The fixture was a tough route to the Champions League but Tottenham Hotspur negotiated it with poise and purpose. Victory arrived when Marton Fulop pushed out a Younes Kaboul cross to leave Peter Crouch with a simple header into the net. Manchester City have been denied and the only consolation lies in the wealth that can fund greater progress in the future. For Tottenham this was a pivotal and deeply satisfying moment in their history.

This struggle felt more intense than the contest of Chelsea and Manchester United for the title itself. That was to be expected since neither City nor Spurs had taken their place in the European Cup since the 1960s. This match, with its frenetic nature, would still not have been seen as preparation for the more studied games that lie ahead for one of these clubs.

The early part of the night, for instance, was notable for a pair of piercing runs that very nearly took Carlos Tevez clear on two occasions. That type of individualistic effort became less common and by the time the Argentinian fired into the side netting after 44 minutes, Gareth Barry, the colleague who had supplied him, would surely have been exasperated by that attempt from a very tight angle when the ball ought to have been cut back.

Tottenham competed effectively from the start and it was reassuring for them that the captain, Ledley King, despite his knee condition, was in shape to start successive matches at the heart of the back four. Harry Redknapp’s side had a second fillip as well. Aaron Lennon started his first game since December and this appearance will have come as a relief to the England manager, Fabio Capello.

The winger needed time to settle, but after 39 minutes he eluded Craig Bellamy and Peter Crouch knocked his deep cross down for Gareth Bale to put a first-time effort wide. Tottenham were frisky and also, in the case of King, sneaky. He nodded home in the 20th minute but only after levering himself up with an arm on the shoulder of Barry. The referee, Steve Bennett, detected the crime.

No effort was spared here by almost desperate clubs. The decisions grow more agonising at this time of the year. City had come through a torpid goalless draw at the Emirates 11 days ago, when Roberto Mancini kept three attackers in the line-up but then deprived the trio of service because he had only defensive midfielders in the centre of the pitch. It will take the final league table to tell us whether the plan was wise then, but City were, of course, more enterprising against Tottenham, with Patrick Vieira on the bench.

Given the sheer weight of expenditure and expectation at Eastlands the pressure bearing down on Mancini must be more severe than that on Redknapp. Tottenham had been professional and effective when beating both Arsenal and Chelsea at White Hart Lane, even if they then went down 3-1 at Manchester United.

It has to be remembered that sides whose target it is to come fourth are, by definition, limited in scope. For that reason, this game was intriguing since it was as much about handling the situation for these sides as it was about dealing with one another. Scoreless as the game was at half-time, neither City nor Tottenham could have claimed they had exercised much authority.

City, with the greater need to win, were more forthright still following the interval. It was an intense spell and Barry, for instance, got himself so far forward that he was in place to knock back a deep, inswinging cross from Adam Johnson on the right. There was no one around to complete the move by scoring and Mancini’s side appeared to lack that attribute.

Jermain Defoe showed them a predatory touch in the 56th minute as his effort with the outside of the right boot called for the impressive save with which Fulop tipped the ball round the post. It was difficult for City to maintain composure and there was also a little disruption when the injured Barry , who had been doubtful for this encounter with a hamstring injury, had to make way for Vieira.

Tiredness in the closing half-hour held out the best hope for the studied football that might break the deadlock. Tottenham seemed to have slightly more pattern to their work then and a driven cross from Benoît Assou-Ekotto only just eluded Defoe and Crouch in front of the posts.

Tottenham, who saw Crouch denied by a save after a Bale cross in the 77th minute, had handled the occasion with concentration and purpose. All the same, each side was always just an inspired moment away from an even more resounding result.

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These two sides are hardly regulars in FA Cup semi-finals of late – Fulham have made only one appearance in the last four since reaching the final in 1975, Tottenham have not reached the semis since 2001 – and neither side seem hugely intent on breaking that run if this evidence is anything to go by.

This was a replay waiting to happen, a staccato midfield battle enlivened by occasional flurries at either end. The comfort for both is that, even at this late stage of the competition, priorities seem to lie elsewhere.

That both these teams have bigger fish to fry – Tottenham are deep in the race for a Champions League spot, while Fulham’s visit to Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday is billed by the club as “arguably the biggest” in their history – was painfully obvious in a first half played in and around the centre circle.

Harry Redknapp had pointed out pre-match that injuries had reduced him to around 12 first-team players. Indeed such was Spurs’ shortage that Jake Livermore and Andros Townsend were recalled from loan spells at Peterborough and Milton Keynes Dons respectively to take places on the bench. Gareth Bale was pressed into service on the left of midfield, with Luka Modric prompting in the centre.

