FA Cup

TOTTENHAM were hailed for their classy gesture to Marine following their FA Cup win over the non-League outfit.
Jose Mourinho’s side put in a professional performance to ease into the fourth round with a 5-0 win over the Merseysiders.

Tottenham proved their class following their 5-0 win over MarineCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Marine, who feature in the eighth tier of English football, are 161-places below Spurs – the largest gap between two sides in the competition’s history.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic meant fans were robbed of the chance to see their side’s biggest ever game against Tottenham.
The north Londoners had already done their part in helping Marine sell over 21,000 virtual tickets to help the club’s finances.
But Spurs also had a classy gesture saved for the part-timers who were also barred from swapping shirts with the Prem superstars.

Coronavirus regulations in the FA Cup had prohibited the once-customary post-match gesture but, thankfully for Marine, Tottenham came prepared.
The Carabao Cup finalists revealed they travelled with brand new shirts to give to the non-League oufit to commemorate the occasion.
The club confirmed on Twitter: “The players are unable to swap shirts after the game due to COVID protocols, so we’ve provided @MarineAFC with a whole set of fresh match shirts as a souvenir of today’s historic match.”
Fans loved Tottenham’s classy gesture, with one replying: “Always great to see a mark of respect and true sportsmanship.”

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Another said: “Lovely gesture”, while a third simply added: “Legends.”
Carlos Vinicius scored a hat-trick on route to Tottenham’s comfortable 5-0 win over Marine.
Lucas Moura also scored and substitute Alfie Devine then made history after becoming both the club’s youngest ever player and scorer.

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A CHEEKY Marine fan asked for Jurgen Klopp’s phone number live on TV during Sunday night’s FA Cup clash with Tottenham.
The coronavirus pandemic meant fans on Merseyside were robbed of the chance to see their side’s biggest ever game against the Premier League challengers.

One fan made a plea to ‘mingle’ with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp

A Klopp cutout was, in fact, in attendance at Marine Travel ArenaCredit: Reuters

But, with Rossett Park Stadium being overlooked by a host of conveniently-placed back gardens, plenty of fans made sure to get a good vantage point of the action as Spurs won 5-0.
And the primetime TV audience meant a number were inspired to make their mark on a memorable cup meeting.
One supporter even showcased their romantic availability for the BBC cameras – with a placard asking for Klopp’s number.
The hilarious sign read: “Well hello. Due to unforeseen circumstances… I’m single and ready to mingle.

“Have you got Jurgen’s number?”
Luckily for the eager fan, Liverpool boss Klopp was just yards away in another garden.
TV cameras picked up the German peering out over the pitch – albeit in cardboard cutout form.
One fan carried the static Klopp around with him as Merseyside club Marine did battle with Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

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Tottenham took on the eight-tier Marine in front of a host of garden-based fansCredit: AFP

Jose Mourinho’s men came out on top in the Merseyside battleCredit: AP:Associated Press

The eighth-tier minnows had received a helping hand from their neighbours ahead of the clash, with Reds hero Jamie Carragher sponsoring the team.
Everton also leant Marine their training facilities while Liverpool sent over advanced scouting data ahead of the tie.
Alas, Spurs came away with a healthy win thanks to Carlos Vinicius’ first-half hat-trick.
Lucas Moura and teenager Alfie Devine also got on the scoresheet, but not until Neil Kengni had fired off a delightful volley that rattled Joe Hart’s crossbar with the scores level.

Son laughs and Bale calls for yellow card as Alli makes comical tumble in Spurs’ clash with Marine More

PLENTY of us have imagined that if a Jose Mourinho team was playing in our back garden, we would draw the curtains.
Not so the back-garden army who watched from treetops, ladders, shed roofs and verandas as Tottenham ran riot at Marine’s Rossett Park.

