Leicester - 3 Tottenham - 2: For a team that routinely impresses in the Premiership, cup football has become something of a chastening experience for Tottenham Hotspur. Having suffered a humiliating defeat in the League Cup at Grimsby earlier in the season Spurs endured a repeat of that ignominy last night as Leicester City, 21st in the Championship staged an improbable comeback to secure their place in the fourth round.
There appeared little hope for the home side when goals from Jermaine Jenas and Paul Stalteri gave Tottenham a two-goal lead but an extraordinary turnaround was complete when Mark De Vries slotted past Paul Robinson in the 90th minute to leave Spurs with only the Premiership on which to focus their ambitions for the rest of the season.
Spurs' last visit to Leicester in a FA Cup tie, back in 1974, saw the home side triumph though a similar outcome here approved unlikely from the moment Jenas prodded the Premiership side into an early lead. It was a predictable breakthrough for a Spurs side that arrived in buoyant mood. Six of their last eight matches have yielded victories precipitating their ascent to within one point of third-placed Liverpool in the top division.
That was in stark contrast to the form of Leicester, for whom the spectre of relegation to League One looms large. One victory in 13 matches and three successive defeats was hardly a portent for an upset. Craig Levein had spent the lead-up to this match seeking assurances about his future as manager having come under criticism from what the Scot referred to as a "small minority" of Leicester supporters.
Levein might have hoped that the FA Cup would, like last year when Leicester reached the quarter-finals, offer some respite from their travails in the Championship. It certainly appeared that way in the opening quarter-of-an-hour as the home side imposed their high-tempo-game on Spurs. De Vries, the fulcrum of a three-prong attack, caused problems with his physical presence and but for his honesty might have won a penalty.
The Dutchman was clearly being tugged by Anthony Gardner as he ran into the Spurs area but rather than go to ground he admirably and perhaps naively chose to stay on his feet.
Spurs were already a goal to the good then, having profited from the first of several penetrating runs from their livewire winger Aaron Lennon. Alan Maybury had been exposed by the teenager's pace and hauled Lennon down in full flight.
Greater punishment followed the yellow card. Michael Carrick delivered a measured free-kick that picked out Robbie Keane on the edge of the Leicester area. Keane's powerful header cannoned off the post and landed at the feet of Jenas, who was left to tap into an empty net.
Leicester refused to be bowed and a header from Ryan Smith's corner sailed wide while a vicious drive from the edge of the area was deflected over by Carrick's outstretched boot. A better opportunity arrived earlier when De Vries raced on to Stephen Kelly's weak header but, after rounding Robinson, and with the angle narrowing, he shot over.
It was Keane whose influence was beginning to tell and the Spurs striker claimed a second assist four minutes before the interval. His pass released Stalteri on the Spurs right, who hammered a super right-foot shot from the edge of the area into the near top corner.
That should have provided Spurs with a comfortable half-time lead though two minutes before the interval Leicester's persistence was rewarded. Smith swung a deep cross to the back post that Richard Stearman climbed above Kelly to head back across goal. Elvis Hammond, completely unmarked in the six-yard box, gleefully stabbed home.
Within minutes of the restart Leicester came close to parity when Stephen Hughes's shot from around 10 yards saw Robinson produce a superb save at the near post to turn the ball behind.
The warning, however, went unheeded and just before the hour mark Leicester drew level. Smith's corner was only half-cleared and from the edge of the area Hughes struck another powerful drive that took a deflection off Dawson and evaded Robinson. It was a goal that Kelly must have rued more than most. Moments earlier the Spurs full-back had broke clear of the Leicester defence only to shoot woefully wide.
Guardian Service
