Liam Mould
Marco Silva’s Fulham saw out a late Sunderland comeback to advance to the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup, as a 3-2 victory was enough to set up an enticing encounter against Leeds United
Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira netted in the early stages of each half, which put Fulham in the driving seat, before a late comeback almost caught out the high-flying Premier League side.
Jack Clarke’s fantastic curled effort and Jewison Bennette’s strike either side of Layvin Kurzawa’s strike led to a nail-biting climax in Tynecastle, but Fulham defended well to secure their passage into the fifth round, where they host Leeds United.
It was the visitors, who came into the encounter without a win at the Stadium of Light in 10 years, that started the brighter, and made their early dominance count, as they edged in front just after eight minutes.
Carlos Vinicius found Wilson on the edge of the box – after Patrick Roberts’ failed to head the ball clear – and the Welshman’s delicate right-footed shot bounced past Anthony Patterson, to net his first goal of the season, and Fulham’s all important opener.
The Cottagers’ early strike enabled them to dominate the first-half. Joao Palhinha won the ball high up the field, and watched his long-distance strike well handled by the Sunderland No.1, moments before Wilson, who reacted quickest to Roberts’ misplaced pass, paced past the hosts’ backline with ease, but his tame effort was comfortably held by Patterson.
The Liverpool academy graduate had a third chance just before the half-hour mark to edge Fulham further in front. The winger cut inside on his favoured foot, but this time, his curled effort only minutely tested Patterson.
Mowbray’s men finally began to challenge Fulham, after thirty minutes of succumbing to the Premier League outfit’s pressure. Amad Diallo combined well with Roberts inside the 18-yard-box and almost caught out Marek Rodak with a powerful half volley.
Sunderland’s late revival in the half was not enough to bring the encounter level, as Silva’s men coasted into the interval with their one goal advantage intact.
The end-to-end nature of the first-half translated into the second, as Dan Neil was inches wide from an equalising goal. Roberts’ tight dribbling opened up space inside the 6-yard-box, moments later and looked to bury a shot underneath Rodak, but the Czech did well to deny the former Manchester City winger.
Sunderland thought they finally levelled the clash minutes later through another of the Black Cats’ tricky wide players.
The ball was worked well to Diallo and after dribbling past Layvin Kurzawa cannoned a shot goalwards, before Shane Duffy, in his first appearance since early-September, hooked it off the line.
Fulham’s top-flight quality and endurance showed, as after defending resolutely to deny an equaliser, doubled their advantage just before the hour mark.
Second-hand substitutes Alexsander Mitrovic and Andreas Periera were alert in the box, as after the former’s shot was initially dealt with by Patterson, his cut-back to the Brazilian was rolled into an empty net.
Sunderland did edge back into slight contention just after 75 minutes. Alex Pritchard and Ajibola Alese found Clarke, just on the edge of the area.
The ex-Leeds playmaker, who scored in the opening six minutes back in West London, cut inside before arrowing a curled shot into the top right corner – to beautifully net his fifth in red and white.
The Cottagers restored their two goal advantage moments later however, as after the hosts struggled to clear their lines from a corner, the ball dropped to Kurzawa.
The French full-back did well to direct the landing of the ball, before lashing past Patterson, which was his second goal for Fulham.
Desperate to avoid being eliminated from the FA Cup, Sunderland brought the game back to a one goal deficit, as long ball towards defender Daniel Ballard found second-half substitutes Bennette, who reacted first to Kurzawa’s failed clearance.
The Costa Rican fantastically bent his right-footed effort past Rodak to set up a nervy stoppage time in Tynecastle.
Silva’s men defended well to dispel Sunderland’s late panic for a final equaliser, as their name in the next round was confirmed, where they will fancy their chances against struggling Leeds.
SUNDERLAND: Anthony Patterson, Daniel Ballard, Danny Batth, Patrick Roberts (Alex Pritchard 64’), Amad Diallo (Jewison Bennette 71’), Abdullah Ba (Chris Rigg 78’), Jack Clarke, Dan Neil (Luke O’Nien 64’), Edouard Michut (Pierre Ekwah 71’), Trai Hume, Ajibola Alese. Subs not used: Alex Bass, Caden Kelly, Zak Johnson, Tom Watson.
GOALS: Clarke (77’), Bennette (90’)
FULHAM: Marek Rodak, Kenny Tete (Bobby Reid 64’), Layvin Kurzawa, Tosin Adarabioyo, Shane Duffy, Harry Willson, Tom Cairney, Manor Solomon (Dan James 79’), Joao Palhinha (Harrison Reed 65’), Carlos Vinicius (Alexsander Mitrovic 46’), Luke Harris (Andreas Periera 59’). Subs not used: Bernd Leno, Willian, Issa Diop, Antonee Robinson.
GOALS: Wilson (8’), Pereira (59’), (Kurzawa 82’)
