Layvin Kurzawa must love the FA Cup. Fulham’s French full back had hardly got a look in after arriving from Paris Saint Germain in September, but the advent of the world’s oldest club cup competition gave him an opportunity to impress Marco Silva. His serene sidefoot at Hull City helped the Portuguese survive a shock at the hands of former employers in the third round and the left-back lashed in what proved to be the winner as the Premier League side saw off a spirited Sunderland after a five-goal thriller.
Silva himself seethed silently from a steeply height this evening, pacing up and down like a smoker denied his cigarettes having been banned from the touchline having picked up a fourth yellow card at Stamford Bridge on Friday. Luis Boa Morte, who has apparently mellowed since his playing days, tackled the technical area in an understated fashion and after another Cup classic the Cottagers into the last sixteen.
More than six hundred Fulham followers made the journey at nine days notice to Wearside, braving freezing temperatures and no return trains and ignoring the fact that the BBC were beaming this game into every home in the land. Fulham, with only Kenny Tete and Joao Palhinha remaining from the line-up that started the SW6 derby, began this replay red hot where they were sleepy in the original tie, when snappy Sunderland punished an error from Issa Diop to fashion an early lead through Jack Clarke. A brilliant ball from Shane Duffy nearly freed Manor Solomon but Danny Baath dived in to deny the Israeli.
It was the top flight team who hit the front with Harry Wilson firing his first goal of an injury-hit campaign into the bottom corner with the outside of his foot in the eighth minute. The Welsh winger beat Anthony Patterson, who kept the Black Cats in the Craven Cottage contest, with a fine finish off the outside of his foot after Carlos Vinicius had punished a poor header from Motspur Park graduate Patrick Roberts to set up a half chance with strong hold up play.
Wilson’s joy was evident. He has endured a tough season since being crudely kicked out of a pre-season friendly by Tyrone Mings and rushing back to make Wales’ first World Cup in 55 years. Had he been sharper in front of goal, the former Liverpool wide man might have scored a hat-trick before half time. Patterson was equal to a tamer effort from Wilson on 25 minutes and then stood and watched a curler creep just wide after the classy Tom Cairney had seized possession and led a storming break.
There looked like there were more than two divisions between the sides at times in the first half hour, but the Mackems only needed a spark in the final third to enliven the Stadium of Light. Roberts quickly redeemed himself with quick feet on the right flank and the combination with Amad Diallo that proved so potent in SW6 saw the Manchester United loanee test Marek Rodak with a powerful drive.
A strong five-minute spell from the hosts saw Silva ruthlessly introduce Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andreas Peireira at the interval, with Luke Harris hooked at half-time on his second senior start just as he had been at Crawley on his professional debut. The seventeen year-old had sparkled in the hole in the first 45 minutes, but Pereira and Mitrovic took seven minutes to make it 2-0. The impetus for another lightning raid came from Cairney, who played in the Serbian. Mitrovic was denied a first FA Cup strike but a good save from Patterson but had the presence of mind to hook the loose ball across goal from the byline, providing Pereira with a tap-in.
To say the second arrived against the run of play was an understatement. Sunderland dominated the start of the second period with Dan Neill powering wide before Roberts forced a fabulous save from Rodak at point-blank range, with the Slovakian spreading himself sensational after the shot deflected off the prone Duffy. The Irish international then denied Diallo with a goal-line clearance after the winger wriggled into a shooting position after Roberts roamed menacingly into the area.
Pereira wasted a chance to make it three when he blazed over after bright play from Cairney and Mitrovic and the hosts went up the other end to make a game of it, with Clarke curling a majestic finish into the top corner after Alise had burst forward from left back. Kurzawa then looked to have killed off the hosts with venomous volley after Cairney and Duffy had headed on a Pereira corner.
Sunderland still refused to die wondering with substitute Jewison Bennette drilling in a second after Luke O’Nien had flicked on a deep free-kick in the first minute of stoppage time, but the Whites survived to set a date with managerless Leeds at Craven Cottage on 28 February.
SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Patterson; Hume, Alese, Baath, Ballard; Michut (Ekwah 72), Neil (O’Nien 64′); Clarke, Roberts (Pritchard 64); Ba (Rigg 79), Diallo (Bennette 71). Subs (not used): Bass, Johnson, Watson, Kelly.
GOALS: Clarke (78), Bennette (90+1).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete (Decordova-Reid 65), Kurzawa, Duffy, Adarabioyo; Palhinha (Reed 45), Cairney; Wilson, Solomon (James 80), Harris (Pereira 45); Vinicius (Mitrovic 45). Subs (not used): Leno, Diop, A. Robinson, Willian.
BOOKED: Duffy.
GOALS: Wilson (8), Pereira (59), Kurzawa (82).
REFEREE: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).
ATTENDANCE: 29,651.
