Goals by French duo Steed Malbranque and Steve Marlet guided Fulham past a potential FA Cup banana skin at cash-strapped Division Three side York City this afternoon.
Malbranque opened the scoring with a fine finish to a well-worked move before the break and Marlet made sure of the Prmeiership side’s progression after they were given a scare by Terry Doolan’s battlers in the second period. The Cottagers proved they have the stomach to battle for victories that are usually earned through the style shown by Jean Tigana’s side. The only charity on show here came before kick off when Fulham chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed was invited to display a massive cheque denoting how the Cottagers had donated their share of the gate receipts to the York City fighting fund.
The hosts nearly stunned their illustrious opposition on a poor pitch inside the first minute. A speculative shot from Martin Bullock caused Edwin van der Sar to fumble the ball and had a York player been following up the underdogs would have made a dream start. Unfortunately, for the hosts that lucky escape stung Fulham into action. The experienced Alan Fettis was soon diving to deny Louis Saha and did brilliantly to shovel a Malbranque header over the crossbar.
The Northern Ireland international goalkeeper was beaten on 26 minutes when Saha surged through the middle of the pitch after profiting from an untimely slip by Bullock in the middle of the pitch. The French forward rode two challenges before picking out Malbranque, who lashed a finish past Fettis and high into the net. You may have expected Fulham to saunter on to a comfortable victory after that – but that would have been reckoning without the character of the Minstermen.
Alan Proctor and Lee Nogan kept Fulham’s defenders on their toes all afternoon. Proctor nearly turned a header from his strike partner past van der Sar, whilst Nogan fired over from the edge of the box and – as the home side’s best spell of pressure build up – Jeff Winter waved away strong home shouts for a penalty after Proctor’s header clearly hit Steve Finnan’s up. The Irish international almost added insult to injury immediately by bursting into the penalty area but shot wide before John Collins also went close from distance.
Marlet then burst clear of the York defence but shot wide whilst Zat Knight, whose physicality in central midfield prevented the hosts from getting much of a foothold in the engine room, tested Fettis with a powerful 30 yard strike. York captain Chris Brass went close twice in a minute with van der Sar just beating him to a cross from Gary Hobson and then looking like the most relieved man in Bootham Crescent after the defender’s effort crept over the bar following an untidy goalmouth scramble.
But with York committed to finding a famous equaliser, Fulham exploited the spaces to play in at the other end. Marlet burst away from the remnants of the home defence and squeezed a shot between Fettis and his near post with five minutes remaining to score Fulham’s place in the fifth round.
YORK CITY (4-4-2):Â Fettis, Edmondson, Basham, Hocking, Hobson (Duffield 77), Potter, Cooper, Brass, Bullock, Nogan (Mathie 83), Proctor. Subs (not used): Howarth, Smith, Richardson.
BOOKED: Nogan.
FULHAM (4-4-2):Â van der Sar; Finnan, Brevett, Melville, Goma; Knight, Collins (Goldbaek 74), Knight, Legwinski, Malbranque; Saha, Marlet. Subs (not used): Taylor, Ouaddou, Willock, Stolcers.
BOOKED: Marlet, Collins.
GOALS: Malbranque (26), Marlet (85).
REFEREE: Jeff Winter (Cleveland).
ATTENDANCE: 7,563
