Newport County 1-1 Tottenham: Harry Kane Denies Excellent Exiles With Late Equaliser

An inspired Newport County held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade in the fourth round of the FA Cup. 

League Two side Newport took a deserved lead in the 37th minute, after Pádraig Amond headed Robbie Willmott's delivery past Michel Vorm at the far post. Harry Kane equalised for Spurs in the 83rd minute, when the England striker tapped in Son Heung-min's flick on at the back post, following Kieran Trippier's corner. 

​Mike Flynn made two changes from the side who drew 1-1 to Morecambe on Tuesday: captain Joss Labadie returned to starting lineup along with Ben White, with Mark O’Brien and Josh Sheehan both dropping to the bench. 

Mauricio Pochettino opted to make five changes from the side who drew 1-1 to ​Southampton last weekend: injured Serge Aurier was replaced by Kieran Tripper at right-back; youngsters Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters started ahead of Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies; Victor Wanyama and Fernando Llorente came in for Dele Alli and Son. 

Newport should have scored with the first opportunity of the game in the third minute. Eric Dier lost the ball on the edge of his own box to Joss Labadie, whose cutback found the onrushing Frank Nouble out on the left, the former ​West Ham forward struck a powerful shot from 20 yards out but it ballooned miles over the bar. 

Just two minutes later and Country struck the first shot on goal. The lively Labadie nicked the ball off Victor Wanyama from just inside Spurs' half, the 27-year-old drove forward to the edge of the box and released a powerful strike, but it was straight at Vorm and the keeper managed to make a comfortable save. 

Newport came close to a deserved opener in the 23rd minute. After Labadie was fouled by Tripper by the left corner flag, Willmott's cross-come-shot fizzed off Sissoko’s head and into the chest of a relieved Vorm. 

Spurs nearly took the lead with their first meaningful foray forward in the 31st minute. Sissoko's cross from the right found Harry Kane at the near post, the England international got a toe to the ball but his effort struck the outside of the post and went behind. 

Newport were continuing to cause their ​Premier League opposition problems, especially from dead ball situations, and County's pressure eventually told in the 37th minute. Tozer hurled a long throw into ​Tottenham area, the ball was cleared to Willmott on the right corner of the box and his subsequent clipped delivery found Amond at the far post who leapt above Tripper to nod past Vorm from five yards out. 

Pochettino made one change at half-time, striker Son came on for defender Walker-Peters. Despite the change, Spurs were still struggling to create any meaningful opportunities, and the Argentine decided to make another change in the 65th minute - with Alli replacing the ineffective Llorente. 

Son had Spurs' first shot on target in the 66th minute of the game. Alli played a one-two with Kane on the edge of the Newport box, the latter played in the South Korean, whose shot from five yards out on the left forced Day into his first save of the game. 

Moments later, a frustrated Kane let fly from 20 yards out on the left, but his effort never troubled Day and flew into the side-netting.

Kane did get his goal and Spurs' equaliser in the 82nd minute, however. Tripper whipped in a corner from the right, Son flicked it on at the near post and the ball fell to Kane at the back post, where the striker tapped the ball into the open goal from a yard out. 

Spurs pressed for an equaliser in stoppage time, but Newport held on for a deserved draw and a fourth round FA Cup replay.