Tottenham 2-2 Leicester: Claudio Ranieri accepts Lloyd Dyer handball penalty decision

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri has refrained from criticising referee Robert Madley after the award of a controversial late penalty allowed Tottenham Hotspur to grab a replay in the FA Cup third round tie at White Hart Lane. The official penalised Lloyd Dyer after he was adjudged to have flicked the ball away from the path of Danny Rose with his hand which left Leicester's player raging.

Harry Kane tucked away the subsequent spot kick which secured Spurs a replay after Mauricio Pochettino's side looked on the brink of exiting the competition. Christian Eriksen's opener was cancelled out by Marcin Wesolowski's header, before substitute Shinji Okazaki netted three minutes after the interval to have Ranieri's side dreaming of the fourth round.

But Madley's late intervention means both sides will duel again at the King Power Stadium, fixtures which sandwich a league meeting between Tottenham and Leicester on 13 January. Despite the furious reaction of his players, Ranieri has refused to criticise the officials after being denied a fine win.

"Of course [the result feels like a defeat]," he told BBC Sport after Tottenham's late equaliser. "There are very few minutes left at the end of the match and there was this penalty. I didn't see the penalty because there were players in front of me. I don't know if they touch but the more important thing is the referee gave the penalty, it is a penalty.

"I am very pleased with our performance because there were eight players who have only played sometimes in the League Cup and now they play now in the FA Cup. They deserve the positive result, well done."