Sunderland avoided the grisly fate of many of their Premier League peers when they reached the fifth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable replay victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
They were not added to the fourth-round casualty list of many top-flight teams and will play Bradford City in the last 16, with late goals from Ricardo Álvarez and Jordi Gómez securing their passage.
After the carnage of the initial fourth-round matches when five Premier League teams went out, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland were perhaps fortunate to escape with just a warning.
They drew 0-0 with Fulham at the Stadium of Light, meaning a replay and perhaps a welcome distraction from their struggle against relegation from the top flight. They lie in 14th place.
Fulham had relegation fears of the own in the Championship until Kit Symons was appointed manager permanently in October and improved their position from 19th to their present 15th – seven points clear of the drop.
Sunderland’s pre-match plans were mysteriously disrupted when Connor Wickham was pulled out of the starting line-up. He was replaced by Steven Fletcher, which left Gus Poyet’s team with only five substitutes – they had named only six, anyway. However, the late switch did not appear to hamper Sunderland’s style. They attacked from the off on a bitterly cold evening in West London and, at times, had Fulham gasping for respite.
A Gómez drive from distance troubled the home goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli and he could only fumble it unconvincingly to safety. Fletcher then had a similar effort deflected behind for a corner.
It was all Fulham could do to hang on but they did manage a rare break when Rodallega fed Ross McCormack on the edge of the Sunderland area. Before he barely knew it, though, McCormack was crowded out and the chance lost.
Sunderland were quick to respond and Fletcher then raced through alone, having outpaced the Fulham cover. But Bettinelli was quick off his line to smother the ball at the striker’s feet.
Much against the run of play, though, Fulham took the lead in the 28th minute. McCormack slung over a corner from the left and, after a scramble in the box, Rodallega powered the ball home via the crossbar.
It might have been unfair on Sunderland, who had been dominant up until then. But they needed more from Jermain Defoe, who had been quiet up front and posed little threat to the solid home defence.
Encouraged by their good fortune, Fulham pushed forward for a second goal. McCormack found space as the Sunderland defenders backtracked but his attempt flew high and wide.
Sunderland tried to fashion a number of openings as half-time approached but if their approach play was half-decent, what went after that lacked precision and penetration.
They had to do something and swiftly. Poyet appeared to have had some firm words at the interval as the team showed much determination and thrust after the interval. If they did not quite lay siege on the Fulham goal, they were peppering the overworked Bettinelli from all angles. Anthony Réveillere set up Defoe but the former Toronto FC striker scuffed his shot.
Ricardo Álvarez then jockeyed on the edge of the area, only to blast an effort into the covering defenders, and Defoe – gradually coming more into the game - should have done better than just do the same as Álvarez.
Seven minutes into the half, as the pressure increased further, Sunderland should have equalised. Intricate play on the right flank ended with Patrick van Aanholt having a clear sight of goal. Yet even though unmarked at the far post, and with plenty of time to compose himself, Van Aanholt seemed to panic and miscued his effort wide. It was a poor miss.
Fulham could have made him pay when McCormack provided a corner from the left but Alexander Kacaniklic, also unmarked at the far post, did much the same as Van Aanholt. He nodded weakly wide.
Sunderland were back on level terms in the 61st minute and in bizarre circumstances, too. Van Aanholt’s cross from the left flank deflected high into the air and seemed an easy catch for Bettinelli. And yet, when under little pressure from anyone, he inexplicably allowed the ball to slip from his grasp and over the goalline – an error immediately confirmed by an assistant referee’s flag and accepted by referee Paul Tierney. That none of the Fulham player disputed the decision said it all.
But just when the tie appeared to be drifting towards extra time, Álvarez took charge. He cut in from the right, leaving a trail of defenders in his wake, and powered in a fine shot.
This time, there was nothing Bettinelli could do about it. Or could he when Jordi Gómez slotted in a penalty in stoppage time after Shaun Hutchinson had brought down Graham in the area.
