SUNDERLAND crashed out of the FA Cup as they lost 3-2 to Fulham in their fourth-round replay.
What were the key talking points as the Black Cats were beaten at the Stadium of Light?
BA JOINS AMAD IN ATTACK
With Joe Gelhardt unavailable after playing for Leeds United in the FA Cup third round, it was as if Sunderland had wound back the clock to the period in the autumn when they were trying to make do without Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms.
Back then, Tony Mobwray tried a number of different options to fill the vacant centre-forward berth, with Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts, Alex Pritchard and Amad Diallo all having a go as the central striker to varying degrees of success.
Fast forward a couple of months, and Mowbray decided to try yet another approach, with the recalled Abdoullah Ba starting the game alongside Amad in what was effectively an old-fashioned 4-4-2 formation with Jack Clark and Patrick Roberts on the flanks.
Neither Ba nor Amad would ideally want to lead the line, but they made a decent fist of trying to ask questions of the Fulham defence, combining neatly towards the end of the first half to fashion a chance that saw Amad fire in a low shot that was parried by Marek Rodak.
Amad went close again in the second period, firing in a shot that was cleared off the line by Shane Duffy, and while the Black Cats could probably have done with more of a central focal point in attack, they made a decent job of trying to plug the glaring gap in their squad.
RIGG GETS ANOTHER RUN-OUT
Chris Rigg’s sudden appearance on the first-team stage has been one of the stories of Sunderland’s season, with the 15-year-old having become the Black Cats’ youngest-ever outfield player when he made his debut against Shrewsbury in the third round.
He was a second-half substitute in the original fourth-round tie at Craven Cottage, and made his first appearance at the Stadium of Light when he left the bench for the final 11 minutes of this evening’s game.
Rigg was introduced moments after Jack Clarke curled home an excellent finish to halve Fulham’s advantage and keep Sunderland in the game, but was unable to change the course of the game, with Layvin Kurzawa volleying home a decisive third for the visitors with eight minutes remaining.
There will be plenty of other days for Rigg though, with Sunderland understandably determined to do everything they can to keep the teenager on Wearside amid growing interest from a host of Premier League clubs, including North-East neighbours Newcastle United.
SILVA SHUFFLES HIS PACK AGAIN
The FA Cup should be a key priority for Fulham this season. Eighth in the table, and at no risk of relegation in their first season back in the top-flight, the Cottagers can seriously target the cup as a realistic chance of securing some silverware.
So, with that in mind, it was somewhat surprising that Marco Silva opted to make nine changes to his starting line-up, with Kenny Tete and Joao Palhinha the only survivors from Friday’s goalless draw with Chelsea.
Silva, who watched the game from the West Stand at the Stadium of Light as he served a touchline ban, also made a host of changes for the original game at Craven Cottage. Confidence in his squad? Or taking Sunderland far too lightly?
It certainly seemed like the former in the opening stages as Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson, two of the players promoted into Fulham’s starting side, combined to carve the Black Cats defence apart on numerous occasions. Wilson opened the scoring with a low finish that Anthony Patterson might feel he should have kept out, while Cairney dictated play from the heart of midfield, slipping passes through the Sunderland backline.
Sunderland gained a foothold towards the end of the first half though, resulting in Silva turning to Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andreas Pereira for the second period. His changes worked a treat, with Mitrovic setting up Pereira for the goal that doubled Fulham’s lead shortly before the hour mark.
THE LEEDS DREAM DIES
A fifth-round tie against Leeds United would have been a big occasion whenever it took place. A couple of months before the 50th anniversary of the 1973 FA Cup final, and it would have had even greater emotional resonance.
As it is, after last night’s result, it will be Fulham hosting Leeds at the end of this month rather than the Black Cats.
Sunderland can focus their undivided attention on the battle to try to claim a Championship play-off place, but the anniversary of the club’s most famous Wembley win will not be forgotten.
The Sunderland Empire is staging ‘The Sunderland Story’, a special play that will celebrate the club’s history and focus heavily on the 1973 success, while club historian Rob Mason is producing a hardback book, ‘73 @ Fifty’, which will feature interviews with all the surviving members of the team that won at Wembley.
On May 5, a sold-out gala dinner will be staged at the Stadium of Light, while Cup winner Micky Horswill is organising five 1973 roadshow events where members of the team will reminisce, with dates at Washington, Bishop Auckland, South Shields, Stanley and Sunderland.
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