SOFIANE Boufal set up an FA Cup replay at Spurs with a dramatic late equaliser.

It looked like Spurs would avenge their 1-0 defeat at St Mary's on New Year's Day when Son Heung-Min opened the scoring in the 58th  minute.

Danny Ings had missed an exellent chance to equalise shortly before providing the assist for substitute Boufal to fire in the 87th-minute leveller at the end of an entertaining fourth-round tie. 

His third Saints goal and his first more than two years set up a replay at Spurs, which ewwill almost certainly be played a week on Wednesday.

Both sides fielded stronger sides than they had done in the previous round. 

Ralph Hasenhuttl made four changes to the team that won at Crystal Palace with Angus Gunn, Kevin Danso, Jan Bednarek and Ings coming back into the side in place of Alex McCarthy (rested), Cedric Soares (knee), Jannik Vestergaard (concussion) and Shane Long (knee).

Spurs made three changes to the side that beat Norwich in midweek with Jan Vertonghen, Erik Lamela and Tanguy Ndombele dropping to the bench and replaced by Davinson Sanchez, Japhet Tanganga, with on-loan Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes handed his debut. Christian Eriksen was left out of the squad, despite travelling.

Chances were few and far between during the first half.

Son had the first opportunity of the match after being teed up the left corner of the six-yard box by Dele Alli, only for the shot to go wide of the far post as Saints desperately tried to block it.

Gunn had a good game and came out decisively to gather the ball at Alli’s feet after the England star burst on to a through ball between Stephens and Bednarek.

At the other end, Nathan Redmond slalomed his way past several Spurs players in the penalty area before passing to Danso, whose shot was blocked.

Then Ings just failed to latch on to passes long and short from Jack Stephens and Michael Obafemi.

Giovani Lo Celso thought he had opened the scoring when he side-footed in Alli’s backheel, but it was disallowed after deflecting in off the offside Son.

Hojbjerg threw himself in front of an Alli strike and a spread-eagled Gunn deflected the ball behind as Moura aimed for the far corner, after Winks and then Alli combined on the counter.

Ings had been relatively quiet but had Saints’ best effort of the first half headed off the line by a flying Tanganga after hooking Prowse’s free kick over Lloris.

Saints were dealt a blow just before half-time, when Armstrong limped off with a hip problem.

Ward-Prowse and Moura fired free-kicks straight at the respective goalkeepers either side of the break.

Then Ings put an Obafemi cross wide of the far post with a near-post flick after his strike partner had been put through by Hojbjerg.

But Son responded by giving Spurs the lead just before the hour when he arrowed a left-footer across goal and inside the far post after Lo Celso’s 30-yard run and pass to Harry Winks, who provided the assist.

Son then volleyed just over from a chipped Lo Celso pass.

Ings had an eventful last 20 minutes after Saints switched to a back three following Boufal's introduction, with Redmond and Djenepo sawpping flanks.

He had a 74th-minute chance in the six-yard box but failed to control it after Davinson Sanchez missed Redmond’s cross, which in fairness was whipped in with a lot of pace.

Saints’ top scorer then bent a shot narrowly wide as he ran towards the edge of the area and was unfortunate not to get a penalty after a clear handball by Tanganga, not checked by VAR, after receiving a Djenepo cross in the area.

He should have done better than put wide a free header from Redmond’s cross in the 83rd minute.

No matter. Four minutes later, Ings provided the assist for Boufal’s equaliser, crossing with his left foot for the substitute to lash in the dramatic leveller.

A replay on Wednesday week was confirmed after a sliding Bednarek blocked a 90th-minute Son shot and Lo Celso whipped an injury-time free kick over the bar.

SAINTS: Gunn, Danso (Boufal 71), Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg; Redmond, Armstrong (Djenepo 43); Ings, Obafemi (Adams 74).
Subs not used: Lewis, Yoshida, Romeu, Smallbone.
Booked: Bednarek, Bertrand.

TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Fernandes (Lamela 56), Tanganga; Sanchez, Son Heung-Min; Winks, Lo Celso, Alli, Moura, Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Vertonghen, Dier, Sessegnon, Foyth, Ndombele.