Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says he understands Tamworth frustrations after the non-league club were denied a money-spinning FA Cup replay.

The National League side produced a valiant display to hold Spurs to a goalless draw in normal time. But with third-round replays scrapped this season the game went to extra time and the Premier League side’s superiority shown through in a 3-0 win.

Cup replays have been a source of much-needed income for non-league and lower-league clubs in the FA Cup, but a decision to ease fixture congestion at the professional level has denied Tamworth a trip to north London and the vast financial benefits that go with that.

Tamworth are one of only two semi-professional teams in the fifth tier, and some of their fans could be heard chanting “we want our replay” after full-time.

Responding to these calls, Postecoglou said: “I get the sentiment, but at the same time I have been banging on about less games so it is a balancing act.

“The way the calendar is at the moment it would be almost impossible for us to fit another game in. We are already struggling to fit it all in. I understand the sentiment around it and I certainly believe in the competition and what it does offer every part of the football pyramid and I think it should be protected.”

The Aussie added: “Credit to Tamworth. I thought they gave everything and gave a really good account of themselves. We knew it would be a challenging afternoon for us with the surface making it really difficult for us to play in the manner we wanted to.

“It is easy to get frustrated on days like this, but the lads kept their heads clear and calm and persisted. Eventually, they overpowered them.

“I thought we controlled the game and had some really good opportunities we should have finished.”