Fulham 1-1 Sunderland: Tom Cairney scores to earn Marco Silva’s side an FA Cup fourth round replay

It’s been 50 years since Sunderland won the FA Cup and while it may be premature for talks of this kind, the Black Cats put in a gutsy performance in a thrilling game against Premier League Fulham to lead the Cottagers to a fourth round replay. .

Sunderland’s priority is undoubtedly in the Championship, where they are currently ninth, and in the bid for the play-off places after six years away from the Premier League, but Tony Mowbray’s men showed no signs of taking this competition to the lightly in a sensational game that had 39 attempts finished one each. This was a proper cup tie.

Fulham manager Marco Silva made the changes, with seven from the team that lost to Tottenham on Monday night, while Mowbray made just one change from the team that defeated Middlesbrough in the Championship last weekend.

Tom Cairney equalized for Fulham to earn the Premier League side a replay against Sunderland

Jack Clarke gave Sunderland a lead in the sixth minute after a mistake from Fulham’s Issa Diop

Nearly six thousand Sunderland fans had made the journey to west London and it took just six minutes for them to be rewarded when Jack Clarke took the ball away from Issa Diop, who was guilty of taking too long on the ball, and in stride. he ended up passing Marek Rodak in the bottom corner. The visiting winger broke out at the opposite end of the field.

Fulham almost responded immediately when Andreas Pereira’s shot found a leaping Tosin Adarabioyo, who headed the ball to the ground and over the crossbar.

Just when it seemed all was going well for Sunderland, Ross Stewart was stopped inside the Fulham box with what looked like an Achilles tendon injury. The ‘Loch Ness Drogba’, as it is known, was placed on a stretcher and applauded, but you couldn’t help but feel that this was a pivotal moment in their season.

Clarke’s early goal opened up the possibility of an FA Cup fourth round upset at Craven Cottage

The Championship team was backed by a strong contingent of visiting supporters in London.

Despite missing 15 league games this campaign, his tally of 10 Championship goals gives him the best minutes-to-goal ratio in the division. Stewart’s injury marked the arrival of Abdoullah Ba, with Sunderland having nine players aged 22 and under on the pitch.

The hosts grew in the game and Pereira’s demands for a penalty after Aji Alese’s challenge were denied by referee Michael Salisbury before Harry Wilson played a one-two with the Brazilian but was unable to parry his shot.

However, Sunderland posed a persistent threat despite the loss of their striker, particularly down the right flank with their quick link play and consistent energy on possession.

Sunderland took a hit when top scorer Ross Stewart picked up an injury in the first half

The 26-year-old striker was stretchered off with an Achilles tendon problem

Patrick Roberts, formerly of Fulham, was a handful all afternoon and set up the vibrant Amad Diallo, but the loan from Man Utd dragged his shot wide.

Fulham had yet to seriously test Anthony Patterson during the half, but the Sunderland goalkeeper sprang into action in dramatic fashion on the brink of halftime.

Pereira’s volley looked destined to crash into the back of the net, but somehow Daniel Ballard was back on the line and his shin deflected the ball past the keeper and away.

If you thought the first half had chances then the second was a feast for the neutrals with action from the start. Hugh Grant, a Fulham fan and present at Craven Cottage, would certainly have approved.

Captain Cairney displayed some excellent footwork in the box before sacking the Premier League full-back.

The Fulham midfielder celebrated his first goal of the season in front of the home fans

Ba deflected his deflected strike after some lovely work from Roberts before Wilson forced Patterson into a flying save at the other end.

Sunderland came from behind as Roberts and Diallo combined again, but the latter’s shot deflected off the near post. From the resulting corner, Fulham got away, but Wilson couldn’t find a way past Patterson when he just had to beat the keeper.

Diallo’s bending effort was stopped by Rodak, who made a crucial touch before Clarke could leap over the follow-up and then a buccaneer run from Roberts in his own half almost had the perfect finish, but his shot from the edge of the area went over the post.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was taken off the bench as the Premier League side chased a winner

Mowbray had his hands on his head as the visitors mourned missed opportunities just minutes later when Fulham equalized on the hour mark with a brilliant moment from captain Tom Cairney.

Layvin Kurzawa chose Cairney, who brought down two Sunderland defenders before firing a left-footed shot past Patterson.

Silva bowled past Aleksandar Mitrovic for a winner and the former Newcastle man was greeted by a chorus of boos from the roving support.

Sunderland’s 15-year-old substitute Chris Rigg looked to have won the tie dramatically.

The teenager saw his shot canceled for offside and now the full-backs face the replay

Now Fulham had the momentum and Marnus Solomon’s free-kick was held wide before Patterson also denied Mitrovic.

Both technicians looked at the bench and the spaces opened up in the center of the field as if neither of them wanted to repeat the play. Mowbray fielded 15-year-old Chris Rigg, who scored dramatically in the last minute of regulation, only to have it disallowed because the linesman’s flag was offside.

Rigg would have been the youngest goalscorer in FA Cup history.

Still, neither party took their foot off the gas. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s chest effort was parried by Patterson from yards before the Sunderland goalkeeper stuck out a hand to deny Willian. He blew the whistle, but in truth, this was a game no one wanted to end. The final score was somehow 1-1 and the two teams will do it all over again at Sunderland.