WEMBLEY’S THE LEAST WE DESERVED – HILL
ROCHDALE IN DREAMLAND AS LAST-GASP LEVELLER CLINCHES CUP REPLAY AGAINST SPURS
Rochdale manager Keith Hill celebrated his team’s dramatic 2-2 FA Cup draw with Tottenham – and said that his men deserved the chance of a Wembley replay.
Rochdale were well worth their Wembley pay-day after taking the game to their Premier League opponents.
They opened the scoring with a well-worked move on the stroke of the half-time, finished off by Ian Henderson, only for Lucas Moura to equalise before Spurs took the lead from the spot.
Harry Kane came off the bench to convert an 89thminute penalty to put Spurs in front, but there was still time for Steve Davies to snatch an equaliser in the third minute of added time.
“The performance deserved at least the opportunity to go to Wembley in a replay,” said delighted boss Hill. “I thought the first half was magnificent, the way we took the game to the opponent.
“Why not take not take them on and try to win the game?
“It could have been football suicide but for us to score the goal and go in 1-0 at half-time was tremendous, a marvellous feeling for those players.
“For us to get that late equaliser – wow – that was raw emotion not just from me but from the group of players, staff and supporters. I am very pleased the players have got the reward of a game at Wembley.”
Davies admitted he would be living the dream by playing the replay against Spurs at Wembley.
He told BBC1: “They say it’s every kid’s dream (to play at Wembley) and we have done enough to go there.”
On his late equaliser, he added: “I’ve done my job, it’s dropped to me and I’ve finished it.”
Fellow scorer Henderson said: “It’s unbelievable. We played some incredible football against Spurs. We cannot wait to go to Wembley to play them.
“I knew that we would always have an opportunity (to equalise).”
Hill defended the right of Dele Alli to win the penalty that almost shattered the hosts’ hopes.
Hill even admitted that if Alli won a penalty for England at the World Cup, in similar circumstances, he would cheer the midfielder.
Hill was not prepared to wade into the debate over Alli winning penalties, with the Dale boss saying: “I have not seen it again but I’m led to believe he is looking for it (but) we get too involved in controversy.
“If a centre-forward or midfield player feels as though there is a penalty opportunity to be gained... brilliant–whether it is De le Alli, Steve Davies, Ian Henderson, Andy Cannon it doesn’t really matter
“I won’t hold it against him.”