A second half equaliser from Ken Wagstaff means Fulham and Hull City will have to contest an FA Cup third round replay after an enthralling tie at Craven Cottage ended in a draw this afternoon.
The hosts were utterly dominant in the first half but had only Jimmy Conway’s eleventh-minute effort to show for their complete control. Les Barrett, making his 400th Fulham appearance, created the goal after latching onto a lovely pass from Alan Slough and sending in a fine cross that was turned in by his fellow winger at the far post. Alec Stock’s side were unfortunate not have been further in front as Viv Busby struck the crossbar with an excellent effort from twenty yards and saw another shot fly just wide of goal. The striker wasn’t the only one who came close as John Conway somehow squandered a simple chance from close range.
The Tigers looked a totally different side after a stern talking to from manager John Kaye and they made the perfect start to the second period by drawing level within six minutes when Fulham failed to properly clear a corner and former Mansfield forward Wagstaff deftly diverted Malcolm Lord’s shot past the helpless Peter Mellor. The visitors might even have won it when Alf Woods headed a Chris Grimes cross past the Fulham goalkeeper, but Bobby Moore coolly chested the ball off his own line in the nick of time.
Stock suggested afterwards that referee David Richardson had lost control of the contest once it became more physical in the second half. The Fulham boss told the press after the final whistle: “Every time we tried to do something knee-high tackles stopped us in our tracks. The referee should protect players from dangerous tackling like that. Luckily we have no serious injuries, but we will be without John Lacy for the replay as he starts a suspension on Monday”.
FULHAM: Mellor; Cutbush, Strong, Lacy, Moore, Mullery, Jimmy Conway, Slough, John Conway (Mitchell 71), Barrett, Busby.
BOOKED: Jimmy Conway.
GOAL: Jimmy Conway (10).
HULL CITY: Wealands; Croft, Banks, Burnett, Lord, Grimes, Daniel, Greenwood, Galvin, Wagstaff (Deere 75), Wood.
BOOKED: Grimes, Greenwood.
GOAL: Wagstaff (51).
REFEREE: David Richardson.
ATTENDANCE: 8,897.
