Harry Kane double helps Spurs sink AFC Wimbledon
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ByEurosport
Updated 07/01/2018 at 18:50 GMT
FA Cup, Wembley – Tottenham 3 (Kane 63, 65, Vertonghen 71) AFC Wimbledon 0
Harry Kane celebrates
Image credit: Reuters
Harry Kane scored a second-half brace as Tottenham comfortably secured their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon.
Mauricio Pochettino named eight changes to the side that drew with West Ham on Thursday but opted to start with Kane alongside Fernando Llorente in attack.
Erik Lamela spurned Tottenham’s best chance of the first half when he was slipped through by Kane and tried a spectacular lob but George Long made a crucial save.
The visitors were pinned back in their own half for much of the first period but almost took a shock lead midway through the half when Nadjim Abdou’s 20-yard effort was tipped onto the crossbar by Michel Vorm.
The League One side held firm until the 63rd minute when Kane broke the deadlock after converting Moussa Sissoko’s cross.
Less than two minutes later, Kane added his second when Walker-Peters’s shot was deflected into his path and he poked home from eight yards out.
And on 71 minutes Jan Vertonghen added a third with a delightful strike from 25 yards to ensure Spurs feature in Monday’s draw.
TALKING POINT
Tottenham’s second-half performance: Spurs looked tired and laboured in the first period, perhaps even disinterested. But when Kane’s opener came, their ears pricked up and they sensed blood. They added two more and would have heaped further misery on Wimbledon only for Long's resilience. Spurs reached the semi-final in last year’s competition, only to be beaten 4-2 by Chelsea in an epic encounter at Wembley – will they finally end their 26 year wait for the FA Cup this time around?
MAN OF THE MATCH
Harry Kane (Tottenham): The England international now has 125 goals for Tottenham, one more than club legend Teddy Sheringham. Kane is now the club's ninth all-time leading scorer, though he is still some way off Jimmy Greave's record of 266 strikes.
PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Vorm 7, Trippier 7, Foyth 6, Vertonghen 8, Walker-Peters 7, Wanyama 7, Dembele 7, Sissoko 7, Lamela 8, Kane 8, Llorente 6. Subs: Son 7, N'Koudou 6, Alli 6.
AFC Wimbledon: Long 8, Fuller 6, Meades 6, Oshilaja 7, Francomb 6, Abdou 7, Trotter 6, Barcham 6, Soares 6, Charles 6, Taylor 6. Subs: McDonald 5, Forrester 5,, Hartigan 5.
KEY MOMENTS
29’ - CROSSBAR! Oh my, Wimbledon go agonisingly close to taking the lead! Abdou rifles a powerful effort at goal which Vorm can only tip onto the bar. The loose ball falls for Trotter but the Spurs goalkeeper gathers his follow-up attempt.
34’ - SAVE! Llorente lays the ball back to Kane who catches the ball sweetly from around 20 yards out. It is a fierce strike, but Long does brilliantly to push it wide. It's the first time the Wimbledon shot-stopper has really been tested.
41’ - CHANCE! Everyone in Wembley is waiting for the net to bulge as Lamela is slipped through on goal by Kane... he tries to dink it over Long but the Wimbledon goalkeeper gets the slightest of touches to divert it wide for a corner.
63’ - GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 AFC Wimbledon (Kane, 63). Wimbledon's resilience is broken, and who else but Harry Kane breaks the deadlock. Sissoko is fed down the right channel, he sends it into the danger area and Kane hooks home. It's his 124th goal in Spurs colours - the same number of goals scored as Teddy Sheringham.
65’ - GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 AFC Wimbledon (Kane, 65). Two goals in two minutes for Kane and Tottenham! Walker-Peters sees his shot blocked, but it falls kindly into the path of Kane who slots in from eight yards.
71’ - GOAL! Tottenham 3-0 AFC Wimbledon (Vertonghen, 71) Oh my, what a strike by Vertonghen! He collects the ball 25 yards out, is invited to shoot. He obliges and the effort arrows into the top corner, leaving Long with no chance.
KEY STATS
- Jan Vertonghen scored his first competitive goal for Tottenham in 1,536 days, since scoring against Sheriff Tiraspol in October 2013.
- There were just 111 seconds between Harry Kane's first and second goals.
- AFC Wimbledon made just their second competitive trip to Wembley after their League Two play-off final victory against Plymouth in May 2016.
- Tottenham have won each of their past eight FA Cup ties at home against lower league opposition, last losing in a third-round replay against Nottingham Forest in January 1975 - winning 31 and drawing seven since.
- AFC Wimbledon played Premier League opposition for only the second time in their history, with the first match also coming in the FA Cup third round - a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool in January 2015.
- Tottenham have only failed to progress to the fourth round on one occasion in the past 12 seasons - losing 2-0 to Arsenal in January 2014.
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