Sorry Fulham pass up on perfect opportunity to make last eight as Saints grab late win

Reed all about it : Picture by @YTJourno

FA Cup 5th Round

Fulham (0) 0

Southampton (0) 1 Stewart pen 90+1

Fulham's golden opportunity to reach another FA Cup quarter-final floundered at the Cottage as they turned in another feeble performance that got the late kick in the teeth it had invited.

It was not a full-blooded challenge by Joachim Andersen on Finn Azaz but there was enough in it for a penalty to be awarded, just as we began six minutes of injury time and sub Ross Stewart dispatched the spot-kick with a firm strike that Bern Leno's right hand could not quite keep out.

The full-time whistle was greeted with boos from disgruntled home fans who will feel their team simply did not look like a side a division higher and will wonder at boss Marco Silva's strange decision not to go all out to win it by fielding a stronger side.

Fair enough, they were deprived of an injured Harry Wilson, but could have done with Calvin Bassey and Kenny Tete at the back to get them up the field quicker. Raul Jimenez was brought on far too late. Alex Iwobi did not start. Sander Berge was kept on the bench.

Rotation is understandable but the carrot of a Wembley semi-final and a shot at the sort of glory that came Crystal Palace's way last season never seemed to inspire a dull effort overall. Saints were hard working and kept it tight but they also sent warnings with some lightning raids.

The Whites will feel they were controversially denied a bizarre opener when Saints keeper Daniel Peretz blasted a quick goal-kick into his own player on the edge of the penalty area and Rodrigo Muniz swept the ball into an empty net.

Fulham were convinced it should be a goal but ref Jarred Gillet decided a retake was necessary because the ball was moving.

Leo Scienza had the first big chance for the Saints when Fulham's high line was caught out by a ball smacked down the centre. The striker controlled the ball and outstripped a begloved Ryan Sessegnon in a dash from the centre spot but his final effort - with only Ben Lecomte to beat - rolled wide of the far post.

The slow-starting Whites needed more urgency and after the break, Muniz headed a Timothy Castagne cross just over. Castagne then forced in a rebound after the Saints keeper had parried a header from Andersen - but the latter was flagged offside.

The Championship side were good at breaking away at pace, though, and when Cyle Larin fed Tom Fellows in the inside-left channel, Leno had to block with his legs and Ryan Manning's pass gave Azaz room to shoot, but Jorge Cuenca's sliding block forced the shot onto the top of the crossbar.

Iwobi came on for Tom Cairney and was soon creating chances with that busy stride and quick passing. A give and go enabled him to carve out space for Muniz, whose effort cleared the bar. Another Castagne effort - a left-foot dasiy cutter - did not miss the far post by much.

There was still not enough devil in their play, though they could have pinched a late winner when Sessegnon, fed by Emile Smith Rowe, crashed a rising shot into the face of Peretz. It proved to be the last real chance before the Saints plundered their late winner to keep the EFL interest alive in this year's competition.

But Fulham will not be joining Arsenal and Chelsea among the London names in the hat for the quarter-final draw.

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Lecomte -Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Sessegnon - Reed (Jimenez 92), Cairney (Iwobi 65) - Bobb, Smith Rowe (King 89), Chukwueze - Muniz

Saints: (4-2-3-1) Peretz - Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning - Downes, Jander (Bragg 71) - Fellows (Matsuki 82), Azaz, Leo Scienza (Edozie 82) - Larin (Stewart 71)

Attendance: 21,974