Brian McBride, Barry Hayles and Luis Boa Morte booked Fulham a trip to
Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals with the goals which sunk West
Ham in the fifth round replay at Upton Park.
Fulham boss Chris Coleman was absent with a virus but two goals in the space
of four second-half minutes before Boa Morte's last-minute clincher will have
aided his recovery.
These two teams contested an FA Cup Final in 1975, with West Ham emerging
victorious over a Fulham side led by Hammers legend Bobby Moore, and this match
took place 11 years to the day after the England World Cup-winning captain died
at the age of 51.
But West Ham could not do justice to his memory, dominating most of the match
before caving in woefully in front of a disappointing 27,934 crowd, with Marlon
Harewood particularly wasteful in front of goal and Edwin van der Sar
outstanding.
Hayles was left out of the starting line-up, and Zat Knight also had to be
content with a place on the bench because of a foot injury, but Alain Goma was
passed fit despite a hamstring niggle. Cup-tied defender Ian Pearce missed the
chance to return to Upton Park.
West Ham brought in Brian Deane, Kevin Horlock, Wayne Quinn and Anton
Ferdinand because six players were ineligible, including Jon Harley, currently
on loan from the Cottagers.
Van der Sar was the hero when the sides met at Loftus Road and he had to be
alert early on with Horlock testing his handling from distance.
Harewood was the next to go close, hitting the foot of the upright after
leaving the Dutchman stranded out of position.
But the Fulham goalkeeper then pulled off a fantastic save to tip Harewood's
vicious shot over the crossbar in the 20th minute.
David Connolly put a free header wastefully high and wide from a Matthew
Etherington free-kick before Harewood was denied again yards from the goalline
when Fulham got enough bodies in the way at a Michael Carrick corner.
It took the visitors 27 minutes to put a meaningful shot on goal, Moritz Volz
forcing Stephen Bywater into a save, but it was difficult to tell which was the
Premiership side as Fulham struggled to get their game in gear.
Boa Morte was then guilty of a glaring miss when he put a free header wide
from Bobby Petta's cross with a glancing touch in the 42nd minute.
Suddenly the match was flowing from end to end with Bywater sprinting out to
clear at the feet of Boa Morte before a stretching Harewood missed the target
with a toe poke as the half drew to a close.
West Ham had lost only once since Boxing Day, and Fulham were struggling to
make any headway.
But Malbranque was allowed time and space to line up a shot from 18 yards only
to drag it wide of the far post.
And substitute Knight should have done better with a wayward header when
Carlos Bocanegra nodded a Sean Davis corner back to him.
Harewood then miscued badly when set up by Connolly at the other end, but
Bywater saved well from a Davis diving header and suddenly the Hammers were
being penned back.
Davis shot marginally wide before Bywater was forced to save from McBride when
Ferdinand had dallied too long. But the warning signs were there, and Fulham
were soon ahead.
Bocanegra's deft chip sailed over the head of Hayden Mullins and McBride
controlled with his chest before firing over Bywater into the top corner.
Van der Sar denied Harewood yet again with his legs shortly afterwards, but
substitute Hayles made it two with a close-range tap-in 11 minutes from the
end.
Boa Morte made sure in the last minute despite Ferdinand's attempt to clear
off the line.