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Tottenham, thanks to super subs, advance to fifth round of FA Cup

By Gary Pearson

HIGH WYCOMBE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Tanguy NDombele of Tottenham Hotspur scores his sides third goal during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Wycombe Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Adams Park on January 25, 2021 in High Wycombe, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
HIGH WYCOMBE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 25: Tanguy NDombele of Tottenham Hotspur scores his sides third goal during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Wycombe Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Adams Park on January 25, 2021 in High Wycombe, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham’s super subs made all of the difference in the FA Cup fourth round match vs. Wycombe, as Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele scored late to help the away side into the fifth round. 

The Lilywhites, who, thanks to an 85-minute Winks’ winner, now face Everton in the fifth round. The score was level in the dying minutes, but Spurs were by far the dominant side in the second half. They were full value for their 4-1 win.

But the result was in doubt for large periods of the match.

Jose Mourinho had to call upon Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Tanguy Ndombele to guarantee the victory. All three came off the bench and showed their superior class, causing nightmares for an exhausted Wycombe defence.

Tottenham struggled to match Wycombe’s desire in the first half. The Championship side acquitted themselves well to FA Cup fourth tie, keeping Joe Hart on his toes with a few chances in the opening minutes.

But the England goalkeeper, thanks to a Davinson Sanchez miss-kicked clearance, had no chance on Wycombe’s opener. Fred Onyedinma smashed home the opener at the 25-minute mark, punishing Sanchez’s carelessness. The Colombian has endured a terribly inconsistent season earmarked by repetitive unnecessary mistakes. Another howler will not help change Jose Mourinho’s opinion of the erratic centre back.

Gareth Bale threatened a couple of times before equalizing at the stroke of halftime. Bale redirected deftly Lucas Moura’s cross beyond Ryan Allsop. That goal from Spurs turned the tide going into the second half.

The away side dominated proceedings in the second half, playing more like the team almost 40 places above Wycombe in the standings. For all their excellent buildup play, Tottenham was excessively wasteful in front of goal. Kane and Son were called upon to get Spurs over the line, both of whom made an immediate impact.

Both top scorers missed golden opportunities to put Spurs ahead, as Wycombe bent but didn’t break. They showed the sort of resilience and determination they’ll need avoid the drop into League 1.

Next. A year at Tottenham: Rating Bergwijn's contribution since arriving. dark

Ndombele then played a telling pass through to Kane on Spurs’ winner. Spurs’ top scorer was unable to score, but Winks followed up to bag the all-important second. Ndombele then followed up with two of his own, impressing emphatically in his cameo appearance.