Porro stunner books Spurs' place in FA Cup round four after drab Burnley win
If Tottenham go all the way this season, they will be playing Pedro Porro’s goal for years to come.
It was one of those brilliant goals good enough to light up any cup run and leave the fans dreaming of Wembley.
Porro’s sensational 25 yard strike was totally out of keeping with a rather dull FA Cup third round tie but it was enough to send the Spurs fans in the sell-out 60,982 crowd home happy.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou clenched his fists, celebrated the moment and then probably felt an even bigger sense of relief when Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni put a sitter wide in injury time.
That would have been so tough on Tottenham who completely dominated the game and Burnley offered so little going forward that you can only admire the travelling fans for staying until the bitter end.
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Tottenham have won the FA Cup eight times but have not even reached the final in 33 years but, when they last won it in 1991, everyone remembers Paul Gascoigne’s wonder goal in the semi final.
And while Porro’s stunner hardly had the same significance, it was still right out of the top drawer. And if one player epitomises the remarkable turnaround under Postecoglou then it is Porro.
Dismissed as a full back who could not defend last season, the Spain international is now embraced under Ange Ball as an attacking force.
That is the beauty of Tottenham under Postecoglou and while the match-going fans love him so much. Do not listen to the killjoys who knock the Aussie for not taking the ball into the corner. That is not the Tottenham tradition.
Now Postecoglou just has to go one better and embrace another club tradition by delivering a long overdue trophy because this club has not won any silverware since the League Cup way back in 2008.
Porro let fly from the distance as the game reaches its closing stages (Getty Images)Postecoglou can boast all he likes about having pictures of trophies at home, if he wins one for Spurs then the adulation from the Tottenham faithful will reach epic proportions.
It was far from a classic and Tottenham were beginning to look as if they were running out of ideas as Burnley keeper Arijanet Muric twice denied Brennan Johnson with big saves.
Tottenham had plenty of pressure but were clearly missing captain Son Heung-Min who is now away on Asia Cup duty and, as the clock began to tick down, it looked like their winter break would be interrupted by a third round replay at Burnley.
But disaster struck for Burnley after 78 minutes when Porro came up with his moment of magic. Muric rolled the ball out, Burnley substitute Ameen Al-Dakhil lost possession and Porro nicked the ball and stormed forward.
Porro then unleashed a sensational right-footed drive from 20 yards and the ball arrowed into the top corner as a game lacking in entertainment suddenly had real quality.
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But Burnley did at last go for it. First, Hannes Delcroix saw a good chance blocked as his shot was deflected for a corner.
Then keeper Muric went up for the corner, flicked the ball on and there was Amdouni who poked the ball just wide to give the home side a late scare.
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