Inside Tamworth big day as heroes almost cause FA Cup shock of the CENTURY from broken nets to breakfast at a theme park

ANDY PEAKS repeated the mantra before, during and after the greatest two hours of his football career.

“Believe in yourselves. Believe. Believe. Believe. I tell you week in, week out, people don’t want to come here. THEY certainly don’t want to be here. Stay in the game and see where it takes you.”

They were supposed to be Lambs to the slaughter — but for 120 glorious, sweat-drenched, fist-clenched minutes tiny Tamworth roared like lions.

And I was privileged to be at the heart of it all as SunSport was given the kind of access rarely seen at this level.

We love the FA Cup and, after Tamworth’s heroics, I am sure the nation has fallen head over heels for this unique, historic competition all over again after witnessing this epic David-versus-Goliath tie.

I spent the week shadowing Tamworth manager Peaks, general manager Scott Rickards, club secretary Archie Baynham and the players, those red-and-black-clad warriors who went toe-to-toe with Tottenham.

I was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.

If that is what they could produce after just 90 minutes of preparation to face Ange Postecoglou’s millionaires think what they could have done if they were full-time?

Peaks’ team included a taxi driver, building surveyor, bricklayer, marketing executive, financial adviser, engineer, teacher, sandwich-maker and even a zip salesman.

But he has somehow found a way to mould this group of part-time warriors into serial scrappers and serial winners after back-to-back title wins.

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I shared breakfast with the squad after they gathered at nearby Drayton Manor Hotel, within the grounds of the theme park, before the white-knuckle ride of their lives.

And I sat with them on the team coach during the short hop to The Lamb, when over-eager security staff stopped us at the entrance — to make sure the luxury coach with Tamworth FC emblazoned on the front was indeed what it said on the tin.

That comedy moment lightened the mood among the players ahead of the biggest game of their lives. The tension built during the pre-match warm-ups.

I walked by the Spurs dressing room and witnessed some of their star players being strapped up on the treatment table they had brought with them – in the chilly corridor outside.

And I was there to hear Peaks demand that his players believed this could be their day during his inspirational pre-match team talk.

I was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.

Then it was out to the roar of 3,000 Tamworth fans… and the murmurs of 800 Tottenham supporters who were probably still rubbing the sleep from their bleary eyes.

Mighty Tottenham towered above fifth-tier Tamworth – a massive 96 places above them in the football pyramid.

The build-up for both sides couldn’t have been much more polarised.

Tamworth got home, bleary-eyed at 2.30am on Wednesday morning following a 1-0 FA Trophy defeat at Sutton United.

Spurs warmed up with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.

But first, there was an unexpected hiccup as kick-off was delayed for five minutes after one of the nets became unclipped from its hooks.

Spurs stars looked bemused as a ladder and net technician were called for.

However, Lambs winger Beck-Ray Enoru – usually a Sales Assistant for Zara – sprang into action, clambering on to the shoulders of giant defender Jordan Cullinane-Liburd to save the day.

Job done, Tamworth’s army of fans in the Shed chanted: “We are Tamworth… we fix our own nets!” And then we were off.

Tamworth got off to a flyer when Enoru almost found the Spurs net with a shot which goalie Antonin Kinsky did well to save.

First-team coach Tim Dudding turned to me and said: “No matter what happens now… at least we’ve had a shot.”

He needn’t have worried. By the end of a dramatic afternoon, Tamworth had rattled off 13 shots to Tottenham’s 17.

As Peaks supped tea from a cardboard carton, it soon became evident something special was brewing.

That was different class. You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.

Andy Peaks

Jas Singh – whose partner gave birth to a son on Saturday night – was defiant in the Tamworth goal, defying James Maddison more than once.

Tom Tonks hurled in his trademark Howitzer long throws and Kinsky looked uneasy as he missed one completely, before going on to regain his composure.

At half-time, honours even, Peaks urged his team for another big push: “Everyone’s performed their role. You’ve out-battled them, you’ve shut them down, we look a threat when we get it.

“More of the same. More of the same. Do not switch off.

“They’re probably going to get a rollicking because they’ve not hurt you.”

As we settled down for the second half Peaks turned to me, smiled and said: “At least they’ve not got much on the bench to bring on.”

However, Tamworth forced Postecoglou to send on all of his big guns as Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Djed Spence entered the fray.

“We wanted Arsenal… we wanted Arsenal,” Tamworth fans taunted.

Ange kept his cool throughout but he breathed a sigh of relief when Tom McGlichey’s shot was blocked then Kinsky saved crucially to deny Cullinane-Liburd in the dying seconds.

The deadlock was finally broken 11 minutes into extra-time when Spurs scored following a controversial free-kick, harshly awarded by ref Peter Bankes.

Villain of the day Pedro Porro shaped up to shoot but slid the ball around the wall instead and in the chaos which followed the ball ricocheted off Nathan Tshikuna’s knee and landed in his own net.

It was a cruel blow but Peaks reminded his side at the break: “Keep believing – you’ll get one chance.”

It fell to McGlinchey whose audacious chip flew just over with Kinsky stranded.

Sadly for the Lambs, Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson took theirs to flatter the visitors with a 3-0 win.

Afterwards, Peaks was full of praise for his heroes.

He told them: “That was different class. I don’t think you realise how good you were at times.

“You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.

“The general performance, the attitude, they are raving on commentary about how good you were. Well done.”

This was Peaks performance without a shadow of a doubt.