Fulham 3 Sheffield Utd 0: Baxter and Wallace see red as nine-man Blades lose out
The visitors made 10 changes from the side that beat Blackpool over the weekend, with captain James Wallace the sole survivor.
Martyn Woolford forced goalkeeper Andrew Lonergan into a low save to his left. while Fulham’s Ryan Tunnicliffe hit the crossbar.
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Hide AdThe Blades were undone when McCormack was tugged back by Craig Alcock – the captain netting with the resultant spot kick.
McCormack extinguished any hopes of United progressing in the competition, when with 15 minutes remaining, he was able to drive from just inside the right-hand side of the penalty box low past the outstretched arms of Long.
United were reduced to nine men late on, with Jose Baxter dismissed with two minutes remaining for a lunge on Tom Cairney, and Kieran Wallace after a professional foul on Dembele.
Frenchman Dembele was rewarded with a goal right on the final whistle with a fierce low shot from 20 yards out.
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Hide AdFulham: Lonergan, Richards, Ream (Bodurov 80), Burn, Voser, Kacaniklic (Cairney 64), Tunnicliffe, Christensen, Pringle, McCormack, Dembele. Unused substitutes: Lewis, Woodrow, Hyndman, Kavanagh, Cole.
Sheff Utd: Long, Alcock (Adams 84), McGahey, Kieran Wallace, McFadzean, De Girolamo (Baxter 66), Reed, James Wallace (Dimaio 67), Woolford, McNulty, Higdon. Unused substitutes: Howard, Freeman, Sammon, Edgar.