And with that, farewell.
Liverpool v West Brom is next up: join Niall McVeigh here for that.
Hell of a two-parted performance from Newport. In the first-half they attacked and harried Spurs, then as the Premier League team half got their act together after the break, they defended stoutly. Spurs were terrible in the first half and marginally better in the second, and now have to deal with a replay in an already crowded schedule.
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Full-time: Newport County 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
90 mins +3: Spurs go close again. Kane curls over a great cross, Alli goes up with Day but it eludes them both and goes behind. Looks like the last touch was off Day’s fist, but a goal-kick is given.
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90 mins + 2: Trippier boots a long ball over the top, Kane flips it over Demetriou and looks like he’ll put the winner home...but White does brilliantly to block the shot. Fine defending.
90 mins: Vorm catches the corner, just about. Four minutes added time....
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89 mins: Demetriou is on long throw duty, and Tottenham put it behind for a corner, in doing so Vorm seems to punch Vertonghen in the shoulder. Not ideal.
87 mins: Not from that corner though. As Pipe goes to clear, Foyth takes him out with a late, sliding challenge and goes into the book.
86 mins: Trippier plays a delicious ball down the right for Son, whose cross is blocked. Another goal could be on the cards...
84 mins: A remarkable effort from Newport - not quite for nothing, as so long nothing changes they’ll still get to play at Wembley, but that’s a kick in the pants. They make a change as Rob Dolan comes on for Labadie.
82 mins: Trippier puts in a bad corner that Son turns into a good corner by executing a sort of scorpion kick flick thing that takes it over the defence, and Kane finds himself free as a bird at the back stick, and he very deliberately thunks the half-volley into the net.
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GOAL! Newport 1-1 Tottenham (Kane 82)
Of course it’s him.
81 mins: Final change for Spurs, as Ben Davies comes on for Dembele. Crosses into the mixer ahoy.
80 mins: Dembele has a chance to shoot from outside the box but dithers. It’s shifted to Wanyama who doesn’t dither, but spanks it well wide. Perhaps dithering would’ve been better.
78 mins: Splendid defending by Demetriou, with a dash of luck as he stands up to Son, then his tackle bounces off the Spurs forward’s shins and goes out for a goal-kick. Hell of an effort already this from Newport, just 12 minutes to go...
77 mins: Labadie is flattened by Dembele, but the ref rules it fair. He’s the first Newport player to go down with a spot of cramp: you’d assume he won’t be the last.
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76 mins: Dembele is very lucky to get away with falling asleep in midfield, as Labadie picks his pocket, but Vertonghen cuts out the pass looking for McCoulsky.
74 mins: Sub for Newport: Amond, goalscorer in this game, is replaced by Shawn McCoulsky, goalscorer in the last round against Leeds, the reason we’re all here today.
73 mins: Kane shifts it to Dembele, who half loses control and fouls Labadie. They’re getting very frustrated now.
71 mins: Kane hits an optimistic shot from the left, but it goes into the side-netting. A chap in the crowd who looks like the missing third Hairy Biker looks pensive.
70 mins: 20 minutes of heavy defending for Newport now. They’re dropping deeper and deeper, which is understandable, but could just invite more issues.
68 mins: Spurs creating more now: Wanyama feeds Kane on the edge of the box, he spins onto his left foot and shoots, but it’s deflected wide. The corner is half-cleared, it goes out to Foyth but his left-footed shot was never going to threaten the goal, sliced wide and high.
67 mins: Alli’s first touch is to slip in a nice pass after a quick one-two with Kane, Son takes the shot but Day makes a good save. The resultant corner is terrible, smacked into the first man by Trippier.
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66 mins: Here’s Alli, and it is for Llorente. In pubs across the land, that bloke who thinks he knows lots about football but actually doesn’t know anything about football will be shouting: “1-0 down and he takes off a striker for a midfielder?!?!?!?!?!?!? What are you DOING Poch??!@!@!?@£$@!”
65 mins: Spurs are technically speaking on top, given that the ball has spent most of the last 20 minutes in Newport’s half, but they only really have that Kane header to show for it.
