Spurs survive cup scare to eventually see off Morecambe 3-1

Tottenham Hotspur 3

Morecambe1

Three goals inside little over 10 minutes at the end of this game gave an otherwise lacklustre Spurs a 3-1 win over League One Morecambe at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Anthony O’Connor had the travelling Shrimps dreaming when he gave the visitors the lead on 33 minutes – and it took a trio of Spurs big guns to leave the comfort of the bench before the home side came back to reach round four – with goals from the two Harrys – Winks and Kane, sandwiching a Lucas Moura strike.

Antonio Conte made 10 changes to the team which started last week’s win over Watford at Vicarage Road in the Premier League.

And until he changed things with 20 minutes to go Spurs, despite their superior amount of possession, never really looked like scoring.

Things could have been different had Tanguy Ndombele taken a good chance in the very first minute, his shot from the left side of the box was blocked by O’Connor before Ben Davies’ header from the corner flew over the bar.

Shane McLoughlin’s left footed effort from the edge of the box was then easily saved by Pierluigi Gollini deputising in the Spurs goal.

At the other end Matt Doherty crept in at the far post following a right wing corner. His waist-high header found the side netting.

But Morecambe unbelievably took the lead on 33 minutes, O’Connor losing his marker Japhet Tanganga and volleying in from close range. The away fans went bonkers. It was horrific defending from Spurs.

Just before the break Morecambe could have made it two. A cross from the left found Jonah Ayunga unmarked in the box, but he got his header all wrong, skewing it wide right of the Spurs goal.

The second half started as had the first, with plenty of Spurs possession, but Morecambe fashioned the first chance, Cole Stockton twisting and turning before firing a shot just over from 20 yards.

But from then on it was all Spurs – in the possession stakes, at least.

On 54 minutes came Tottenham’s best chance of the game thus far, Dele Alli’s deft flick from a left side corner tipped over by Carson.

Matt Doherty then fired a shot way over from the edge of the box, but despite their possession, Spurs were coming no closer to the equaliser.

Then came the changes, Kane, Oliver Skipp and Moura replacing the abject Alli, Gil and Ndombele, the latter particularly coming in for some harsh treatment from the Spurs faithful as he slowly made his way off the pitch.

And within five minutes Spurs were level, Harry Winks’ cross from a left-sided free-kick finding its way over everyone in the box and into the far corner of the Morecambe net on 74 minutes.

Kane then inexplicably put a free header wide from just a few yards out when unmarked, before Giovani Lo Celso drew a fine save from Carson.

And with five minutes remaining came the decisive strike, and relief for the majority of the 40, 310 crowd - Moura capitalising on an awful error on halfway from Ryan McLaughlin, before running the length of the half and scoring past Carson.

And Kane made the scoreline 3-1 with two minutes left with a low shot to the left corner – a harsh end for Morecambe, who put up an almighty fight.

Teams:

Spurs: Gollini, Doherty, Winks, Gil (Moura, 69), Rodon, Lo Celso (Scott, 88), Sessegnon (Royal, 86), Alli (Kane, 69), Tanganga, Ndombele (Skipp, 69), Davies

Morcambe: Carson, McLaughlin, Leigh, O’Connor, Beduau (Gibson, 65), Diagouraga (Wildig, 77), Stockton, Ayunga (Obika, 58), McLoughlin, Cooney (Jones, 77), McCalmont

Referee: John Brooks