Fulham Stage Late Comeback at Stoke to Reach FA Cup Fifth Round

Marco Silva’s Fulham overcame a cold and rain-soaked afternoon at the Bet365 Stadium to book their place in the FA Cup round of sixteen, overturning a one-goal deficit in dramatic fashion.

The decisive moment arrived in the 84th minute when Fulham captain Harrison Reed capitalised on a mistimed pass from Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin. The young England international’s misplaced distribution was punished ruthlessly, as Reed calmly slotted into the bottom corner to complete a hard-earned comeback and send the Cottagers into the next round.

Fulham now await Monday’s FA Cup draw to discover their fifth-round opponents.

Despite dominating possession for large spells, Fulham fell behind in the 19th minute.

Stoke City left-back Eric Junior Bocat was instrumental in the opening stages, combining cleverly with Tomas Rigo before surging down the left flank. His cutback found South Korean international Bae Jun-Ho, who took a composed touch before firing beyond Benjamin Lecomte to hand the Potters a crucial lead their first goal in three matches.

Fulham responded quickly. Tommy Simkin produced a superb save to deny Kevin’s curling effort destined for the top corner, and Alex Iwobi, making his 100th appearance for Fulham, headed narrowly wide after an intelligent overlapping move involving Antonee Robinson.

Kevin remained central to Fulham’s attacking threat and was denied again just before half-time after a defensive mistake from Maksym Talovierov allowed him through on goal, only for Simkin to produce another impressive stop.

At the break, Fulham’s frustration was clear. Dominant in possession, yet trailing.

The second half began with Stoke threatening to double their advantage.

Lamine Cissé curled an effort towards Lecomte’s far post, forcing the Fulham goalkeeper into a vital fingertip save that struck the outside of the post. It proved to be a turning point.

Moments later, Fulham levelled.

Kevin’s attempted pass towards Rodrigo Muniz deflected kindly back into his path after a touch from Ben Wilmot. The Brazilian reacted quickly, slotting home to restore parity just ten minutes after the restart.

The equaliser shifted the energy of the contest.

Fulham began to dominate proceedings, creating waves of pressure. Josh King fired over the bar, while Oscar Bobb’s quick footwork created another opportunity that forced Simkin into action once more.

Stoke continued to threaten on the counter, and Simkin was arguably the home side’s standout performer. However, his excellent afternoon ended in heartbreak.

An attempted pass towards Bae Jun-Ho was underhit, allowing Harrison Reed to intercept. The Fulham skipper kept his composure and fired into the corner, completing the turnaround and silencing the home crowd.

It was a decisive moment in a fiercely contested tie.

For Fulham, progression into the FA Cup fifth round offers momentum and belief as Marco Silva continues to balance league and cup ambitions.

For Stoke City, despite defeat, the performance particularly that of Tommy Simkin showcased resilience and competitiveness against top-flight opposition.

Fulham now look ahead to the FA Cup fifth-round draw, which takes place at Macclesfield’s Moss Rose Stadium on Monday, with fixtures scheduled for the weekend of 7th and 8th March.