Wednesday 14 January 2015 08:06, UK
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Kenny Jackett refused to blame tiredness for his side’s 5-3 FA Cup third-round penalty shootout defeat to Fulham.
The busy fixture list meant Wolves had to play on Sunday against Blackburn and then face an ultra-quick turnaround on Tuesday night for the visit of the Londoners.
Wolves did lead twice in the game that finished in an epic 3-3 draw, with the hosts scoring through a brace from David Edwards and Rajiv van La Parra, but a last-minute spot kick in extra time by Ross McCormack took the game to penalties.
Fulham kept their cool from the spot, scoring all five of their efforts while Wolves’ Matt Doherty was the only man to miss.
“You can’t use tiredness as an excuse,” Jackett told the club’s website.
“That’s just the way the fixtures have gone. You can’t both play on the same day and it’s been pushed back and that’s the way it is, so we get on with it. We don’t make any excuses because if you tell yourself you are tired you will be.
“We’re in professional football. We’re in a privileged position and lucky to be where we are and should enjoy what we’re doing. There’s not too many moans or groans or excuses as I think on a personal level that would be fickle.”
Fulham boss Kit Symons was a drained man after watching his side squander an early lead and then comeback twice first through Cauley Woodrow and then through McCormack’s 120th minute penalty.
“I was speaking to a couple my staff afterwards and they said, ‘it’s a great way to win a cup tie’ – I suppose it was,” he said
“You get through and it’s excellent but we went through the mill a bit there. It was a pulsating cup tie that had a little bit of everything.”
Fulham now face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup on Saturday January 24.
