Mauricio Pochettino relieved Spurs are 'alive after a difficult day' at League One strugglers Rochdale

Mauricio Pochettino thought Tottenham had dug themselves out of an FA Cup hole but admitted Rochdale fully merited their trip to Wembley.

After being taken to a replay by Newport in the fourth round, Spurs looked like they had avoided that fate at the Crown Oil Arena when substitute Harry Kane scored an 88th-minute penalty to put them 2-1 ahead.