Fulham striker Steve Marlet finally vindicated some of his £11.5
million transfer fee by rescuing Fulham from FA Cup humiliation with an
equaliser three minutes from time at a raucous Adams Park last night. The
replay is next Tuesday with the winners meeting either Grimsby or York.
Marlet had been largely poor as Wycombe took a 2-1 lead but then the excellent
substitute, Barry Hayles, lifted in a cross which Marlet headed in just
as last season's surprise semi-finalists were contemplating more FA Cup
glory.
Recovering from Sylvain Legwin- ski's opener for Fulham, the Second Division
side took the lead through Steve Brown and Jermaine McSporran but then
Marlet struck.
Postponed for three days following a frozen pitch and an extra 15 minutes
following traffic congestion last night, this match needed another 45
minutes before bursting into life with two swift goals, Wycombe responding
marvellously to Fulham's opener from Legwinski after 46 minutes.
It had been a fine goal from Legwinski, sharply contrasting with much
of the dross that had preceded it. Collecting possession from Steed Malbranque's
ball down the inside-right channel, the pass conveniently missed by Brown,
Legwinski drilled the ball goalwards.
Mark Rogers, the Wycombe centre-half, managed to clear the shot off the
line but Legwinski's follow-up was outstanding, the ball sent crashing
back into the net. Since arriving from Bordeaux for £3.3 million
in the summer, Legwinski has quickly captured the imagination of the Fulham
faithful with his neat distribution and constant involvement in forward
moves.
But Lawrie Sanchez's men refused to yield and charged back at their Premiership
visitors. McSporran, whose pace had been his side's most potent attacking
asset, accelerated into the Fulham box where he fell under the outstretched
leg of Alain Goma. Graham Barber pointed immediately to the spot, McSporran
celebrated to the home hordes in the Syan Stand, and Brown stepped forward
to take the penalty.
The midfielder's kick was intercepted by Maik Taylor but with not enough
power to stop it crossing the line. It was a particularly sweet moment
for Brown, who was suspended for last season's semi-final for taking his
shirt off at Leicester City and so gaining another booking.
Wycombe's fans delighted in Brown's moment of glory, memories flooding
back of that glorious run to within 90 minutes of the final. As Adams
Park shook with delight, Wycombe really rattled another representative
from a higher division. When Taylor punched poorly after 65 minutes, Wycombe
sensed another upset when McSporran turned and hooked the ball in.
Fulham were paying for their inability to finish. Until Legwinski's smart
strike a minute after the break, Fulham's fans had begun to chant the
increasingly familiar lament of "have a shot" as a scoreless
opening half meandered its way into anonymity. To the frustration of the
2,000 visiting supporters who had taken over the Roger Vere Stand, Fulham
were all possession and no penetration until Legwinski taught his attackers
a lesson in the finishing arts.
Fulham's forwards were labouring. Louis Saha twisted and turned attractively
but too often disappeared down cul-de-sacs.
Marlet was showing little to indicate that he would eventually demonstrate
such presence in the box to score so important a goal. He ran willingly
but rarely intelligently. His mood had probably not been helped in recent
weeks by Fulham's continual linking with other centre forwards. Until
the goal, it was easy to understand why Jean Tigana, the Fulham manager,
had tried to sharpen his side's attacking edge with the recruitment of
Valencia's John Carew, who promptly failed a medical.
Fulham's best chance of the period came when Zat Knight used his 6ft
6in height to power in a header comfortably held by Martin Taylor, Wycombe's
goalkeeper. Usually a defender, Knight was here deployed in the anchoring
role and did well in breaking up Wycombe's attacks, particularly with
a sliding tackle on McSporran, Wycombe's flying striker who was bearing
down on Taylor's goal.
Tigana had elected to rest Edwin van der Sar and, in truth, Taylor had
little to trouble him in the first half, although he was to be embarrassed
after the break. McSporran almost scored when a hasty Taylor clearance
cannoned into him and slipped wide.
Darren Currie attempted to support the electric McSporran from midfield,
the nephew of Tony Currie noticeable as much for his lucky streak of dyed
hair as his skills. Wycombe increasingly were growing in confidence and,
having regained their nerve after Legwinski's goal, they were well worth
their 2-1 lead, much to the glee of a record 9,921 crowd.
Fulham almost equalised with eight minutes remaining but Hayles' shot
crept just wide.
Then Marlet, surprisingly, came to the rescue and Sean Davis would have
won it but for a marvellous save from Martin Taylor.
Source Daily Telegraph by Henry Winter