- Muniz opened the scoring with a diving header before Jonny Smith’s stunner
- Brazilian striker got on end of a clever pass from Andreas Pereira for his second
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Given Fulham’s track record of tripping themselves up when they reach the FA Cup fourth round, they would have been forgiven for thinking this trip to Wigan was ready to unravel when Jonny Smith picked out the top corner five minutes into the second half.
It was Wigan’s first shot on target, only their second attempt all game to that point, and yet it flew straight off the boot of Smith and past Steven Benda in the Fulham goal. Wigan had lift off and Fulham nerves were jangling.
‘We don’t hide ourselves, we know it’s one of the toughest competitions in the world,’ Fulham boss Marco Silva said.
The Cottagers had only made it past the fourth round in the tournament on one occasion over the last seven campaigns prior to kick-off. There are defeats to Southampton, Oldham Athletic, Man City, Burnley, Man City again and Newcastle United in that barren run.
Silva knows his history and yet still took the risk to make 10 changes to the side that beat Newcastle United last time out. Timothy Castagne was the only survivor.
They started so strong, quickly turning this into a training game where they managed to get as high as having 91 per cent of the ball.
Rodrigo Muniz scored a brace as Fulham advanced in the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Wigan
Ryan Sessegnon’s left wing cross was pinpoint to meet the diving head of Muniz 23 minutes in
Jonny Smith curled in a stunning equaliser for Wigan shortly after the break
With no out ball ever seemingly available, Wigan wilted early and Fulham broke the deadlock when Ryan Sessegnon’s left wing cross was pinpoint to meet the diving head of Rodrigo Muniz 23 minutes in.
‘We had two or three chances to kill the game and we didn’t and of course when the game is 1-0, anything can happen and they have belief,’ Silva said.
That lack of killer instinct allowed Wigan to retreat to the dressing room at half-time with a puncher’s chance.
And when Smith curled in that stunning equaliser for his third FA Cup goal of the season, the magic of this competition threatened to turn this extremely one-sided contest into a real battle.
But Fulham’s ‘Samba Boys’ of Pereira and Muniz put paid to any tension or drama when the former’s clever ball over the top allowed Muniz to slot past the onrushing Sam Tickle for his brace.
‘The whole feel of the club was completely different, today felt like the club I knew a long time ago’, Wigan boss Shaun Maloney said in light of this spirited defeat.
‘I want that feeling and this is something I maybe haven’t got right with the fans of where we are at the moment, trying to rebuild.’
Muniz got on end of a clever pass from Andreas Pereira for his second of the day
