Fulham look a decent bet for a Cup run, and perhaps a play-off place, on today’s evidence. Neil Warnock won’t be too bothered to be out of the competition; his job is to keep Cardiff up, with a huge game coming up next week against Bristol City. That’s all from me. Thanks for reading, enjoy your Sundays.
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A quick word with Slavisa Jokanovic: “We played very well. We had control of the ball, we created many chances. Sessegnon and Fredericks played very well on either side. Cardiff are strong and solid, but we prepared for that.”
Full time: Cardiff 1-2 Fulham
Fulham were comfortably the better side, and earn a place in Monday’s fourth round draw with goals from Stefan Johansen and Ryan Sessegnon.
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94 mins: Fulham keep the ball in the corner, and their place in the fourth round is seconds away.
93 mins: Bennett’s cross from the left is cleared. Time running out for Cardiff...
92 mins: Another free-kick is launched into the box, but Noone’s hooked effort sails into the goalkeeper’s arms. Final change for Fulham: Scott Malone is on for Ryan Sessegnon.
90 mins: Five added minutes. Today’s attendance, by the way, is 5,199.
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89 mins: Humphrys bundles over Bamba in the Cardiff half, giving the hosts another chance to send a long ball into the area – but it bobbles through to Bettinelli.
87 mins: The free kick is prodded along the floor towards Noone at the near post, whose shot is blocked, and goes out for a throw-in. Morrison launches it and it falls to O’Keefe, who can’t get over an awkward volley.
86 mins: Cardiff suddenly realise they’re still only one goal down, and Pilkington wins a free kick in a central area, 30 yards out. There’s a murmur of excitement from the 4,000-odd home fans.
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84 mins: Joe Bennett takes a tumble in the area under a Fulham challenge, but the referee waves play on. The visitors hare up the other end, and Odoi’s shot is deflected behind. Aluko is going off, replaced by Stephen Humphrys.
83 mins: Noone skips into space, with Pilkington free in the middle – but Sigurdsson is on hand to make a vital interception!
82 mins: Aluko draws another fine save from Murphy with a snap-shot from just inside the area, as Fulham search for a third.
81 mins: Johansen, scorer of the first goal, is going off, still bearing scars from that clash with Pilkington. He’s replaced by Dennis Adeniran, making his FA Cup debut.
79 mins: One more change for Cardiff, with Craig Noone replacing Kadeem Harris.
78 mins: Another nifty passing move from Fulham ends with the ball at Piazon’s feet. He shoots from 12 yards out, fizzing the ball just over Murphy’s bar.
77 mins: Fulham are holding a high line and resisting the urge to drop deep, with Huws the latest Cardiff player caught a mile offside.
76 mins: Kadeem Harris is stopped in his tracks by a brilliant tackle from McDonald, who is hurt in the process. Fulham break forward again, but Bamba produces a similarly clinical challenge to stop Aluko advancing on goal.
74 mins: From the corner, Fulham play it short – a trick that’s still somehow fooling Cardiff – and Piazon fires wide from a promising position.
73 mins: ...but the goalkeeper almost hands Fulham a third goal, losing the ball under pressure from Piazon, who hooks the ball back across goal. Morrison is on hand to clear, and spare the keeper further embarrassment.
72 mins: Lucas Piazon gets the better of Richards, and curls in a shot that Murphy tips away...
70 mins: After that stoppage and double substitution, Cardiff have lost 10 minutes, and a promising free kick on the left comes to nothing. On the touchline, Warnock pensively applies the Chap-Stick.
68 mins: O’Keefe and Mark Harris are on, replacing Greg Halford and Rickie Lambert. Harris, who just turned 18, is making his debut, and looks set to support Pilkington up front.
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66 mins: Fredericks is held up by Halford, and rolls the ball back to Johansen, who fires an angled shot high and wide.
An email, from someone known only as ‘jbtcardfan’:
“Good morning from the colonies, Sir Niall! How do you fancy Fulham’s chances to compete for a play-off spot this season?”
They’re 10th, six points off the top six, with a game in hand – and in their next 10 games, they play just one team currently above them: Barnsley, at home. I like their chances.
