Spurs avoid shock FA Cup exit in draw at 4th-tier Newport

AP

LONDON (AP) — 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 on Saturday.

Newport led for 44 minutes until Kane's 82nd-minute equalizer but the League Two side held on at 10,000-seat Rodney Parade to secure a rich replay at 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium.

"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 wasn't so fortunate as it was 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.

Liverpool was eliminated when it lost to West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at Anfield, while Watford lost another all-English Premier League encounter at Southampton 1-0.

The Premier League teams to advance were Brighton, which won at Middlesbrough 1-0, and Leicester, which thrashed third-tier Peterborough 5-1.

The Premier League bottom side, Swansea, faced a replay after drawing at Notts County 1-1.

Huddersfield also drew against Birmingham 1-1.

Coventry continued its fantastic cup run with a 1-0 victory at MK Dons, while Hull beat Nottingham Forest 2-1.

Sheffield United beat Preston North End 1-0, and Millwall netted a last-minute equalizer to draw witht Rochdale 2-2.

___

UPSET AVOIDED

Spurs sit 71 places higher than Newport in the league pyramid but fell behind at Rodney Parade 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 far-post 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."

___

TOOTHLESS HAMMERS

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 afterward 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 after Reece Burke was somewhat harshly adjudged to have handled the ball.

It was Grigg's sixth goal in five FA Cup matches this season.

___

VAR FRUSTRATION

West Brom's victory at Liverpool 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 being made, the time it took, with almost four minutes elapsing between Mohamed 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.