Stevenage 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0: Stevenage stifle Tottenham to earn second chance at White Hart Lane

The League One side, 47 places below Spurs in the league ladder, more than held their own with some dogged tackling and confident passing in midfield to send the tie to a replay.

Carlo Cudicini saved well from Scott Laird’s header in the first half and Joel Byrom blasted just over in the second period and Tottenham had a ‘goal’ ruled out for offside.

Tottenham, the highest ranked club left in the competition, were huge favourites to win against Boro, 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 in to their rhythm.

Credit must go to Stevenage, however. The Hertfordshire club, who are in contention for their third successive promotion, were given a massive reception from the 7,100 fans inside the packed out stadium and they responded with a gritty display.

Stevenage manager Gary Smith, a former Arsenal schoolboy, has only been in charge at the club for four weeks after he was brought in following a three-year spell in the United States with the Colorado Rapids.

“I honestly thought we were capable here of being in the hat for the last eight,” he said.

“Our players were terrific. Being involved in the FA Cup, with all its history, is wonderful.

“There was a real intensity and tenacity. It’s a wonderful competition and I am really pleased we are still in it.”

His Tottenham counterpart Harry Redknapp revealed a number of his players are struggling for fitness ahead of Sunday’s derby at Arsenal.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto had a minor groin operation on Monday and is a doubt for the weekend while Emmanuel Adebayor injured his knee in training and could also miss the game against his former club.

Luka Modric missed yesterday’s clash with flu and is also a doubt for next weekend while Rafael van der Vaart was also absent yesterday, with a calf problem.

FA chairman David Bernstein one of the men who will decide who succeeds Fabio Capello as Ebngland manager, was in the crowd at Stevenage.

Redknapp, the man tipped to be England’s next manager, joked: “I bet he was impressed with the football I served up, yeah. He was probably thinking ‘who is this geezer?’ ”