Clarke miss means Fulham get replay
Fulham and Wolves will have to do battle again after an embarrassing Leon Clarke miss cost the visitors victory in this FA Cup third-round clash.
A tense, end-to-end second half followed a miserable opening period at Craven Cottage, where the Black Country side's 29-year-old striker was guilty of a woefully missing an open goal.
All Clarke had to do was tap home after Bakary Sako's low strike was turned onto the post, yet the Wolves striker somehow turned wide in the first half of a match which would end in a 0-0 draw.
Progress to the fourth round will now be decided in a replay at Molineux, where manager Kenny Jackett will be without star turn Sako.
The winger is heading off to the African Nations Cup with Mali after another impressive display against the club he almost joined 18 months ago.
However, Sako and his team-mates were unable to find a way past Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, while Hugo Rodallega, Seko Fofana and Cauley Woodrow all failed to net for Fulham.
Both managers stuck to their pre-match pledges to name strong line-ups for a tie which lacked quality in a tepid first half.
Lasse Vigen Christensen, who would be taken off after 32 minutes, created an early chance for Fulham, running through before playing out wide to Rodallega, whose deflected cross-shot almost looped over Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.
That was the west Londoners' only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and Wolves were unable to capitalise.
It took 20 minutes for Jackett's men to muster their first effort on target and Bettinelli easily dealt with that Clarke header at the far post.
Sako saw a hopeful effort easily saved soon after, before the winger had an effort tipped onto the post in the 30th minute.
It was a fine strike and one which would have led to the opening goal had Clarke not inexplicably put the rebound wide from close range.
The miss was a huge let-off for the hosts, whose biggest threat, Rodallega, came close with an outstanding acrobatic effort - a trick he attempted again, less successfully, as half-time approached.
Wolves returned from the break strongly, with Lee Evans testing Bettinelli before Sako fired wide from the resulting corner.
Danny Batth and again Sako had attempts before Fulham eventually settled, with Woodrow - not for the first time - blazing over before Fofana came close from distance.
Play was now swinging from end to end, with Bettinelli impressively tipping over a James Henry header before Woodrow spun into space and struck just wide.
Bettinelli came to the rescue once more when Henry ran through on goal following a Shaun Hutchinson slip, although could only watch on helplessly when Sako curled just wide.
A Rodallega snap-shot his the side-netting at the other end and Ikeme made himself big to deny Fofana as the third-round encounter ended goalless.
Source: PA
