Tamworth manager Andy Peaks could not hide his pride after non-league team Tottenham took it to extra time in the FA Cup and almost suffered a monumental setback.
Tamworth, currently 16th in the National League, lasted 101 minutes against the Premier League giants, who started the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner, while also introducing Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min from the bench.
Nathan Tshikuna's own goal finally broke their resolve after eleven minutes of added time, before Kulusevski and Johnson scored to take the tie away from the hosts.
Tamworth became only the fourth non-league team to take a Premier League club to extra time in the FA Cup (since 1992-93), after Hereford United (vs. Leicester City in 1999-00), Dagenham and Redbridge (vs. Charlton Athletic in 1999-00). 2000-2001) and Kidderminster Harriers (vs West Ham in 2021-2022).
In fact, they could have become only the third non-league team to dump a Premier League side out of the cup, with heroic blocks denied by Thomas McGlinchey and Jordan Cullinane-Liburd in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
“We're disappointed because we came so close to causing a huge upset, but we're also extremely proud,” Peaks told ITV Sport.
“Everyone did their best and if you look at the team we played against, it was incredible from our boys. I'm so proud of them.
“We had chances, the keeper saved, but the brilliant thing was we were in the game until the end.
“We knew it was going to be tough. I wanted people to see what we were about, and I think we did that.”
Tamworth were denied a lucrative visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the Football Association scrapped replays ahead of this season, but Peaks said playing on the Lamb Ground's artificial pitch had given them the best possible chance of a win.
“I wanted to come here and talk to you and be proud of what I saw – I'm extremely proud,” he said.
“It was better to draw at home. The chance we had to equalize was for them to come here. They have been so respectful and to bring a team like that says a lot. I can't beat them.”
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