It was a historic moment for former Liberian international Chris Wreh Jr., who came off the bench for non-league side Tamworth in their valiant 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the English FA Cup. Tamworth pushed the Premier League side to extra time before an unfortunate own goal and late strikes sealed Spurs’ passage to the next round.
Wreh Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father, former Arsenal striker Chris Wreh Sr., who also faced Spurs during his career. Wreh Sr. played 28 minutes in a 0-0 draw in the Premier League—the only time he ever faced Spurs in a competitive match.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side delivered a lackluster performance during regular time at the Lamb Ground. It took an own goal from Tamworth’s Nathan Tshikuna in the 101st minute to break the deadlock. Substitute Dejan Kulusevski then added a brilliant strike, and Brennan Johnson curled in a third, as Postecoglou was forced to deploy his most potent attacking options to overcome Tamworth’s impressive resistance.
The home side, sitting 96 places below Spurs in the football pyramid’s fifth tier, delivered a magnificent performance. They were on the brink of one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets and might not have been begrudged victory in normal time.
Goalkeeper Jas Singh, the hero of Tamworth’s penalty shootout win over Burton Albion in the second round, made crucial saves from James Maddison and Timo Werner during normal time. Werner also saw a header cleared off the line by Haydn Hollis.
Despite their dominance in the latter stages of the game, Spurs teetered on the edge, with Tamworth threatening to score in the final moments before extra time. Antonin Kinsky’s vital save from Jordan Cullinane Liburd in the dying seconds ensured the game extended beyond 90 minutes.
Postecoglou introduced Dominic Solanke after the hour mark but had to call upon Son Heung-min and Kulusevski at the start of extra time to inject energy into Spurs’ faltering display. Even then, it took a stroke of good fortune for Tottenham to finally crack Tamworth’s disciplined defense.
Kulusevski’s sublime low strike provided Tottenham with breathing room, while Johnson’s late third goal gave the Premier League side a flattering margin of victory, one that hardly reflected the gallant effort and superb organisation of their non-league opponents.
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