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BBC Sport |
Wolves (0) 2-2 (1) Fulham ~ Fulham win on penalties
Fulham striker HugoRodallega's kick earned Fulham an FA Cup penalty shootout win over Wolves and a fourth-round trip to Sunderland.
On a night tinged with sadness for Wolves following the death of former owner Sir Jack Hayward, Cauley Woodrow headed Kit Symons' side in front.
Dave Edwards and Rajiv van La Parra scored for Wolves before Woodrow forced extra time.
Edwards gave Wolves an extra-time lead, but Ross McCormack's last-minute penalty took the tie to spot kicks.
Fulham converted all five in the shootout to secure a fourth-round trip to Sunderland, as Matt Doherty missed Wolves' second kick.
On a freezing cold night at Molineux, which deteriorated into a fierce snowstorm in extra time, Fulham had the better of the opening half.
They were finally rewarded for their early pressure when Konstantinos Stafylidis sent a left-wing cross into the box that was met by the unmarked Woodrow.
Moussa Dembele could have put the visitors almost out of sight before the break when the Frenchman rounded Carl Ikeme only to miss the target.
Fulham's third dimension |
Fulham's penalty shootout win means they retain an unbeaten record in FA Cup third-round ties stretching back to 2008
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Boosted by the double substitution of Edwards and Nouha Dicko, Wolves were transformed after the break.
Dicko was close to giving the hosts the perfect start to the second half but his tightly angled shot hit the side netting.
Wolves twice hit the woodwork through Doherty's header and Dicko's fierce shot before drawing level in the 71st minute.
A clever ball from Dominic Iorfa allowed Edwards clean through to spark a burst of three goals in five minutes.
Van La Parra put Wolves ahead from Kevin McDonald's superb through-ball but Fulham quickly made it level again through Woodrow, who tapped home Dembele's rebound to book an extra half-hour.
McDonald almost put Wolves in front again when he unleashed a shot from long range in extra time which forced Marcus Bettinelli to save.
With snow falling thickly, Edwards put Wolves back in front with a neat near-post finish three minutes into the second half of extra time.
But there was more drama to come in the final minute when Lee Evans handled and McCormack levelled from the spot - before the contest was settled on penalties.
Fulham manager Kit Symons, speaking to BBC London 94.6: "What a way to win a cup tie. It had a bit of everything.
"When Ross McCormack's shot hit the wall, I thought our chance was gone, but I was delighted the penalty was given and he slotted home coolly.
"It was quite an emotional evening for the Wolves fans, who got right behind their team. And rightly so, Sir Jack Hayward is a real loss to the game after all he's done."
Wolves manager Kenny Jackett, speaking to BBC WM: "Fulham played well in the first half and deserved their lead but, in difficult conditions, we got ourselves in pole position and it was a cruel way to lose.
"With their late penalty, I've looked at the video and it's hard to see clearly, but the referee was a lot closer than I was and there's nothing we can do about it.
"It was tough for both sides out there when the snow started coming down, but it was the right decision to continue playing."
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