Crawley stun Leeds as Spurs, Man City and Chelsea advance

Leeds’ Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa made seven changes yet still fielded a strong line-up for the trip to West Sussex but League Two Crawley, a non-league club until nine years ago, produced a performance to remember.

Crawley’s squad contains several players who failed to make the grade at the top level and manager John Yems was delighted with their display.

“These players have got a lot to prove to the clubs who have released them and we’ve showed what we can do against a really good side in Leeds,” he said.

“You have to enjoy these games – you work hard enough for it. It was a really good team performance and it’s clear that we’ve got 11 star men,” added Yems.

While the FA Cup is known for producing surprises, particularly at this stage, it is rare for a top flight team to be beaten by such a decisive margin.

Since the creation of the Football League’s fourth tier in 1958, this is only the second time a top-flight side has lost by three or more goals to opposition from that level in this competition.

Former Tottenham Hotspur youth player Nick Tsaroulla stunned the Yorkshire side in the 50th minute with a superb individual goal as he wriggled free of his marker before drilling the ball into the far corner.

Ashley Nadesan doubled the advantage, breaking into the box and driving a low shot which Leeds keeper Kiko Casilla failed to keep out at his near post.

The third came when Nadesan’s low drive was saved by Casilla at close-range but Jordan Tunnicliffe pounced to smash the ball home.

“We’ll take anyone from the Premier League here – we’re trying to make this place a fortress,” Nadesan said.

“The whole club has done everyone proud today. The first goal was a bit of a shock but to get the second goal straight after was really big.”

Leeds’ Macedonian midfielder Ezgjan Alioski was stunned.

“We are really disappointed…especially me I’m really sad, we took the game really seriously and we wanted to win and go on a run so it is disappointing.

“Crawley played the game of their lives, and congratulations, and to beat us 3-0, I still can’t believe it,” he said.

Brazilian Carlos Vinicius struck a first-half hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur avoided an FA Cup banana skin with ease, enjoying a 5-0 win at eighth-tier Marine AFC in the third round on Sunday.

Marine, who play in the Northern Premier League, Division One North West, lay 161 places below Spurs in the English football pyramid — the biggest gap that the Cup has produced.

Although COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the game being played behind closed doors, Marine’s small ground is surrounded by the backs of local houses which meant a number of supporters were able to watch the game from their back gardens.

The Merseyside club stuck at their task well, particularly in the opening stages and they nearly gave Spurs a shock in the 20th minute when Neil Kengni struck the bar with a long-range effort which former England keeper Joe Hart opted to let go only for the ball to dip late and strike the woodwork.

But four minutes later Vinicius opened the scoring, converting from close range after a low ball into the box from Dele Alli.

Alli, who has been a fringe figure for most of this season, then fed Matt Doherty whose shot was pushed out by Marine keeper Bayleigh Passant and Vinicius was on-hand to tap-in.

Another Brazilian, Lucas Moura, then curled in a free kick for the third before Vinicius completed his hat-trick in the 37th minute with a left-foot curler.

Alfie Devine, who became Spurs’ youngest player at 16-years and 163 days old, came on as a substitute at the break and scored on the hour with a well-taken strike that zipped in the near post.

REUTERS