63 mins: And with perfect comic timing Sissoko and Llorente combine very nicely to set up Kane on the edge of the box, but the ball gets stuck under his feet and the chance disappears.
62 mins: Dele Alli looks like he’s about to come on. Surely for Sissoko or Llorente, who have both been absolutely trousers, although only slightly more than most of their colleagues.
60 mins: Trippier passes down the line for Sissoko, but it his his heels and bounces away. A genuine mystery that he has more appearances than any other player in this Spurs team this season.
57 mins: What a miss! Trippier puts in a brilliant, brilliant cross, whipped in from the right and onto Kane’s forehead, six yards out and only slightly backpedalling, but he heads over. Hooooo boy.
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55 mins: Tozer has shifted that towel to the other end of the pitch. He hoys in another couple of long ones, Spurs look uncomfortable defending them but just about get away with it, despite leaving Amond virtually free for another header. On the bench, Jesus Perez whips out the iPad. It must be serious.
52 mins: Vertonghen is getting down the left more and more now. He hits another cross a bit long, but Llorente made a rather half-hearted effort to get up and actually head the thing.
50 mins: Llorente spreads to Son, who shifts it one left again for Vertonghen, but his cross booms long, long, long.
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48 mins: Spurs have had most of the ball so far in this second half, but are yet to do much with it...
The din, the insistence, the involvement of the home crowd at Newport has been like something from another age. Their team has responded wonderfully. Fantastic half of football.
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) January 27, 2018
46 mins: And we’re away. 45 minutes away from quite a shock...
Change for Spurs, which will presumably mean a system switch too: Son is on for Walker-Peters, so it looks like a back four with Vertonghen on the left, Son at left wing and Sissoko out to the right.
The teams are back out for the second-half. Spurs can only get better, right?
Nicholas Adams writes: “AAARGH!”
That’s all. I assume he’s either a Spurs fan or is going through some sort of wider existential crisis. Whichever it is, you have my sympathy.
Well then. WELL THEN.
The short version is that Tottenham have been awful and Newport have been terrific. Pochettino’s plan to pick a bunch of big lads to combat Newport’s physicality might have been a reasonable idea in theory, but the League Two side have not only outmuscled but outplayed Spurs. Conversely, Tottenham could do with a few ball players in there. For Newport, Labadie and Wilmmott have both been really very good, and Amond took advantage of some supremely whiffy marking to head superbly home.
Half-time: Newport 1-0 Tottenham
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins: Dier spreads a pass to Walker-Peters on the left, who takes his eye off the ball, it rebounds between his ankles and goes out for a throw. A neat summary of how things have gone in the cup for Tottingham.
44 mins: A rare attack for Spurs, but a cross from a free-kick on the left is headed out with little drama. Newport most definitely deserve at least this 1-0 lead.
42 mins: That corner comes to nought, but Spurs are being bullied here.
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41 mins: Spurs look rattled. Willmott crosses, Dier clears appallingly and it falls to Amond. His shot from a very tight angle is deflected wide, and Newport have a corner.
39 mins: Willmott has another chance to cross from the right, but this one is sliced behind. The camera cuts to Pochettino and his coaching staff on the bench, who look worried. And rightly so. They’ve got options on the bench, but the team they already have out should be good enough not to be losing this one.
38 mins: Tozer tosses in another long throw, it’s cleared as far as Willmott on the right corner of the box who clips in a delightful ball to the back stick. Amond is there, helped out by some ropey positioning and a flat-footed jump by Tripper, to head past Vorm. NOW THEN...
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GOAL! Newport 1-0 Tottenham (Amond 38)
OH MY EFFING DAYS!
37 mins: Labadie produces a couple of lovely wee touches, almost juggling the ball past Vertonghen and Walker-Peters, but his cross is blocked.
36 mins: Sissoko, who does always look a little like he’s playing in rollerskates, bundles White over in an attempt to attack from the left of the area. He is, of course, penalised.
33 mins: ...but Kane skies it. If the goal was about 15 yards further back it might’ve had enough dip to be on target, but as it is...
32 mins: Booking for Labadie, after he goes through Kane with some gusto. Free-kick to Spurs, 25-odd yards out and slightly to the left...
