David Kelly came off the bench to keep Tranmere's double Wembley assault on
course and break the heart of former team-mate Paul Bracewell.
The Fulham boss and Kelly were colleagues at Sunderland and Newcastle but only
one was smiling after a passionate FA Cup fifth round tie at Craven Cottage.
Super-sub Kelly had only been on the field 10 minutes when he struck. He
replaced Scott Taylor on the hour and then tapped home the simplest of goals, 10
minutes later, to book a quarter final place for Rovers.
John Aldridge, already at Wembley in the Worthington Cup, can still dream of a
double return to the Twin Towers but the heat will be turned up on Bracewell,
whose team have faltered in the league.
Kelly's winner was a sucker punch after Tranmere soaked up plenty of pressure
in the second half.
Bracewell, looking to seal the win as his side dominated after the break,
threw on Barry Hayles as a third striker and reshuffled his team, but the gamble
back-fired.
Tranmere seized on disorganisation in the Fulham back-line to release Andy
Parkinson down the right and he teed-up Kelly.
It was the second time the visitors had gone ahead but this time they held
on.
Wayne Allison had headed Rovers into a ninth-minute lead after a Dave
Challinor long-throw but Chris Coleman quickly restored parity from a set-piece
at the other end.
These two first division clubs had already dumped six Premiership clubs out of
knock-out competitions this season and bared their teeth as they fought for a
place among the FA Cup's last eight.
West Ham, Middlesbrough, Coventry, Sunderland, Tottenham and Wimbledon had all
fallen but their was little to chose between Paul Bracewell's men and the
visitors on a windy day by the Thames.
Bracewell and Aldridge played on opposite sides of Merseyside's great football
divide at the peak of their careers and they both expected a tough battle at the
Cottage.
Tranmere, fresh from their midweek Worthington Cup semi-final triumph, started
full of confidence.
Challinor picked up the ball inside the first minute, hurled it deep into the
Fulham penalty area, and instantly put the home team on the back-foot.
Alan Mahon twice went close from the edge of the area as Rovers seized the
early initiative.
The momentum was rolling. Challinor aimed more missiles into the goalmouth and
it was no surprise when Aldridge's cup specialists went ahead.
A Challinor howitzer hurtled into the goalmouth from the Tranmere right and
the home defence froze as Allison leapt high to place a header into the bottom
corner.
The ninth-minute opener rocked the home crowd but stirred Fulham's expensive
outfit into action. The Cottagers stepped up a gear and equalised nine minutes
later.
Steve Finnan, who had been fouled by Gary Jones on the Fulham left, swung the
free-kick deep the back-post. Karlheinz Riedle headed it back across goal and
Coleman was unmarked to side-foot the ball into the net from close range.
The superb Finnan had a penalty appeal rejected in the closing seconds of the
first half when he was challenged by Scott Taylor but he continued to prove a
thorn in Tranmere's side after the break.
Bjarne Goldbaek split the defence to release Paul Peschisolido but John
Achterberg raced out to deny the Canadian.
Bracewell threw Barry Hayles into the action as a third attacker as the home
team gathered a head of steam. Riedle headed wide, dragged a shot off target and
then missed a golden chance as he headed Goldbaek's cross straight at
Achterberg.
Fulham pressed forward but were caught cold as Tranmere sprang the offside
trap. A quick free-kick sent Parkinson scampering down the right and, as
defenders looked for an offside flag, he squared the ball to sub Kelly to tap
in.
A frantic finale produced nerve-jangling moments at both ends but Rovers hung
on to continue their incredible cup adventure.
Teams
Fulham: Taylor, Melville, Coleman, Symons, Goldbaek,
Ball (Hayles 59), Clark, Collins (Davis 71), Finnan, Peschisolido, Riedle.
Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Morgan, Hayward.
Booked: Ball, Riedle.
Goals: Coleman 18.
Tranmere: Achterberg, Hazell, Challinor, Thompson, Henry,
Mahon, Parkinson, Babb, Jones (Morgan 68), Taylor (Kelly 59), Allison.
Subs Not Used: Nixon, Koumas, Black.
Booked: Babb, Jones, Thompson, Henry, Kelly.
Goals: Allison 9, Kelly 70.
Att: 13,859.
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
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