Fulham manager Chris Coleman furiously blamed the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Leyton Orient on “arrogance” and admitted he was “absolutely gutted”.
Strikes from Craig Easton and Joe Keith gave League Two Orient a two-goal lead at the break before Fulham hit back with a 50th-minute strike from Collins John.
The Barclays Premiership club looked on course to complete their fightback when Luis Boa Morte was brought down by Gabriel Zakuani and referee Peter Walton awarded a penalty.
But Orient goalkeeper Glyn Garner saved John’s spot-kick to send the noisy visiting fans, who made up nearly half the 13,394 crowd, into delirium.
“The defeat was down to a sense of arrogance. There was also a lack of effort and enthusiasm. God knows where the arrogance came from because we can’t afford to approach any game like that,” he said.
“We did our homework on Orient and didn’t changing anything in terms of preparation because we knew what a tough game it would be.
“I’m gutted, absolutely gutted. I didn’t show Orient any disrespect because they’re a good team who have a good manager and play good football. I showed them respect but the players didn’t.”