31 mins: Chance for Spurs. Dembele adds a little delicacy to proceedings with a lovely spin to get out of trouble in his own half, he feeds Sissoko who in turn cuts it back to Kane in the box, and his shot hits the post. The referee rules there was a flick off a defender or goalkeeper of some sort, giving a corner, but it wasn’t immediately obvious.
30 mins: After a cross into the box, the ball drops to white on the edge who volleys, but scuffs it wide.
29 mins: Walker-Peters is getting plenty of the ball on the left, but he’s all right foot and is thus forced to cut inside every time. He does so again, tries to shoot but it’s blocked.
28 mins: Spurs hang onto the ball for an extended period, the first time that’s happened. The attack falls apart when Llorente tries to hold it up, but attempts something fancy with a backheeled lay-off and it goes askew.
26 mins: Tozer trebuchets another throw into the box, but this time Wanyama is fouled and Spurs breathe.
24 mins: Labadie the best player on the pitch so far: he sort of forces Trippier to foul him over in the left corner, and Willmott absolutely fizzes in the free-kick. It shaves Sissoko’s head but thunks straight into Vorm’s chest, and he just about hangs on. Only just, mind.
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23 mins: Game summary:
#thfc Sissoko the most composed Spurs player so far.
— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) January 27, 2018
21 mins: The referee just ran over to the sidelines to have a word with someone about something, not sure what. Stay tuned for more cutting edge reporting.
Breaking news update: Referee Roger East was talking to the fourth official about a drone flying above the pitch.
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19 mins: Another long throw from Tozer, drying the ball with the Rory Delap Memorial Towel, but Vertonghen stoops to head away. Spurs counter, but a long cross from the right looking for Llorente sails long.
17 mins: Demetriou clips a long pass over the top of the Spurs defence for Amond, but the lino’s flag goes up: replays suggest that was a fag-paper close call, probably just onside.
16 mins: Spurs attack down the left with Walker-Peters, but his cross towards Kane is cut out.
13 mins: Bennett takes a hoy at goal from just outside the area, but it takes a chunky deflection and bobbles through to Vorm. There are rugby markings on the pitch: Newport Gwent Dragons played there last weekend. So Spurs have a handy scapegoat if this goes south.
11 mins: First effort from Spurs...after a fashion. Kane lays to Llorente, who knocks it back to Kane but his shot is...not good, gently sailing over the bar.
9 mins: Another long throw from Tozer: Demetriou flicks it on, and Bennett is there to try hooking the thing into the corner of the net, but it loops wide.
7 mins: Newport have started at that sort of relentless pace where they’ll have to get at least one early goal or else they’ll be completely knackered by half-time.
5 mins: Newport v much on top so far. Some of these Tottenham players look like they’re playing on an ice rink and have forgotten their skates. Labadie again nicks the ball from a Spurs player, this time Wanyama, and shoots from range but it’s straight at Vorm.
4 mins: Oh my! Big chance for Newport, as Labadie mugs Dier, cuts it back to Frank Nouble who absolutely launches a shot miles over the bar. My colleague Will Unwin texted Nouble good luck before the game. The good news for both Will and Frank is that it can only get better from here.
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2 mins: Ben Tozer lines up one of his booming throws from way downtown, but Tottenham pack the six-yard box and get rid fairly easily. Sounds like the atmosphere is pretty lively.
1 min: And we are go go go! The pitch is that sort of shiny you only get with plenty of moisture. It will cut up but those who have taken a closer look say it’s not quite as bad as it seems from distance.
The teams are out, the sky is now a disappointingly conventional black as the sun has now gone in, and we are about to football.
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Meanwhile, the goo from Ghostbusters 2 looms over Rodney Parade...
The pitch looks...sporting. Lovely slick passing would almost certainly be a bad idea - perhaps Spurs will be humping it into the mixer for the big lads?
Poch speaks!
“No excuses. The players say the pitch is better than St Mary’s, where we played last week. The only thing now is to perform and be better than them. We’ve watched them a lot and they’re very physical.”
That last comment would explain the presence of two up top, Wanyama, Sissoko and Dier in the team.
