PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Manchester United were expected to win this one comfortably but in the end an Andy Cole goal 26 minutes in settled the game. Kevin Keegan, who a number of years ago, sold Andy Cole to Manchester United when he was then manager of Newcastle United will have a lot to think about for his attack if he accepts the English Fa's proposal of the manager seat to him. Cole hasn't played for England for a while!"

MATCH REPORT

By Frank Malley, PA Sport

It just had to be Andy Cole, didn't it.

The man who Kevin Keegan sold to Manchester United popped up to shatter his former manager's FA Cup dreams this afternoon. Keegan famously stood on the steps of St James' Park in January 1995 to declare that the £7million sale of Cole to Old Trafford was good business.

United manager Alex Ferguson would have no problems in agreeing with that sentiment after seeing his prolific striker score his 18th goal of the season to take a sluggish United through to the quarter-finals. Just to make Cole's goal more poignant the 27-year-old striker once played 15 games for Fulham in a loan spell while at Arsenal.

Keegan had made a point of telling Cole how much he admired him when they both played recently in Peter Beardsley's testimonial. "I'm a Cole fan, always have been, always will be," he said. But it is fair to say Cole's 25th-minute goal would have spoiled Keegan's 48th birthday celebrations.

And it will also no doubt have concentrated Keegan's thoughts on the job of England manager - a role the Football Association could well offer him on Monday.

"Keegan for England," chanted the United fans, as much to taunt the Fulham faithful as a considered verdict on who should lead the national team. Yet in analysing this disappointing match, first we should applaud the courageous Londoners - already the conquerors of Southampton and Aston Villa in this competition.

The black and white Fulham army, some 9,000 strong, had snaked their way up the M1 and M6, determined to pledge their support to Keegan. They brought their balloons, their banners proclaiming "Don't Go Kev" and a passion which mirrored the undisputed enthusiasm of their chief operating officer.

It was the club's biggest match for a quarter of a century - since their FA Cup Final appearance against West Ham in 1975. And while almost 50 places separated them in the Football League, this was never in danger of becoming a Valentine's Day massacre on the scale of the eight-goal thrashing United had handed out to Nottingham Forest a week ago.

Fulham, under Keegan and with the backing of owner Mohamed Al Fayed's millions, are not your average Second Division side. They are solid and resilient in defence, with a tireless midfield presence in Wayne Collins and a dangerous strikeforce in Barry Hayles and Steve Hayward.

They will no doubt cruise to promotion in the Second Division - but there would still be a gulf as wide as the Manchester Ship Canal between them and United. Yet for 25 minutes they were the better side, dominating possession with their sprightly and inventive play.

John Salako, their former Crystal Palace and England winger, could have put them ahead with a curling right-foot shot and then a glancing header. But typical of United in 1999, a year in which they boast a 100% record having swept aside all opposition, they scored with their first shot on target in the 25th minute.

Nicky Butt stepped forward into space on the right and immediately floated over a teasing, curling cross to the far post. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, playing as a third striker alongside Dwight Yorke and Cole after his four goals against Forest, this time turned provider.

He knocked the ball back to Cole and the England man, in prolific scoring form, opened up his body superbly to caress the ball with the side of his foot past Fulham goalkeeper Maik Taylor.

It might have been the signal for United to take total charge - and they would have if a Solskjaer shot and a Jaap Stam header had found the target. As it was United, with teeming rain swirling around the Theatre of Dreams, proceeded to make heavy weather of it.

Ferguson will certainly have breathed a sigh of relief in the 67th minute when a double save from goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel - parrying Hayward's powerful shot and then smothering Salako's weaker follow-up - spared his side a troublesome replay.

Cole could have added to his tally with a point-blank header which went straight into Taylor's arms and Yorke's rasping drive produced a fabulous fingertip save from Taylor. But it is no exaggeration to say Fulham produced the most incisive moments of the second half without ever really looking like pulling off a cup shock.

Even in injury time Schmeichel had to play basketball with the ball as Barry Hayles threatened an equaliser.

For United the victory keeps this season's campaign going on three fronts - and such is their rich vein of form in recent weeks that a treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup must be considered a possibility. For Fulham it means they can return to the priority of securing promotion to the First Division, though first there is that even more important battle to keep Keegan.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson is relishing United's FA Cup quarter-final clash with Chelsea. Andy Cole's 25th-minute winner against Fulham set up the mouthwatering tie at Old Trafford in three weeks' time.

And Ferguson said: "The draw is fine and we're at home.

"We've got a good record against Chelsea and when you get to this stage you can't avoid a good side. Not everyone can draw Barnsley at home."

Kevin Keegan is ready to answer the Football Association's call to become England's new manager. The Fulham boss claims he will speak to the FA, with the permission of club owner Mohamed Al Fayed, if they approach him.

Keegan claimed he has not heard from anyone at Lancaster Gate, but his position represents a shift from his previous stance when he insisted he did not want the job of managing his country. He also claimed he loved Fulham and that he would not walk out on them.

Following Fulham's 1-0 FA Cup fifth round defeat at Manchester United he said: "If I'm approached and Mr Fayed gives his permission I will speak to them. At this moment in time I've not had a phone call, but judging by what had happened, mainly in the media, I should be getting one.

"It's a very big compliment, but it's just the timing of it, particularly with Fulham this week. Today gave me a real boost so on one side you've got that emotion.

"On the other side you have that pull every Englishman should have if he's going to be a manager and your country comes along. Maybe you should jump at it and forget everything.

"I can see a picture building up over the last three days and it's a strange situation. Obviously somebody somewhere has decided not only maybe to approach me and offer me something, but they have also taken it on themselves to tell a lot of people about it except me.

"I find that all a little bit puzzling. I'm not going to walk out on Fulham, Mr Fayed, the supporters or the players.

"But if the FA comes in and wants to talk, then I will talk to them and I never said I wouldn't. I don't lie to people and everyone knows that. I'm an open book and I'm proud of that."

Keegan was sad that once again the speculation over the England job had overshadowed a fine Fulham performance at Old Trafford.

"We've just had Fulham's biggest match in three years and we're talking about England," he said. "I'm proud of what Fulham has done and we've come a long way in a short space of time."

TEAMS

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Berg, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, P Neville, Butt, Yorke, Cole, Solskjaer.
Subs: Greening for Irwin, Blomqvist for Solskjaer, Johnsen for Cole
Scorers: Cole (26)

Fulham: Taylor, Finnan, Symons, Coleman, Brevett, Hayward, Collins, Smith, Salako, Hayles, Lehmann.
Subs: Betsy for Lehmann, Trollope for Salako, Uhlenbeek for Collins

Referee: J Winter