Tottenham vs Leicester report: Jeffrey Schlupp completes Foxes comeback to stun Spurs in fourth round upset

Another of the FA Cup final repeats that this season’s competition has thrown up proved far more dramatic, if less historic, than the 1961 game that brought Tottenham the century’s first Double.

The result seemed destined to go Spurs’ way again when they led with seven minutes to play, only for Leo Ulloa and the outstanding Jeffrey Schlupp to snatch a brave victory, the winning goal coming in added time with an unfortunate error by Michel Vorm.

Hard as it was on Tottenham and their second-choice goalkeeper, that outcome did take some of the spotlight off the referee Robert Madley, whose two crucial decisions in the first half had both favoured the home side. He awarded them a penalty from which Andros Townsend scored and then not only refused one to Leicester when Andrej Kramaric went down under Vorm’s challenge, but booked the striker for simulation.

“We felt a bit aggrieved,” their manager Nigel Pearson said. “It’s an honest mistake but we’ve got to address this situation. We need more technology to aid the officials.”

With the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final to come on Wednesday away to Sheffield United, Spurs made nine changes. Townsend was the only outfield player left from the first leg. Vorm was also retained, a show of confidence that until his late lapse he appeared to have justified with two excellent saves in the opening quarter of an hour.

Both moves featured the midfielder Schlupp. In the tenth minute, he veered to his left and hit a low cross-shot that the new Croatian striker Kramaric met six yards out, only to be thwarted by Vorm’s superb one-handed save. Six minutes later it was Schlupp directly threatening the goalkeeper with a shot on his “wrong” right foot, that Vorm managed to push over.

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Soon, however, the visitors were behind after the first of the two critical refereeing decisions. Erik Lamela, back after six games and Tottenham’s best player, fed Roberto Soldado, and Liam Moore looked as though he just caught him sufficiently to merit the penalty.

There was still time for Moore to be booked in a separate incident before Leicester finally replaced him with Marcin Wassilewski, a regular first-choice centre-back. He joined a defence coming under increasing pressure as Paulinho and Soldado both had low drives held by a promising new debutant goalkeeper, the 42 year-old Mark Schwarzer.

Before half-time, however, the Premier League’s bottom club forced their way back into the game. Schlupp had a fierce volley blocked, Jamie Vardy shot over from 20 yards and then Madley ruled that Kramaric, having gone down as Vorm fell at his feet, had dived.

Since it was difficult to tell even after several replays at normal speed, it is difficult to believe the referee could have been 100 per cent sure either way.

Concerned about the way things were going, even with his team ahead, Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, felt obliged to send for Christian Eriksen and Emmanuel Adebayor for the last quarter of the game and eventually to bring on Harry Kane as well; but too late.

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Sseven minutes from time, a corner was cleared only to Schlupp, whose pass was controlled by Ulloa before he swivelled to drive the ball low inside a post. Spurs hardly wanted a replay but two minutes into added time they were denied one anyway when Danny Simpson crossed and Schlupp’s mishit shot squirmed right under Vorm.

Tottenham: ( 4-2-3-1) Vorm, Chiriches, Fazio, Kaboul, Rose, Capoue, Dembele (Kane 87), Townsend (Eriksen 64), Paulinho, Lamela, Soldado (Adebayor 70).

Leicester City: (4-4-1-1) Schwarzer, Simpson, Moore (Wasilewski 26), Morgan, De Laet, King, Drinkwater, Schlupp, Kramaric (Albrighton 73), Ulloa, Vardy (Nugent 73).

Referee: Robert Madely

Man of the match: Schlupp

Match rating: 7/10