AFTER 180 gripping minutes, it ended in defeat and a cup exit for Sunderland, but what belief Tony Mowbray’s young side will take from two fine, spirited showings against Premier League Fulham.

So impressive in the first game at Craven Cottage, the Black Cats recovered from a slow start to give Marco Silva’s side another almighty scare.

Even without a striker, Sunderland made a real game of it. While the hosts tried their best to cope without a recognised frontman, the sight of Fulham’s star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic coming off the bench at the break was the ultimate compliment.

Fulham were leading 1-0 at the time and Mitrovic, ultimately, helped Fulham advance, creating two more goals in the second half. But how Sunderland made them work for it, Jack Clarke and Jewison Bennette keeping the visitors honest until the very end.

And despite defeat, for Mowbray there were no shortages of positives, among them the sight of 15-year-old Chris Rigg coming off the bench in the second half to make his home debut. And evidence that they can cope without a recognised centre-forward if needs be, though hopefully it won’t come to that.

In the absence of the cup-tied Joe Gelhardt, Mowbray opted for something of a curveball, playing a front two of Amad Diallo and Abdoullah Ba, who came into the side in the only change from the weekend draw at Millwall.

After Sunderland’s superb showing at Craven Cottage, Silva was well aware of what Mowbray’s men were capable of. But the Fulham boss still resisted any urge to play his big hitters, making nine changes, with Mitrovic and Willian again among the substitutes. 

For all the spotlight was understandably on Sunderland’s silky forward play after the first game, equally as impressive was the way the Black Cats defended in the capital. But they’ll have been disappointed with the manner of Fulham’s opener. A cross from the right wasn’t dealt with and Vinicius teed up Harry Wilson to poke into the corner with the outside of his left boot.

Against a side so at ease in possession, Sunderland were suddenly facing the prospect of a long night. Cairney was bossing it in the middle and Wilson could have a hat-trick by the half hour mark.

Sunderland needed a spark and looked to Amad. The Manchester United loanee tested Rodak with a shot from distance that lifted the home crowd. Moments later, he broke away down the right and aimed a lofted cross in the direction of Clarke but Fulham managed to clear. Belatedly, Sunderland got a grip of the game, and though Fulham were deservedly ahead the break, the home side were very much still in it.

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Evidence of Sunderland’s improvement at the end of the first half came in the form of Fulham’s substitutes at the interval: Mitrovic introduced alongside Andreas Pereira.

But Sunderland responded. First, Dan Neil’s effort curled just past the far post before Roberts saw his close-range effort superbly clawed away by Rodak. Sunderland came even closer in their next attack. Roberts jinked through the Fulham defence and found Amad, who cut back onto his left and fired beyond Rodak only for the stretching Duffy to clear it off the line.

It was a game-changing moment, for within five minutes Fulham had their second goal. Mitrovic’s first shot inside the box was well saved by Patterson but the striker kept it alive and teed up Pereira to roll it in.

Mowbray, understandably, looked to Reading on Saturday, taking off Roberts, Neil, Amad and Michut. But his side hadn’t given up hope and Clarke halved the deficit, superbly finding the top corner with his right foot.

The hope appeared short lived as Mitrovic nodded the ball down inside the area and Kurzawa lashed a close-range volley into the roof of the net. But spirited Sunderland came again, substitute Bennette swivelling in the box and firing home. Spirited until the very end, but Sunderland came up just short.