Fulham were without their captain Danny Murphy, but that was not enough to explain their lacklustre opening. Tottenham, though cobbled together, began much the brighter but were hardly radiant. It took 18 mintues for their first genuine shot at goal, and that was an apologetic free-kick from Niko Kranjcar that bobbled well wide. That scare, however minor, briefly galvanised the hosts. Little more than a minute later Bobby Zamora, an angular, awkward, though largely ineffective presence throughout the first period, showed neat feet to cut inside and force Heurelho Gomes into a smart save at his near post.

It proved to be the first-half high-point for the home side. At the other end Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko exchanged passes before putting Kranjcar in space, though the Croatian’s curling effort from the edge of the area was palmed away by Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal. The goalkeeper needed to be much sharper a few minutes later to scramble across goal and turn away Crouch’s goalbound back-post header.

The promise of a Wembley semi-final was all the motivation Fulham needed, Roy Hodgson, a cup winner in Sweden and Denmark with Malmo and FC Copenhagen, had insisted, though the message seemed not to have filtered through to his players. Damien Duff smited an optimistic effort wide after 33 minutes, but as the break approached the home terraces grew increasingly restless, with their hopes of a first visit to the national stadium in a generation threatened by a labouring on-pitch performance.

Tottenham, having raised their game for a while, also caught the bug. Bale marauded into space but failed to find Crouch with a routine pull-back that would have provided the England striker with a simple chance, while Vedran Corluka’s failure to collect Kranjcar’s superb through-ball was indicative of both sides’ malaise.

Craven Cottage’s appetite for the fray returned after the interval and so did their team’s. Hodgson is not a manager to threaten the half-time tea-cups but his side certainly emerged from the dressing room with a spring in their collective step.

Within 60 seconds of the restart Simon Davies escaped down the left, his deep cross was headed back across goal by Zamora and Zolton Gera, little more than six yards out, forced Gomes into a stunning save. Four minutes later the Brazilian had to be on his toes once more, making a routine stop from Dickson Etuhu after a Davies corner.

That brief storm survived, Tottenham turned the screw once more and the visitors twice claimed for penalties before the hour. Pavlyuchenko tumbled optimistically and was rightly turned down by Mark Clattenburg, though the referee’s decision to wave play on as Brede Hangeland, jumping with arms aloft, appeared to be struck on the hand was less clear cut.

Though the Spurs captain Michael Dawson was not far away from breaking the deadlock with a thumping volley, the home side were growing in confidence and competence. Damien Duff, enjoying his tussle with Benoît Assou-Ekotto, twice stabbed shots at goal from promising positions, the first zipping narrowly wide, the second acrobatically collected by Gomes.

At the other end Pavlyuchenko, enduring a quiet evening after his recent goalscoring fireworks, was well off target with an ill-judged overhead kick.

Hodgson handed Zamora some company in attack, replacing Davies with David Elm, while Pavlyuchenko was put out of his misery with 10 minutes to go,

Jermain Defoe replacing the Russian. But even with the additional firepower, chances remained at a premium. When Zamora, having narrowly failed to get on the end of the exact same pass minutes earlier, did collect a Chris Baird through-ball, he dragged his shot wide of Gomes’ goal.

With games mounting up a replay is hardly what Fulham need, though they will be grateful that a trip to Wembley remains possible. Tottenham, who have been taken to replays by both Bolton and Leeds in the previous two rounds, will be optimistic of completing the hat-trick a fortnight on Wednesday.

THE FANS’ PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

CHRIS LLOYD, Observer reader The first half was nothing like what I expected. This was an important game for us. It’s not often you get the chance to go to Wembley. The second half was much better, with Zamora and Duff coming to the fore. Unfortunately, Zamora didn’t have his shooting boots on, while Gomes was excellent in the Spurs goal. Our defence coped easily with Crouch and Pavlyuchenko, with Hangeland outstanding. It was disappointing to see our midfield struggle. Davies and Greening were poor and it had quite an impact. We’ve got the replay now, but our away form is terrible. Let’s hope we can prove the critics wrong and do something special at White Hart Lane.

The fan’s player ratings Schwarzer 7; Baird 7, Hughes 7, Hangeland 8, Shorey 7; Duff 8, Greening 6, Etuhu 5, Davies 6 (Elm 73 6); Gera 7; Zamora 8.

DAVE MASON, Observer reader This will be our third replay and we are certainly doing it the hard way. We had loads of possession but hardly tested Schwarzer in the Fulham goal. Crouch was supposed to have had a great game for England in midweek, but he and Pavlyuchenko play the same game. We just lump it up to Crouch and expect him to hold it, but he can’t. The same with Pavlyuchenko – they play in each other’s shoes. I have to say we’re missing Bentley wide right, but Palacios was terrific. The amount of possession he wins for us is superb. Gomes was again outstanding. This time last year he was throwing the ball in his own net.

The fan’s player ratings Gomes 8; Corluka 6, Dawson 7, Bassong 6, Assou-Ekotto 6; Kranjcar 6, Modric 6, Palacios 8, Bale 7; Pavlyuchenko 5 (Defoe 81 n/a), Crouch 4.

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