Fulham 2 Cheltenham 1Cheltenham came within two minutes of waxing the waning romance of the FA Cup here yesterday and then they fell to a second goal from Louis Saha, the striker Fulham rate at £11 million and Manchester United want for £5 million. Cheltenham cost £75,000 for the lot.
The wretched thing for the visitors, 83 places below Fulham in the leagues, was that, having drawn their opponents into the network of their defence and seemingly strangled them of intelligent thought, they were beaten by a soft but subtle header to a corner needlessly conceded.
John Ward, their manager, said: "We snatched a bit at the last 10 minutes." Chris Coleman said: "We were truly fortunate. It was a game best forgotten."
Until that late twist, Cheltenham's goalkeeper Shane Higgs had been troubled little, so well did his defence play. Cheltenham even took an early lead, though they held it for only eight minutes. Like Leicester, they score above their station but concede according to it.
Ward, who took charge only in November after Bobby Gould had lost six games out of seven, was "rightly pleased with our attitude and desire. I now have to make sure they believe there is something beginning to happen".
He was part of the England set-up when Graham Taylor was in charge and the ball, propelled by John Brough and Michael Duff, cannot have been kicked so high even when Wasps were playing at Loftus Road. But there was skilful approach too, often involving the tricky right winger Martin Devaney, while John Finnigan and Richard Forsyth broke dangerously in a carbon copy of Fulham's unerring 4-5-1 system.
There was surely a case for Fulham showing greater adventure, rather than leaving Saha to take on Brough and Duff single-handed. The support was occasional, far too methodical and short of the sharp control and bright running for penetration.
"If we play like that at Middlesbrough on Wednesday we'll get smashed," said Coleman, their manager.
For most of the afternoon a replay looked on the cards. In the fifth minute Sylvain Legwinski lost possession and Grant McCann, Cheltenham's main buy at £50,000 from West Ham a year ago, scored from 25 yards - some impudence from a side without an away win since August.
Legwinski made quick amends, lofting the ball down the centre, where Saha held off Brough and lobbed Higgs.
It was a fine bit of window-dressing, though Coleman said later: "If we sell Saha in January, whatever the price, I am cutting my own throat." Saha spoiled it shortly afterwards when Steed Malbranque picked out his run between markers only for the header to go high over the bar.
Not all was comfortable at the other end. When Junichi Inamoto lost the ball the unholy scramble between Edwin van der Sar and Damian Spencer resembled two mackerel flapping on a quay. It somehow betrayed Fulham's nerves.
This was Cheltenham's first encounter with Premiership opponents but, as Ward said: "We weren't shy of the ball. We even took the game to them."
In the end it all went wrong. Bob Taylor skewed a clearance from 20 yards, Bobby Petta, newly signed from Celtic, took the corner and Saha finessed a header inside a post. Taylor, too, nearly made amends in the remaining minute but van der Sar parried.
Ward said when he joined Cheltenham he was not expecting miracles but he had almost managed one.
FULHAM: Van der Sar; Djetou, Knight, Goma (Melville 45), Green, Legwinski, Malbranque, Davis, Petta, Inamoto (Hayles 58), Saha. Subs Not Used: Crossley, Sava, Pratley. Goals: Saha 13, 90.
CHELTENHAM: Higgs; Wilson, Michael Duff, Brough, Victory, Devaney, Finnigan, Forsyth, McCann, Spencer (Odejayi 84), Taylor. Subs Not Used: Book, Yates, Bird, Shane Duff. Booked: Devaney, Forsyth. Goal: McCann 5.
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
