With 63 places between them in the English league pyramid, Colchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round was always going to be a mismatch.
Colchester needed luck to be on their side, but, instead, fortune favoured Spurs.
Tottenham’s first goal was a thing of real beauty, as Nacer Chadli curled home from long range to break the deadlock inside the first half-hour.
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However, Tottenham’s second, which came on 64 minutes was pretty ugly.
Eric Dier – playing at centre-back alongside Kevin Wimmer – strode forward from defence before unleashing a powerful shot, which found the net via a colossal deflection off Matthew Briggs.
Dier’s long-range effort did look to be on target, but he was clearly aiming for the opposite side of Jake Kean’s goal.
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Chadli scored his second of the day on 79 minutes. This goal – like Dier’s – was deflected too.
Colchester pulled one back instantly when Ben Davies put through his own net, but Tom Carroll swiftly restored Tottenham’s three-goal advantage.
Carroll’s goal was not lucky. It was the product of a fine Chadli assist.
Spurs, who ran out as 4-1 winners, thoroughly deserved their victory, but goals two and three – which killed off Colchester’s hopes of staging a comeback – were gifts from above!