CARRY ON DIVING DELE
Hill happy with Alli antics
ROCHDALE boss Keith Hill accused England ace Dele Alli of conning his side out of a shock FA Cup win.
But Hill PRAISED the Tottenham and England star for his cunning and urged him to do the same at the World Cup in Russia this summer.
Alli went down under a late challenge from Harrison McGahey to earn Spurs a spot-kick and put them 2-1 up.
But supersub Steve Davies sent the Spotland crowd wild with a lastgasp equaliser to earn the League One strugglers a Wembley replay.
Hill reckoned Alli made a meal of the challenge from McGahey but has no problem with players like him making the most of situations inside the box.
The Dale boss (left) said: “I’m led to believe he was looking for it but why not? I don’t blame him and I don’t have a problem with it.
“Whether it’s him, Harry Kane or Ian Henderson, it doesn’t matter who does
it. If he does that for England in the World Cup this summer then I will definitely be supporting him.”
Harry Kane converted the spot-kick on 88 minutes to complete a comeback that looked like ruining Rochdale’s hopes of a famous upset.
Lucas Moura had cancelled out Ian Henderson’s shock opener before Kane pounced – but then Davies equalised.
Rochdale will now pocket a £500,000 windfall from the replay and Hill (right) is relishing the trip to the ‘Home of Football’.
He wants his young son Sidney to be a mascot and added: “It’s special. It’s a reward as well, because the performance deserved the chance for us to go and have a replay at Wembley. “It was a test, but why not take them on and try to win? I thought we gained their respect. “It was a marvellous feeling for everyone, us, the players and the supporters. But I thought the players were magnificent. It was raw emotion for everyone. “I lost my dad this time last year and would have liked to have taken him, but I’ll take Sidney and he will be a mascot.” Relieved Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “When Harry scored I thought we had won the tie but it’s the FA Cup and these things can happen. “But we are still alive. The team fought and gave their best. We were unlucky to concede right at the end.”