Boro foiled as Moura strikes to save Spurs from an early cup exit
MIDDLESBROUGH
Fletcher 50
TOTTENHAMHOTSPUR
Lucas Moura 61
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Lucas Moura kept Tottenham in the FA Cup as he prevented a third-round shock at the hands of Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough.
Boro – managed by Jonathan Woodgate, who headed Spurs to victory in the 2008 League Cup final – took a 50th-minute lead through Ashley Fletcher’s sixth goal in 11 games.
But Jose Mourinho’s men hit back within 11 minutes when Brazilian Moura headed firmly past Tomas Mejias to secure a 1-1 draw and a place in tonight’s fourthround draw.
Tottenham were well worth a replay on a day when the injured Harry Kane’s absence blunted their attack, but Boro equally deserved another crack after a spirited display against last season’s Champions League finalists.
The Teessiders started confidently, but it was the visitors who made the first attempt on target, Christian Eriksen firing an eighthminute shot which keeper Mejias could not hold.
Mejias had to race from his line to deny Son Heungmin two minutes later after Moura slid the ball into his path.
Spurs nearly took a 20thminute lead when Boro defender Paddy Mcnair diverted Eriksen’s cross just past a post as he attempted to block it. But they were almost behind three minutes later as keeper Paulo Gazzaniga had to pull off a double save to deny first Dael Fry and then
George Saville from Mcnair’s deep free-kick.
The home side took the lead five minutes into the second half when Saville clipped the ball over the top of a flat-footed Tottenham rearguard for Fletcher to race clear and beat Gazzaniga.
Mourinho’s response was to replace Ryan Sessegnon andharrywinkswithgiovani Lo Celso and Erik Lamela, but Spurs continued to lack the precision they needed in the final third to drag themselves back into the tie.
However, they did just that in the 61st minute when Sere Aurier drilled a cross to the far post and Moura got between Jonny Howson and Djed Spence to head home an equaliser.
Both sides went in search of a winner and Fletcher might have done better when he shot straight at Gazzaniga with 20 minutes remaining.
Mejias turned Lamela’s 74th-minute strike wide as it skipped nastily off the turf, then pulled off a fine save to keep out Moura’s piledriver.