Stevenage 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs and Stevenage have it all to do again after stalemate

The League One side started the day 47 places below Spurs in the league ladder, but they more than held their own with some dogged defending and confident passing in midfield helping them secure a replay.

Manager Gary Smith said: “When you are playing against a talented side you are going to have to absorb pressure but we defended magnificently. We had one or two half-chances we should have made a little bit more of – our dead ball situations are better than that – but overall the performance was outstanding. I’m overwhelmed, it’s terrific.”

Asked how he viewed Boro’s prospects in the replay, he added: “We’ve got every chance...we’ll go there with a lot of energy and belief.”

Tottenham, the highest ranked club left in the competition, were red-hot favourites to win against Borough, who only two years ago were playing non-league football. Just nine days ago, Spurs waltzed past Newcastle with a fine display of attacking football, but yesterday they looked out of sorts and never settled into their rhythm.

Credit must go to Stevenage, however. The Hertfordshire club, who are in contention for their third successive promotion, put in a gritty display to frustrate a side touted as outside contenders for the Premier League title.

Stevenage bombarded the Spurs box in the opening few minutes and the visitors were rattled. They failed to create a chance in a scrappy opening period as Stevenage dictated most of the play and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp spent most of the opening 25 minutes on the touchline barking at his players.

However, Louis Saha felt he should have been awarded a penalty eight minutes before the break when he went down in the Boro box while going for a volley but referee Phil Dowd ignored his pleas. Tottenham came out with much more purpose at the start of the second half and almost took the lead through Gareth Bale, who strode past two defenders and hammered a brilliant shot which former Tottenham goalkeeper Chris Day did well to tip around the post.

Saha then wriggled free in the box, met Danny Rose’s cross and fired home through a sea of players, but the linesman flagged for offside after the ball touched Scott Parker, who was on the line, on the way in.

Redknapp said: “Stevenage are a difficult team to play and worked their socks off. The pitch was bumpy and the ball was bobbling everywhere – but they are a good side, bang in form. They worked hard and are on a good run. I could name 50 games where lower division teams knock out top Premier League clubs, it happens every year nearly. This wasn’t a game to get the ball down and play football. We started hitting it long and it was difficult to get that much going

“We are still in the cup and are at home now. It gives us a big chance but I wouldn’t underestimate them.”

Asked about the vacant position of England manager, Redknapp added: “I’ve just got to get on with the job here (at Tottenham). We are sitting third in the league and I can’t take my eye off that because Tottenham have been fantastic to me. I’ve just got to keep doing the job. If I start thinking about other things it would relay through to the players. I can’t do that.”