Cut-price duo Simon Morgan and Steve Hayward scored the goals which helped
big-spending Fulham claim the FA Cup scalp of Aston Villa.
Birmingham-born Morgan's eighth-minute header, together with a deflected
free-kick on the stroke of half-time from Hayward - on Villa's books as a
schoolboy - gave the Second Division leaders the famous victory they richly
deserved.
John Gregory's mistake-ridden men were a pale shadow of the side which has
soared to second place in the Premiership.
But they were not allowed to play to their full potential by their ambitious
visitors, who beat Southampton after a replay in the last round, and who won
today thanks to strikes from the two longest-serving players in their starting
line-up.
The 11 men who began the game for Fulham cost £5.95million to assemble but
while Chris Coleman (£2.1million), Paul Peschisolido (£1.1million), Maik Taylor
(£700,000) and Steve Finnan (£600,000) to name but four all did their part, it
is bargain basement signings Morgan and Hayward who will rightfully get most of
the glory.
Morgan joined the club for £100,000 in October 1990 - back in the days when
Jimmy Hill ruled the roost down by the Thames - while the Cottagers spent the
princely sum of £175,000 on Hayward in June 1997, three months before the
arrival of Kevin Keegan.
Morgan could easily have missed the match - he was making his first appearance
since suffering a calf injury on December 28 and had not even had a reserve team
game before today.
But he showed no signs of that problem as he produced an all-action
performance which he crowned with his goal.
And Hayward has only become a regular fixture in the Cottagers side this
season after struggling to make an impact last term. It was his strike which put
Fulham ahead in their first match with Southampton, and although that effort was
a slide-rule 20-yard shot, this time around he enjoyed a fair slice of luck in
seeing his deflected drive fly in.
Villa badly missed the influence of a target man up-front, a role which either
Dion Dublin - out with a groin injury - or Stan Collymore could have been
deployed to operate in.
But with mystery surrounding the whereabouts of Collymore, who was reported as
being fit by manager John Gregory yesterday, he was not even on the bench.
Long balls up to strike duo Julian Joachim and Paul Merson were food and drink
for Coleman and Kit Symons, who won everything there was to win in the air at
the back for the Cottagers.
But it would be wrong to dwell on Villa's deficiencies for this was Fulham's
day, a day when owner Mohamed Al Fayed's dream of bringing Premiership football
to Craven Cottage was shown to be closer than anyone outside of the ambitious
London club had ever thought.
With the combative Geoff Horsfield - who was playing in the Conference this
time last year - and Peschisolido proving a handful up-front, and the
experienced Paul Bracewell helping Fulham boss the midfield, the visitors oozed
class.
But though they conformed to manager Keegan's footballing philosophy and
passed the ball around, it was two set-pieces which undid Villa.
They took the lead when Hayward's outswinging corner from the right was met by
Morgan and he powered a header beyond a stationary Michael Oakes and over the
leaping Gareth Barry on the line.
After 44 minutes, Barry was penalised for a foul on Wayne Collins and from the
free-kick, Hayward's fierce low drive struck the Villa wall and the ball flew
into Oakes' left-hand corner as he dived away to his right.
Before doubling their lead, Fulham had hit the woodwork through former
Birmingham striker Peschisolido - whose wife Karren Brady is managing director
at St Andrews.
Oakes also made a handful of fine saves to keep Fulham at bay, while at the
other end Taylor was equal to anything Villa could throw at him.
He denied Joachim on a string of occasions and in the dying minutes, leapt
high to his left to tip namesake Ian Taylor's header over.
Despite all their effort, it was not to be for Villa and while they were booed
off by their fans, Fulham's players, supporters - and Keegan, of course - began
celebrating the win will make the rest of football start to believe the losing
1975 Cup finalists' are on their way back to the big time.
Teams:
Aston Villa: Oakes, Ehiogu, Southgate, Barry, Watson, Scimeca,
Taylor, Hendrie, Wright (Vassell 59), Joachim, Merson.
Subs Not Used: Grayson, Ferraresi, Hughes, Rachel.
Booked: Ehiogu, Watson, Hendrie.
Fulham: Taylor, Collins, Symons, Coleman, Brevett, Morgan,
Bracewell, Hayward, Finnan, Horsfield, Peschisolido (Smith 82).
Subs Not Used: Trollope, Salako, Hayles, Arendse.
Booked: Finnan, Smith.
Goals: Morgan 8, Hayward 43.
Att: 35,260
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
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