|
| Phil Thomas at The Sun |
Blackpool (0) 1 Fulham (0) 1 AET 1-2
Fulham captain Brede Hangeland took the glory for a dramatic last-gasp win over Blackpool - even if the man himself knew little about it.
Hangeland out-jumped Blackpool defenders Craig Cathcart and Ludovic Sylvestre to meet Damien Duff's corner just two-and-a-half minutes from the end.
Quite who the final touch came off, not even the Norwegian centre-back could tell you- but Cottagers chief Martin Jol will not be complaining.
His side managed only a 1-1 draw in the initial tie at Craven Cottage and Jol admitted: "Someone told me it was an own goal but I don't know, I haven't seen it again yet.
I asked Brede about it and he didn't know either.
"Of course it's always a relief to win games like this but then again we should have won the first game at home, we created so many chances.
"I thought we did okay under the circumstances.
They are a good team with a few talented players.
We should have won at home because we had so many crosses and opportunities in the final third but we couldn't score.
"We had to come away from home to a difficult place.
"The pitch was probably 10 times worse than we could have imagined but we were prepared for that.
"We still tried to play.
That is the only thing we can do but then again you have to score a goal and the problem comes when you don't."
If it was delight for Fulham, now staring at a fourth-round trip to Manchester United or West Ham, it was sheer agony for Blackpool.
They were just 10 seconds away from a potential jackpot game at Old Trafford, when Kieran Richardson pounced with the last kick of normal time.
The Seasiders had snatched the lead just seven minutes before the end of normal time following a couple of clangers in the Fulham defence - and a clinical finish by Nathan Delfouneso.
First Matt Briggs skied his clearance and then keeper Mark Schwarzer made a total hash of his punch, merely teeing it up for Delfouneso to volley into an empty net.
After a tepid opening, with chances few and far between, it looked certain to be enough to send the Seasiders through.
Yet with referee Andre Marriner all set to blow his whistle, substitute Richardson struck the sweetest of long-range drives to break Blackpool hearts and send the game into extra time.
Even then the Seasiders could have snatched it but, somehow, Kirk Broadfoot turned into Kirk Clubfoot to blaze over from bang in front after another error from Schwarzer.
It as a mistake which looked horrendous at the time, never mind when Hangeland poured salt on the wound.
Jol added: "Conceding in the 83rd minute was very disappointing so to come back and score 30 seconds before the end was terrific.
"We knew that whoever scored first in extra-time would win it and, luckily enough, it was Fulham."
It was harsh on Blackpool's caretaker-boss Steve Thompson, who came so close to masterminding a Cup shock.
He said: "It was not a nice way to lose and when it is the last kick of the game it is hard to get the players going again.
"It was a great strike.
Two of our centre-halves went for the same ball and the ref says as soon as they head it he'd blow the whistle.
"That was the disappointing thing about it."
Thompson also felt the winning goal could have been prevented.
He said: "You've got to defend your set plays.
They put quality in there and if you don't defend them you are going to be punished.
"But I thought we played some fantastic football on a very tricky surface."
Caretaker Thompson is set to step back into coaching duties once owner Karl Oyston finally manages to get a new boss in.
Karl Robinson, Paul Ince and Nick Barmby are the latest names in the frame.
Yet it still has not dulled Thompson's desire for the job himself.
He admitted: "I'm ready to be a No 1 but it's Karl's decision and whoever he chooses will get my full support.
"I don't want to go through my career being known as a good No 2.
But whoever comes in has a fantastic bunch of players who keep coming back from disappointments."
The hosts took the fight to their Premier League opponents from the start as an upset looked on the cards.
Nathan Eccleston tried his luck, while Gary Taylor-Fletcher nearly put in Tom Ince in an impressive opening.
Fulham, who left out Dimitar Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz, struggled to create chances and they rode their luck on plenty of occasions.
Blackpool were also dominant in extra-time as Chris Basham had a low shot from an Ince cross deflected narrowly wide of the post.
Broadfoot then missed his sitter and it proved costly as Fulham avoided a penalty shootout when Hangeland nodded home.
STAR MAN - BREDE HANGELAND (Fulham)
FULHAM: Schwarzer 5, Riether 7, Hangeland 8, Senderos 6 (Hughes 4), Briggs 5, Kacaniklic 6 (Richardson 6), Karagounis 7, Baird 6, Dejagah 6, Petric 6 (Duff 5), Rodallega 5.
Subs not used: Stockdale, Riise, Kasami, Grimmer.
Booked: Riether, Richardson
Source .