Fulham into quarter-finals after killing off County

Fulham romped into the FA Cup quarter-finals with an emphatic 4-0 win over League Two team Notts County on Sunday.

Roy Hodgson’s side raced into a two-goal lead before half-time at Craven Cottage thanks to strikes from Simon Davies and Bobby Zamora.

Damien Duff and Stefano Okaka added further goals in the closing stages of the fifth round tie to keep Fulham on course for a first FA Cup final appearance since 1975 when they lost to West Ham.

With a Europa League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk looming on Thursday, Hodgson could have opted to rest his key players, but the Cottagers boss fielded a strong line-up.

For Notts County, the lowest ranked team left in the competition, the chance to take on Premier League opposition was a welcome distraction from another tumultuous week which ended with the cash-strapped club being sold for one pound to Ray Trew and Sven-Goran Eriksson resigning as director of football.

However, it quickly became clear that Fulham weren’t going to allow their unheralded visitors time to get comfortable.

Zamora fired wide after latching onto Chris Baird’s pass, then County keeper Kasper Schmeichel, son of former Manchester United star Peter Schmeichel, made a fine stop to keep out David Elm’s effort.

County threatened briefly when Ben Davies forced Mark Schwarzer to tip over the crossbar and, from the resulting corner, Lee Hughes should have done better than shoot straight at the Australian goalkeeper.

Any thoughts that County would spring a surprise were dashed in the 22nd minute when Danny Murphy chipped a pass to Davies on the edge of the area.

Wales midfielder Davies had his back to goal but turned quickly and drove his shot past Schmeichel’s far corner for his first goal of the season.

Craig Westcarr tested Schwarzer moments later when he met Hughes’s flick with a goalbound shot.

But former West Ham forward Zamora finished off a move that emphasised Fulham’s extra quality as he collected Elm’s backheel and lashed past Schmeichel in the 41st minute.

County threw caution to the wind after half-time in a bid to get back in the match and Davies flashed two efforts wide in quick succession.

With the visitors leaving more spaces at the back, Hodgson’s side picked them off in the closing stages.

Republic of Ireland winger Duff turned in Zamora’s cross in the 74th minute before Okaka, on loan from Roma, drove a powerful shot past Schmeichel three minutes after coming off the bench.