LAMBS LAP UP A DAY TO SAVOUR

HALF-AND-HALF scarves, tin-foil FA Cups and the salivating waft of a burger van working overtime.

- JON COUCH

On a weekend when the wonderful traditions of the world's finest cup competition were showcased to all four corners of the globe, National League Tamworth played out the fairytale.

Forget Arsenal v Manchester United, eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur visiting the rather modest surroundings of The Lamb was undoubtedly the headline act of third round weekend and it will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to witness it.

Sadly for Tamworth, though, not all FA Cup traditions run quite so deep. If they had, then the pride of Staffordshire will have been rewarded for their extraordinary efforts on Sunday lunchtime with an equally magical return trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a replay and a place in FA Cup folklore not to mention a life-changing amount of cash to boot.

Andy Peaks' men - some 96 places beneath their opponents in the pyramid - embraced the club's big day by producing the game of their lives and came mighty close to consigning the Premier League giants to the ignominy of a first FA Cup defeat to a Non-League outfit since the 191415 season.

The Lambs had already knocked out two League One sides in Huddersfield Town and local rivals Burton Albion to reach this stage, but this was simply off the scale.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglu walked out to pantomime boos from a capacity crowd and couldn't help but smile as he played along with the Tamworth fans from The Shed positioned directly behind his dugout, just a spitting distance away.

Then, with his superstars lined up for kick-off, referee Peter Bankes noticed a problem with the goal netting at the home end, prompting the diminutive Beck-Ray Enoru to climb on the shoulders of teammate Jordan Cullinane-Liburd to tape it up to the crossbar.

Welcome to Tamworth, Ange!

Rhythmn