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64 mins: A couple of overdue changes coming for Cardiff – Mark Harris and Stuart O’Keefe are coming on.
62 mins: A break in play, as Johansen gets treatment for a facial injury, caused by Pilkington, who caught the Fulham midfielder with a stray arm – accidentally, according to the referee.
60 mins: Fulham have had a Barcelona-esque 76% of possession so far, but still only lead by one. Huws does get a shot in on goal, but his left-footed strike from distance is easy for Bettinelli.
57 mins: Cairney leaves a leg lingering after going past Morrison in the area, but the defender doesn’t bite. Cairney threads a pass to Piazon, who gets to the ball ahead of Murphy – but he can only prod it back across goal, and nobody’s there to turn it in!
55 mins: Cardiff need to offer more support to the isolated Lambert; perhaps we’ll see Kenneth Zohore coming off the bench soon. This is only going one way at the moment.
54 mins: Fredericks gets the better of Bennett down the right, but cuts inside to shoot rather than cross, and Bennett gets the block in.
52 mins: Tok, tok, tok – that’s the sound of Fulham pinging the ball around precisely, with Cardiff pinned in their own half.
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50 mins: Fulham win a corner, from which Johansen picks out Cairney, whose bobbling half-volley is easy enough for Murphy.
49 mins: Cardiff have 40 minutes or so to get themselves in the hat – they’re the only Welsh team left in the competition after Swansea went out yesterday.
47 mins: Fulham start the second half as they ended the first, stroking the ball around in midfield. Cairney spies midfield partner McDonald barrelling forward after Halford’s misplaced pass, but the Fulham man is crowded out.
Second half
Here we go again, with no changes for either side.
Half time: Cardiff City 1-2 Fulham
Fulham have been the better side, and rallied after Anthony Pilkington’s early deflected free kick, with Stefan Johansen and young Ryan Sessegnon putting the visitors in front. It’s been a good game, deserving a much bigger attendance than the handful who have turned up.
45 mins: One minute of added time.
44 mins: Sessegnon, operating effectively down the left, sees his low cross turned away for a throw in. Fulham retain possession, seeing out the first half in style.
42 mins: The hosts do win a free-kick and Bamba tries to nod the long ball down into a dangerous spot in the area – but Fulham break, and Fredericks’ run down the right is only stopped by Emyr Huws, racing back from midfield.
40 mins: Cardiff are searching for an equaliser before half-time, but it’s all a little laboured going forward.
38 mins: Harris’ corner swerves and dips, forcing Bettinelli into an awkward flap, but the ball runs out for a throw-in. Halford heaves it in, but Bamba’s far post header floats wide.
37 mins: Cardiff almost respond, Bennett getting a break from chasing Fredericks and whipping in a left-footed cross which McDonalds has to nod behind.
36 mins: Ryan Sessegnon, born in May 2000, has a goal on his FA Cup debut and Fulham have a deserved lead. Fredericks in particular has been unplayable from right back, setting up both goals.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-2 Fulham (Sessegnon)
This has been coming, and Fredericks sets it up down the right once again, his cut back finding Cairney, whose shot cannons off the underside of the bar and into the path of Sessegnon, who looks a fraction offside. The teenager turns the ball in, the flag never comes – and replays support the assistant’s call.
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32 mins: Aluko cuts onto his right foot on the edge of the area, and curls his shot straight at Murphy.
31 mins: Ryan Fredericks is held up by Bennett this time, and cuts inside to play a one-two with Cairney, who overhits the return pass.
29 mins: Fulham (gently) turning the screw now, with Aluko’s cross scrambled behind for a corner. Piazon’s near-post delivery is dealt with, and the hosts eventually regain possession.
27 mins: Bamba slides in to dispossess Johansen, but might appreciate some help from his fellow defenders. They wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.
25 mins: Fulham playing the nicer stuff so far, with Cardiff happy to take a more direct approach on the break. Aluko skips past Bamba, but runs out of room and fires a cross into the side netting.
