Mourinho earns minnow's 'respect' in FA Cup mismatch

CROSBY, England－Marine manager Neil Young thanked Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho for naming a strong side despite a 5-0 demolition of the eighth-tier side in the FA Cup third round on Sunday as Carlos Vinicius grabbed a first-half hat-trick.

The 168 league places between the sides is the biggest gap between opponents in the 150 years of the FA Cup and the gulf in class showed as Spurs' fringe players seized their chance to shine.

No fans were allowed into Marine's 3,185-capacity Rossett Park stadium due to coronavirus restrictions, but plenty watched on from gardens in the houses backing onto the ground.

And Marine did not miss out on their big payday as 30,000 fans bought virtual tickets to support a side whose season has been curtailed due to the pandemic.

"I've got to give credit to Jose Mourinho and his team, they showed us a lot of respect," said Young.

"In the end we were laughing at who was coming off the bench. I can't ask any more of our lads, you're playing against world-class footballers who make it look easy. I'm very proud of what we've achieved.

"The football community and in particular the Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been incredible. Many non-league clubs are struggling so this for us is nice."

Far from the luxury of the Premier League, Mourinho's men had to get changed in a function room due to social-distancing guidelines.

The home side missed out on facing England captain Harry Kane as he did not travel, while Mourinho named Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale on the bench.

Spurs still fielded a strong side featuring Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Lucas Moura, while Kane's replacement, Vinicius, made his case for more game time in a busy few months ahead with Spurs still involved in four competitions.

"I think the boys were professionals and didn't stop until the game was over in terms of result," said Mourinho. "The attitude was positive and that means a lot for me and also for the competition and to Marine's guys, because they felt we played seriously."

Marine was inches away from a stunning lead when Neil Kengni's long-range strike caught Joe Hart out and came off the bar.

Vinicius quickly restored order with two simple finishes from close range before Lucas' fine freekick made it 3-0.

The on-loan Benfica striker then completed a 37-minute hat-trick with the goal of the game as his subtle lob dropped into the far corner.

Mourinho introduced 16-year-old Alfie Devine at halftime and Tottenham's youngest ever player had a debut to remember as he fired in at the near post to make it 5-0.

Bale was then brought on for the final 25 minutes to aid his return to match fitness, but the four-time Champions League winner could not add to the scoreline as Spurs cruised into the fourth round.

Again due to COVID-19 protocols, players were not allowed to swap shirts after the game. However, Spurs said the Marine squad had been provided with an unworn set of shirts as a souvenir from the David-versus-Goliath clash in unusual circumstances.

AFP