Fulham and Cambridge United will have to replay for the right to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the FA Cup after playing out a dour goalless draw in at a windswept Craven Cottage this evening.
Cambridge, who reached the quarter finals of last season’s competition, made the stronger start and should have gone ahead when a poor pass from the under-pressure Simon Morgan gave Mike Cheetham a side of goal, but the midfielder’s effort grazed the outside of the post. Leroy Rosenior volleyed Fulham’s first opportunity over the bar, before the on-loan forward was booked for a late challenge on Andy Fensome.
United had another chance to take the lead when Dion Dublin’s backheel put Cheetham in the clear again but the man bought out of the army by Bobby Robson skewed his shot well wide of the target. As the wind took hold in the second half, former Fulham goalkeeper John Vaughan palmed away a powerful drive from Martin Pike before easily fielding a tame effort from Gary Brazil.
Colin Bailie and Andy Kimble fired free-kicks fractionally over the bar for the visitors before Dublin did brilliantly to lay-off a long ball for the onrushing John Taylor, but the striker shot just wide of the far post. At the other end, substitute Steve Milton almost made an immediate impact after spinning superbly to reach Mark Newson’s chip but Vaughan proved equal to the striker’s shot.
FULHAM: Stannard; Newson, Pike, North, G. Thomas, Kelly, Morgan, Skinner, Brazil, Davies (Milton 80), Rosenior. Subs (not used): Langley.
BOOKED: Rosenior, Morgan, Pike.
CAMBRIDGE UNITED: Vaughan; Fensome, Kimble, Bailie, Chapple, O’Shea, Cheetham (Wilkins 80), Leadbitter, Dublin, Taylor, Philpott (Dennis 80).
BOOKED: Fensome, Wilkins.
REFEREE: Peter Foakes (Clacton).
ATTENDANCE: 5,929.
