SAINTS suffered FA Cup heartbreak in this five-goal classic against Spurs.

After going behind to an 11th-minute own goal, Saints were level by half-time through Shane Long after Nathan Redmond's shot was saved.

Saints created several good chances and when Danny Ings beat Hugo Lloris in the 73rd minute after a Redmond-inspired counter-attack, it looked like they were heading for a fifth-round tie against Norwich City.

But Spurs had other ideas. Saints had only been ahead five minutes when Lucas Moura equalised and an 87th-minute Heung-Min Son penalty won it for the home side.

The last ten minutes apart, this was another outstanding away performance from Saints but it was marred by what looked a bad knee injury to James Ward-Prowse, who was stretchered off in the 37th minute.

Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl made two changes to the team that lost at Liverpool, with FA Cup number one Angus Gunn coming in for Alex McCarthy and the injured Moussa Djenepo replaced by Sofiane Boufal.

Spurs also fielded a strong side but with four changes to the team that beat Manchester City on Sunday as Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tangana were all recalled.

Saints had much the better of the first-half chances but Gunn was the first goalkeeper called upon, diving low to keep out Sessegnon following Son’s pull-back and a wonderful ball over the top from Dier.

The effervescent Ings had Saints’ first effort on target. After cutting inside Vertonghen with his first touch from Redmond’s cross, his left-footer with his second was straight at Lloris.

Saints continued to tnreaten as a dreamy cross-field run by Boufal was followed by a dangerous left-footed cross that Lloris tipped behind.

Then came another opening, but Redmond’s angled shot was saved by a spread-eagled Lloris after Long ran on to Ings’ flick on.

Despite the encouraging start, Saints went behind in the 11th minute.

Stephens’ perfectly-timed sliding tackle in the penalty area on Sessegnon rebounded to N’dombele, whose first-time shot from inside the ‘D‘ deflected off the unfortunate Saints defender and past Gunn.

Saints’ confidence away from home remains brim-full, however, and Ings sloon hit the bar with his first touch from Ward-Prowse’s Beckham-esque cross from the right flank.

It was curled and weighted perfectly into the striker’s path but Ings’ angled strike with the inside of his foot from the corner of the six-yard box rebounded off the bar and away to safety.

No matter. Saints were level in the 34th minute. After another good run and pass from Boufal, Redmond’s Cruyff turn was followed by a first-time shot across goal was palmed by a diving Lloris to a grateful Long, who tapped in from six yards.

However, the sight of Ward-Prowse in agony on the touchline following a 50-50 challenge with the blameless Sessegnon put the match in sharp context in the 37th minute.

After receiving gas and air for a few minutes Ward-Prowse was stretchered off to sympathetic applause from all around the ground with what looked like a nasty knee injury.

The versatile Ward-Prowse was the only Saints ever-present in all competitions this season until he was replaced by Jannik Vestergaard, with Stephens switching to right-back.

Bednarek’s outstanding penalty-area challenge on Son in first half-injury time ensured Saints were still level at the break and they should have been ahead in the 50th minute.

Ings jinked his way into the area with customary skill, but his shot rebounded off Dier to the unmarked Boufal, who side-footed well wide of the far post.

Moura headed wide Son’s left-flank cross when he should also have hit the target and Long was furious not to win a corner when he ghosted in at the near post to meet a cross from the rampaging Stephens.

Saints continued to pose the bigger threat.

Lloris palmed away Boufal’s cross and then caught Redmond’s centre from the opposite flank.

When Redmond won a corner in a duel with Toby Alderweireld, Vestergaard rose highest only to see Lloris palm his header behind for another flag-kick.

The force was with Saints at this point and in the 73rd minute they scored a thoroughly deserved second goal with a jaw-dropping counter-attack.

Redmond seized on to a header clear and drifted past three Spurs players as he cut in from the right flank, before finding Ings 25 yards out.

The Saints marksman still had it all to do, but with a drop of the shoulder he shifted the ball on to his right foot and cut inside the hapless Tangana before passing the ball into the far corner with typical sang-froid as the vocal Saints following partied in jubilation.

This FA Cup classic went up a notch when Moura cut inside Vestergaard after receiving a pass from substitute Dele Alli and equalised by finding the bottom corner with unerring accuracy.

An even better pass from Alli set up Spurs’ winner.

Son did not have to break stride as it was curled into his path in the penalty area. When he was brought down by Gunn, Son just beat the Saints goalkeeper with the resulting penalty.

SAINTS: Gunn, Ward-Prowse (Vestergaard 37), Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Redmond, Boufal (Armstrong 67), Long (Adams 81), Ings.
Subs: Lewis, Obafemi, Smallbone, Vokins.
Booked: Bednarek, Romeu, Adams

TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen (Fernandes 54), Tanganga, Sessegnon, Winks, Ndombele (Alli 60), Dier, Son, Moura.
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Skipp, Parrott, Cirkin.
Booked: Fernandes Referee: David Coote.

Attendance: 56,046