Two Brummies bagged the goals as Second Division Fulham registered the result of the FA Cup fourth round by sending Premiership leaders Aston Villa crashing out of the competition.
An early header from boyhood Birmingham City fan Simon Morgan put Kevin Keegan’s side ahead and the Cottagers were soon in dreamland when Steve Hayward drove home a deflected free-kick in front of the Holte End, where he had watched his beloved Villa as a boy. The home side’s misery was complete when John Gregory revealed that wantaway striker Stan Collymore had failed to turn up for the match having been angry at being left out of the starting line-up.
Keegan, delighted by Fulham’s progress past his old club Southampton in a dramatic third round replay, hailed the application of his side, who displayed top flight quality in the way they ruthlessly took their chance to quieten one of England’s great grounds. The Cottagers went ahead in the ninth minute when Morgan, who has made more than 350 appearances in a decade at Craven Cottage, climbed highest at the near post to head home Hayward’s corner. It was the perfect way for the veteran to make his return to first-team action having been rushed back from injury for this tie.
Fulham’s lead was far from unmerited as the Division Two side attacked their illustrious opponents with relish rather than sitting back. Paul Peschisolido, who stunned Anfield with a special League Cup strike last season, showed an appetite for another surprise by driving at the Villa defence early on before stining Oakes’ palms with a powerful shot. Villa threatened only sporadically, with Maik Taylor smothering a shot from Julian Joachim, and deserved a two-goal cushion at half time after Hayward hammered his free-kick home via a deflection after Paul Bracewell had tapped it short.
Gregory laid into his charges at half time but it was Fulham who looked the likelier to score at the start of the secon d period, with Oakes having to cut out a cross from Peschisolido that looked set to give Wayne Collins a simple tap-in. Gregory responded by sending Darius Vassell, who had made a name for himself in Europe back in September, but the hosts struggled to break down a disciplined Fulham defence.
The Cottagers could easily have made the scoreline even more convincing in the closing stages. Gareth Southgate – perhaps the only Villa player to emerge with any credit on this most chastening of afternoons – intervened twice to prevent Geoff Horsfield and Peschisolido from rubbing salt into the wounds.
ASTON VILLA (5-4-1): Oakes; Watson, Wright (Vassell 59), Ehiogu, Scimeca, Southgate; Barry, I. Taylor, Merson, Hendrie; Joachim. Subs (not used): Rachel, D. Hughes, Grayson, Ferraresi.
BOOKED: Hendrie.
FULHAM (4-4-2): M. Taylor; Finnan, Brevett, Symons, Coleman; Bracewell, Morgan, Hayward, W. Collins; Horsfield, Peschisolido (Smith 82). Subs (not used): Arendse, Trollope, Salako, Hayles.
BOOKED: Finnan, Smith.
GOALS: Morgan (8), Hayward (43).
REFEREE: David Ellerary (Harrow).
ATTENDANCE: 35,260.
