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Fulham dumped from FA Cup by 4th-tier Oldham

Chloe Knott - Danehouse / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Already fighting for their lives in the Premier League, struggling Fulham were the victims of a late FA Cup shock on Sunday, falling 2-1 to League Two outfit Oldham Athletic.

Leading the third-round tie at Craven Cottage heading into the final 15 minutes, a Sam Surridge penalty and Callum Lang 88th-minute strike condemned the Cottagers to defeat to the fourth-tier Latics, who do not even have a permanent manager, having sacked Frankie Bunn less than two weeks ago.

After a goalless first half, Denis Odoi gave the hosts the lead with a neat control and finish, but any hope of a smooth passage was quickly dashed as things went awry for Claudio Ranieri's side.

First, the visitors were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes as substitute Ryan Sessegnon was penalized on a corner kick, and Surridge slotted home to level things up.

Fulham were awarded a spot-kick of their own - and a golden chance for a reprieve - just six minutes later after Tom Cairney was felled. With Cairney unable to continue, Aleksandar Mitrovic entered from the bench to take charge but saw his effort saved by stopper Daniel Iversen.

These were ominous signs for the west London faithful, and three minutes later their misery was compounded as Lang was allowed to win an aerial ball at the back post and beat Marcus Bettinelli too easily with a downward header.

For Oldham's caretaker boss Pete Wild, it was his third win from three games, a famous day, and a tremendous job interview for the full-time gig. For Fulham and Ranieri, it represents a bitter pill to swallow and another heavy blow to a fragile team's confidence after the 4-1 thrashing at Arsenal's hands on New Year's Day.

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