Harry Kane moved to within one goal of equalling Jimmy Greaves’s all-time Tottenham Hotspur record as the Lilywhites beat Portsmouth 1-0 to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The England captain struck a sublime winner with 50 minutes on the clock to see off the determined League One side, registering his 265th goal in Tottenham colours.
Prior to Kane’s strike, Portsmouth – led by interim manager Simon Bassey following the sacking of Danny Cowley – frustrated Tottenham in the first half, as Antonio Conte’s side entered the break without a shot on target to their name.
Spurs dominated possession in front of their own fans, albeit without the desired effect in front of goal, but Emerson Royal’s header hit the inside of the post before trickling into Joshua Griffiths’s arms after 49 minutes.
However, barely a minute later, Kane created a pocket of space just outside the area and sent a delightful curling effort into the far corner to edge ever closer to breaking Greaves’s record of 266 goals for the club.
Conte’s men should have been out of sight with 68 minutes on the clock, but Oliver Skipp blazed over the crossbar from an excellent position inside the area.
Portsmouth continued to huff and puff, but the visitors’ attack was largely stunted by Tottenham, who held firm in a somewhat lacklustre performance to confirm their place in the fourth round.
The Lilywhites now have over a week to recover before hosting Arsenal in the North London derby on January 15, while Portsmouth prepare for back-to-back meetings with Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Trophy and League One.