Tottenham dodged the Marine banana skin in front of their back garden faithfulCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Carlos Vinicius thumped Tottenham ahead after 24 minutesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

There was even a cardboard cut-out of Jurgen Klopp peering over the fence of one of the houses which back on to the Merseyside home of the Northern Premier League Division One North West club.
But if the setting had been perfect for the quintessential FA Cup upset, then Mourinho’s men were in no mood to be the bumbling anti-heroes of some romantic comedy.
Spurs made the largest gulf in league positions in the 150-year history of this competition look exactly that with four goals in 13 first-half minutes.
Before the rout began, though, there was one moment to leave the curtain-twitching nosey neighbours agog.

After keeping a strong Spurs side at arm’s length for the opening 19 minutes, Marine’s trainee plumber Neil Kengni sprinted clear from the halfway line and produced a powerful 30-yard shot.
Joe Hart – 75 England caps, an FA Cup and Premier League title-winner – seemingly imagined the effort was heading over – yet Kengni’s effort dipped and crashed off his crossbar.
This stunning moment jolted Spurs into life and they were four-up by half-time – Dele Alli the architect, Carlos Vinicius the scorer of a quick-fire hat-trick, his fellow Brazilian Lucas Moura thumping home a free-kick.
The boys from the homeland of the beautiful game would have known little like this – but there was a curious kind allure about this ultimate third-round fixture.

Marine’s collection of binmen, teachers and NHS workers, managed by railwayman Neil Young, had been gifted Everton’s training facilities and Liverpool’s scouting insights on Mourinho’s men.
Yet that was never going to be nearly enough, if Spurs arrived here with their heads screwed on – and despite that slow start, the game faces of the Premier League side were soon apparent.
Mourinho made nine changes from the side which booked a Wembley date in the Carabao Cup Final by beating Brentford on Tuesday – but those coming in included Alli, Hart and Toby Alderweireld, as well as teenage midfielder Harvey White, who was handed a first senior start.
With a gulf of 161 league positions between the two clubs, surely an upset was impossible?
Yet in the first round, Marine had knocked out Colchester United, who had defeated Spurs in last season’s League Cup.
And Mourinho had suffered one major FA Cup shock – when his Chelsea side blew a two-goal lead and were beaten 4-2 at home by Bradford City in 2015.
So nothing is entirely beyond possibility’s realms – especially with a dodgy playing surface and a stubborn, packed defence.
For 23 minutes, these sort of hopes would have been shared by those braving the cold to drink champagne in their backyards.
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Neil Kengni came closest to making Marine’s cupset dream come trueCredit: PA:Press Association

Tottenham put in a professional showing to book their place in Monday’s drawCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Yet after Kengni’s nearly moment, unlikely dreams soon turned to dust.
Within four minutes of that, Marine’s resistance ended when Alli played a one-two with Gedson Fernandes and centred low for Vinicius to miscontrol, but then gather himself to round keeper Bayleigh Passant and thump into an empty net with a certain level of relief.
Alli, who was certainly up to the latest personality test handed to him by the sceptical Mourinho, was at it again on the half hour.
This time a gorgeous lofted pass was met with Matt Doherty’s cushioned volley, which was saved by Passant but poked in by Vinicius on the rebound.
Moura hammered home a curling free-kick, then Vinicious completed his treble with a cute, lofted side-footed finish.
At half-time, Mourinho sent on Alfie Devine for his first-team debut and the 16-year-old soon became Tottenham’s youngest-ever FA Cup scorer when he cut in from the left and drilled in a shot which beat Passant at his near post.

Vinicius scored a first-half hat-trick to seal the winCredit: AFP

Jose Mourinho put out a strong side featuring a handful of kidsCredit: AP:Associated Press

Marine fans were not able to attend the game but those with garden vantage points made sure to get a good viewCredit: AFP or licensors

Gareth Bale was given a late cameo off the benchCredit: Reuters

If there was any relief among Marine’s players when Alli was withdrawn, there would have been wry smiles at the identity of his replacement – the four-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale.
Spurs had shown Marine respect with their cast-list and with their performance too.
They could not turn this into a complete annihilation job – or perhaps they didn’t truly wish to.
It was a happy occasion for miserable times. Neighbourhood watch had never been so much fun.

Son laughs and Bale calls for yellow card as Alli makes comical tumble in Spurs’ clash with Marine More