Rochdale 2-2 Tottenham: Spurs Held For Shock Draw After Dramatic Final Few Minutes
Rochdale may be bottom of League One, but they earned a Wembley date against Tottenham Hotspur after securing a thrilling 2-2 draw in the 5th round of the FA Cup. Spurs thought they had won it when Dele Alli controversially earned a penalty and Harry Kane put it away. But Steve Davies booked Rochdale a replay with a dramatic late equaliser at Spotland.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men found themselves 1-0 down in the first-half when Rochdale skipper Ian Henderson scored a brilliantly worked opener for his 6th FA Cup goal of the season.
Lucas Moura, on his full Spurs debut, cancelled out Henderson’s opener with a well-taken goal. The Brazilian started the move and finished it with aplomb. Spurs thought they won it when Kane smashed home from the spot after Alli was bundled in the box.
But 30-year-old Davies set Spotland rocking by popping up with the equaliser in the third minute of added time, securing Dale a well-deserved Wembley replay.
Let’s take a look at how the Spurs players fared in the 2-2 draw at Rochdale in the FA Cup fifth round.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Michel Vorm – 5/10
Made a good save in the first half of the game. He had no chances in either of the goals scored by Rochdale.
Kieran Trippier – 5/10
Made an important early block and was as usual industrious throughout the game. He marauded up and down the right flank with purpose.
Toby Alderweireld – 5/10
It was noticeable that Alderweireld hasn’t played competitive football on a consistent basis for a long time. However, he did some good defending but it was his glancing header that gifted Davies with the equalising goal deep into stoppage time.
Juan Foyth – 6/10
Showed a lot of promise with this outing. He made some good early tackles that set the tempo of the game. Foyth was partly guilty of not tracking back quickly for Rochdale’s opener. On the whole, it was a positive showing from the young Argentine.
Danny Rose – 5/10
Showed signs of rustiness with his passing and movement. He did improve in the second half but on such nights, the team needs experienced heads to step up.
Victor Wanyama – 5/10
Wanyama looked well off the pace and he will need plenty more minutes before he’s ready to play again for the first-team. A disappointing evening for the big Kenyan according to his standards.
Harry Winks – 5/10
Winks was guilty of getting dispossessed in the build-up to Rochdale’s opener. The youngster showed a lot of zest and energy but it was visible that he is still short of match fitness.
Moussa Sissoko – 6/10
Sissoko was poor in the first half but grew in the second and exerted his influence. The Frenchman threaded a fine pass to Lucas Moura to level 1-1.
Lucas Moura – 8/10
Moura would be satisfied with his first full game for Spurs. The Brazilian was diligent, kept switching the flanks from left to right and scored a fantastic goal with his weaker left foot. He showed signs of becoming a top player for the North Londoners.
Son Hueng-min – 5/10
It was just an off day for the South Korean, who tried anything and everything to get past the Rochdale defence, only to fail. He worked tirelessly but bore no fruit.
Fernando Llorente – 4/10
A yet another disappointing evening for the burly Spaniard. Llorente had the best chance in the first-half for Spurs but he scuffed his shot wide when he was at least expected to hit the target. A night to forget.
Substitutes
Erik Lamela – 6/10
Lamela came on and straight away looked to make things happen for Spurs. The Argentine showed his energy and desire to good effect and had a late shot but it got deflected with a defender clearing it.
Dele Alli – 7/10
Alli had some impact moments after coming on for Moura. He won the penalty and Kane smashed it to make it 2-1 in the 88th minute. But minutes later, Rochdale equalised.
Harry Kane – 5/10
Came on in the final minutes and showed why he is currently the best striker in Europe. The striker kept his composure before lashing the penalty past the keeper.
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