Tottenham On This Day: Hoddle and Waddle Take Spurs Past Wimbledon In Cup
By Logan Holmes
Chris Waddle [Photo: Logan Holmes]Tottenham faced a difficult FA Cup 6th Round tie in a London derby at Wimbledon’s Plough Lane ground. Goals from Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle took Spurs into the semi-finals.
Tottenham on this Day
15th March, 1987
Wimbledon 0 Spurs 2 FA Cup 6th Round
Scorers: Waddel, Hoddle
Team: Clemence; Stevens (Ruddock), Gough, Mabbutt, Thomas, M.; Allen, P., Ardiles (Claesen), Hoddle, Hodge, Waddle; Allen, C.
Wimbledon proved to be very difficult opponents for Spurs in their early years in the 1st Division. Earlier in the season in the first League game between the the two clubs, Wimbledon had won at White Hart Lane. This tie was televised and Spurs were being set up for a Cup shock but the team had come into a good vein of form, although they had lost the semi-final replay in the League Cup to Arsenal at the beginning of the month.
In this game David Pleat’s team applied themselves well, ensuring that they coped with Wimbledon’s direct long ball tactics and goals from Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle ensured the ‘Diamond Lights’ were still shining for Tottenham’s FA Cup campaign.
In the first half Spurs should have had a penalty but it remained scoreless at the interval but two late goals from Waddle and a stunning free-kick from Hoddle ensured Tottenham’s victory. The first from Waddle with 6 minutes remaining came as the game went from end to end. Waddle picked up the ball inside his own half and carried it towards the Wimbledon area where he played a short pass to Nico Claesen on the right wing. On receiving the ball back he took it into the right side of the penalty area where he beat the defenders and went towards the line and from a very tight angle powered in a fierce drive across goal and into the net.
Hoddle made victory secure four minutes later from a free-kick from 30 yards. He curled a powerful shot into the top corner of Dave Beasant’s net.
Video of Wimbledon v Spurs: 2nd half: (goals at 40 mins. and 43 mins.)