23 mins: Halford has the towel out for a long throw, but Fulham get the ball away, and McDonald’s lofted pass finds Frederick on the left. The right-back scoots past Bamba, and his cross is deflected to Lucas Piazon, whose half-volley goes into the ground, then Murphy’s gloves.
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21 mins: Fulham enjoy a spell of possession in the Cardiff half, but it’s ended by Johansen’s weak daisy-cutter from 25 yards.
19 mins: Pilkington finds space on the right and rolls it back to Ralls, who powers a shot that Bettinelli, sprawling to his right, does well to parry away.
17 mins: Piazon tries to wriggle through the Cardiff defence, before the willowy Brazilian is put firmly in his place by Sol Bamba.
15 mins: Two goals, and it’s not even midday. We spoil you. At the other end, Lambert tries to flick the ball into Kadeem Harris’ path, but the midfielder can’t bring it down, directing an ill-judged heel flick into Bettinelli’s arms.
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GOAL! Cardiff 1-1 Fulham (Johansen)
Aluko ghosts through several blue shirts and to the edge of the area, before working the ball to Fredericks, whose precise cut-back is buried by Johansen!
11 mins: Ralls is beaten for pace by Fredericks, hauling him down to concede a free kick inches outside the area, on the right-hand side. Stefan Johansen swings it towards Tim Ream at the far post, but overcooks the delivery.
9 mins: Pilkington fancies a second, pinging a snap-shot at goal from a similar distance, but it sails into the empty stand behind Bettinelli’s goal.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-0 Fulham (Pilkington)
Anthony Pilkington fires the free kick, it cannons off Lucas Piazon, his back turned on the edge of the wall, and balloons into the opposite corner with the goalkeeper stranded.
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7 mins: Lambert, on his own up front, lays the ball off to Ralls, who is brought crashing to the ground by Denis Odoi. Free kick to Cardiff, 25 yards out...
5 mins: Cardiff have deployed new man Halford on the right of a back three, with Jazz Richards and Joe Bennett operating as wing-backs. They’re being tested by Fulham, who have started stronger than their hosts.
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3 mins: Fulham captain Cairney concedes a free kick, but Fulham win it back and break, Aluko ambling forward until he’s crowded out.
Magic of the cup. pic.twitter.com/zqgUb32rX2
— Dafydd Pritchard (@DafPritchard) January 8, 2017
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2 min: Johansen threads a ball to Fredericks, moving forward from right back. Bamba gets across well to cut out the cross, before 16-year-old Ryan Sessegnon fires well over from the corner.
1 min: Cardiff are in all blue, Fulham in white shirts and black shorts. They’re competing to be ball 21 in Monday’s fourth-round draw; coincidentally, that’s also today’s attendance.
Peep!
Here we go.
The crowd looks exceedingly sparse at the Cardiff City stadium; perhaps not a huge surprise, given that the only train Fulham fans could get arrived half an hour ago. Not sure where the home fans are, though.
Neil Warnock makes five changes from the win over Aston Villa, with Greg Halford starting after arriving from Rotherham. Just three changes from Slavisa Jokanovic, and there’s no place for Chris Martin, locked in a battle of wills with the manager over returning to Derby. The Africa Cup of Nations has had an effect, too – Cardiff’s Bruno Ecuele Manga and Fulham’s Floyd Ayite and Neeskens Kebano have all headed to Gabon. Kick off is in just 10 minutes, so look lively.
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of this FA Cup third-round clash at the eye-wateringly early time of 11.30am, GMT. 13 second-tier teams have already made it into the hat for Monday’s fourth-round draw; one of these two (or, if it’s a draw, both) are about to join them.
Here are the teams:
Cardiff City: Murphy; Richards, Morrison, Bamba, Bennett; Halford, Ralls, Huws, K Harris, Pilkington; Lambert.
Subs: Wilson, Peltier, Noone, Connolly, O’Keefe, Zohore, M Harris.
Fulham: Bettinelli; Fredericks, Ream, Sigurdsson, Sessegnon; McDonald, Johansen, Odoi, Cairney; Piazon, Aluko.
Subs: Button, Malone, Edun, Adeniran, Jozabed, Humphrys, Smith.
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