Non-league Yeovil Town delivered the shock of the FA Cup first round by sending Second Division Fulham spinning out after Andy Williams’ last gasp strike.
The Glovers gleefully acclaimed the seventeenth league scalp of their storied Cup history and not even Fulham boss Don Mackay tried to claim that the home side weren’t well worth their victory. Paul Wilson skewed a shot wide from seven yards after Steve Harrower’s shot had deflected into the centre forward’s path early on as Town began with the intensity of a side full of the confidence that the struggling Londoners currently lack.
Ara Bedrossian’s mazy run from the halfway line presented the Cottagers with their first real sight of goal but the Cypriot lost his composure as he reached the Yeovil penalty area and shot tamely into the arms of goalkeeper David Coles. Sean Farrell then flashed a shot fractionally wide of the far post after latching onto a long ball from Jeff Eckhardt as the Football League outfit put together their strongest spell of the contest.
The second half lacked the quality of the first but it was the home side who asked the more probing questions of Fulham’s leaky defence. They found the answer just in the nick of time at the death as Wallace produced a moment of magic with a run like the one that Ricky Villa produced at Wembley in Tottenham’s famous extra-time Cup final triumph. The midfielder took advantage of a deflection breaking kindly for him to jinx past three Fulham defenders before slotting an ice-cool finish past Jim Stannard to spark delirious scenes at Huish Park.
YEOVIL TOWN: Coles; Coates, Ferns, Sherwood, Bye, Leonard, Sanderson, Wallace, Wilson, Spencer, Harrower (Cooper 75). Subs (not used): McPherson, Cooper.
GOAL: Wallace (90).
FULHAM: Stannard; Jupp, G. Thomas, Angus, Eckhardt; Ferney, Bedrossian, Marshall, Hails; Brazil, Farrell. Subs (not used): Harrison, Kelly, Tierling.
BOOKED: Bedrossian.
REFEREE: Clive Wilkes (Gloucestershire).
ATTENDANCE: 6,180.
