished.”
“The key for the game was to match the motivation, desire, fight and challenge of Newport,” Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “But the team didn’t show really that they want to go to the next stage of the FA Cup. That is what has disappointed us a lot.”
West Ham weren’t so fortunate, eliminated by third-tier Wigan 2-0. At 1-0 down, West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku was sent off four minutes into the second half for spitting at Nick Powell and faces a lengthy ban.
West Ham didn’t have a single shot on target on a miserable day for David Moyes’ side. Wigan got off to a great start as Grigg headed in Nathan Byrne’s cross less than seven minutes in. Cheyenne Dunkley also had a goal ruled out for Wigan shortly afterwards and any hope West Ham had of getting into the match diminished when Masuaku was dismissed for reacting angrily to a crunching tackle from Powell.
Grigg doubled his tally in the 69th with a penalty straight down the middle for his sixth goal in five cup matches this season.
Liverpool were eliminated 3-2 by West Bromwich Albion at Anfield. The game was littered with Video Assistant Referee referrals which caused confusion on the pitch and in the stands.
Three major incidents in the first half alone required the intervention of technology — including the first time a match referee used a pitchside television replay.
Although it eventually led to correct decisions, the time it took, with almost four minutes elapsing between Mo Salah being fouled and Craig Pawson awarding a penalty which Roberto Firmino missed, left supporters and players on all sides angry and frustrated.
West Brom became the first team since Real Madrid in October 2014 to score three in the first half at Anfield as Jay Rodriguez netted twice in the first 11 minutes following Firmino’s opener. Joel Matip’s own goal gave the visitors a two-goal cushion.
Salah’s first FA Cup goal, and his 25th of the season, set up a thrilling finale but the Baggies held on.
Watford lost another all-English Premier League encounter at Southampton 1-0. The other Premier League teams to advance were Brighton, who won at Middlesbrough 1-0,
They’ve made me the proudest manager in the country. It was the only mistake we made all day and we got punished. Newport manager Mike Flynn on Tottenham’s late equaliser
and Leicester, who thrashed third-tier Peterborough 5-1.
The Premier League’s bottom side, Swansea, face a replay after drawing at Notts County 1-1. Huddersfield also drew against Birmingham 1-1.
Coventry continued their fantastic Cup run with a 1-0 victory at MK Dons, while Hull beat Nottingham Forest 2-1.
Sheffield United overcame Preston North End 1-0 and Millwall netted a last-minute equaliser to draw witht Rochdale 2-2.
In the English Championship, Bristol City shrugged off Nathan Baker’s first-half red card to earn a 2-0 win that moved them up to fourth.
The Robins were without a victory in four Championship games and were up against it when centre back Baker was sent off for a challenge on Josh Scowen after half an hour. But Famara Diedhiou put the 10 men in front in first-half stoppage time and Joe Bryan’s finish midway through the second half secured the points.
Matt Doherty scored the only goal as Wolves extended their lead to 12 points with a 1-0 victory at Ipswich.
Leigh Griffiths scored against his former club as Celtic maintained their 11-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 1-0 win at home to Hibernian.
Ex-Hibs forward Griffiths got the only goal of the game in the 27th minute with his eighth league strike of the season. Brendan Rodgers’ side have now won six of their last seven games since being beaten by Hearts in December and are unbeaten in 41 league matches at Celtic Park.
Scott McKenna scored twice as Aberdeen came from behind to beat Kilmarnock 3-1 at Pittodrie. Kilmarnock were ahead after 28 minutes when Kris Boyd deflected Greg Taylor’s shot past Danny Rogers.
Dons defender McKenna turned the game with two goals soon after halftime. Niall McGinn then added a fine 72nd-minute goal as Derek McInnes’ side leapfrogged Rangers into second.