I'm a Spurs fan @NickMiller79 but I can't for the life of me figure out how Sissoko continues to make the first XI. Perhaps Levy feels a mug for spending so much money on such a poor player. He'll probably have a blinder now. Very surprised Kane is starting. A risk, surely?
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) January 27, 2018
Sissoko is something of a head-scratcher, but Pochettino seems to be a fan. A reminder of what he said about Sissoko this week:
You have to give the credit to him because he is the only player who provides balance in those transitions - offensive to defensive, defensive to offensive - in the team.
“There is no other player in the team who can provide that. This is the best quality he provides to the team. The team needs that balance nowadays. He has been one of our most important players.
“We create myths. I do too! Like the media. Sometimes we all create myths but most of the times we are not clinical or honest in the way we assess things. Sometimes you think a way about someone because of first impressions and then they stick forever. I like that you [the media] give credit to him because he is doing very well.”
Wales Manager Ryan Giggs at Rodney Parade tonight #NEWTOT
— Carrie Brown (@CarrieBrownTV) January 27, 2018
Watching...erm...Newport’s David Pipe, owner of one cap from 2003? Maybe midfielder Josh Sheehan. Who’s on the bench. Still, maybe he’s just in love with the game. Or more likely, he thought Ben Davies would play.
The 3pms are finishing: highlights from that little lot include ten-man West Ham being gubbed by Wigan, Brighton beating Middlesbrough with a flukey late one, League Two Coventry making it into the fifth round by beating MK Dons (and it does feel weird calling that an upset, but it is) while Notts County have got a replay out of Swansea with a 1-1 draw.
Ben Fisher with yer details, here.
Subs are in now. That was v v v tense.
Who fancies a chat about tactics? That team is set out below as 4-4-2, but given the midfield would be incredibly narrow if so, on reflection it will probably be a 3-5-2 with Eric Dier at the back and Kyle Walker-Peters on the left.
Neither team have yet announced their substitutes. Perhaps they’re both trying to add a little tension to proceedings.
It’s working. I’m tense.
Team news
Newport County
Day; Pipe, Demetriou, White, Bennett, Butler, Willmott, Tozer, Labadie, Nouble, Amond. Subs: Bittner, Dolan, McCoulsky, Reid, O’Brien, Sheehan, Hayes.
Tottenham Hotspur
Vorm; Trippier, Foyth, Vertonghen, Walker-Peters; Dier, Wanyama, Sissoko, Dembele; Llorente, Kane. Subs: Gazziniga, Sanchez, Son, Alli, Davies, Amos, Georgiou.
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)
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Preamble
If you’ve got yourself into such a funk of cynicism that you think that games like this, which will almost certainly end in a victory for the big boys, that’s understandable. But if you ignore the notion that all human endeavour is essentially pointless because one day we will all die so why bother, then there’s plenty to be gained for both of these teams.
For Newport, this is obviously the sort of giddy distraction that smaller teams might enjoy; the chance to play against the best (and also perhaps Moussa Sissoko), as well as the outside chance that they might actually win, of course. It’s also a staging post on their journey back from the grimmer end of life, as they recover from being minutes away from relegation out of the Football League last year, to now sniffing around the playoff places.
But there’s also the grittier, perhaps unpleasant financial aspect of things. From Stuart James’s big piece on them in today’s super soaraway Guardian:
Eight months later Newport’s story keeps getting better. They are pushing for a play-off place, Leeds were vanquished at Rodney Parade in the previous round of the FA Cup and the stage is set for Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham. Temporary stands have been erected at either end of the ground, increasing capacity to around 10,000 for a game that is being televised and, according to Gavin Foxall, the club’s chairman, will take Newport’s earnings from the FA Cup this season to between £400,000 and £500,000.
“When you think as a business we turn over £2.2m a year, when you start looking at monies like that, you realise the impact,” Foxall says.
And then there’s Tottenham. This of course represents their best chance to win something this season, given that leagues Premier and Champions are probably a shade out of their reach. And that’s the strike against them, that Arsene Wenger so expertly needled in the week: they’re very good, but they haven’t really done anything yet.
This will represent a step further towards that. But will they do it? It’s the question that everybody is asking. Stick around for a bit, and we’ll find out.
Kick-off: 17.30 GMT
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