Rochdale 2 Tottenham 2: Late Kane penalty denied as Rochdale scrape by

League One’s bottom club played superbly to take the lead into half-time thanks to captain Ian Henderson’s sixth goal of their cup run, yet they looked to have been denied when Lucas Moura equalised.

The big dawgs – Dele Alli and Harry Kane – came on late in the second half to turn the tide in Rochdale, with Harry Kane depositing an 88th minute penalty to score what looked like the victor.

The FA Cup quarter-final draw leaves open the possibility that the four semi-finalists will be among the top five placed league clubs at the time those games are played – for the first time since it happened in 1888-89, the league’s inaugural season.

The Brazillian winger signed in January from PSG but has not featured heavily for the French side due to the competition of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

There were plenty of home players with exhausted legs as Tottenham moved the ball around with pace in the closing exchanges at Spotland.

With a replay looming, Spurs got an opportunity to go in front after Alli was upended.

As the first half looked to be endingm, and with the two sides deservedly level, Rochdale broke after winning the ball in midfield.

Lukaku’s first came after three minutes, and the striker scored again in the second half after United mounted a quick counter-attack against a side who beat them at the John Smith’s Stadium in the Premier League last October. But it’s not just the league where Kane shines, as the former Norwich loanee is more than hitting his stride in the FA Cup, too, adding another from the spot against Rochdale.

“It’s unbelievable”, said Henderson.

Pochettino apologised on Friday, and the surface that will greet the Spurs players on Sunday will be totally different, with Dale having taken the decision to relay the pitch in midweek.

Tottenham can have no complaints about Rochdale’s new “snooker table” pitch, according to chairman Chris Dunphy.

However, there was a twist in the tale as Steven Davies bagged a last-gasp equaliser for Rochdale, handing Keith Hill’s men a replay and a trip to Wembley in a dramatic end to the game.

“We took the opposition on and we know how good they are”. FA Cup goal number six.

Rochdale continued to play with style and Henderson opened the scoring in the 45th minute when Andrew Cannon played a unsafe ball onto the box and the skipper fired first-time into the corner.

Rochdale’s Ian Henderson is mobbed by his team-mates as he celebrates scoring against Tottenham Hotspur (pic: Tim Goode/PA Images). In particular, Fernando Llorente and Toby Alderweireld both have a lot riding on this match. Cool finish. Trippier can’t get back. The second half was inevitably tougher, but he did not give an inch. His replacement would, of course, fare better via an 88th-minute penalty. However, he somehow put the ball wide of goal.

Mauricio Pochettino made the first change of the day, taking out a lukewarm Winks for playmaker Erik Lamela in the 62nd minute. Tottenham, meanwhile, is coming off a North London Derby win in the Premier League and an inspiring 2-2 draw at Juventus in the Champions League.

Eight-times winners Tottenham, who also needed a replay against fourth-tier Newport in the fourth round, could have few complaints at not finishing the tie. Why not take not take them on and try to win the game?

Will City or Tottenham suffer an FA Cup giant killing?

The controversy leading to the game revolved around Pochettino’s comments on the state of Rochdale’s pitch.