Malbranque on mark again to rescue faltering Fulham

Fulham 1 Burnley 1

It took something, or rather someone, special yesterday for Fulham to avoid swelling the already large number of Premiership clubs who have been put out of this season's FA Cup by supposedly inferior opposition.

Luckily for the home side they have, in Steed Malbranque, a man who is scoring for fun, and his seventh goal in five games just before half-time annulled First Division Burnley's early strike and kept Jean Tigana's men in today's sixth-round draw.

Whether Fulham can progress further must be in doubt if they cannot perform any better than they did yesterday. Burnley's prospects could be hugely assisted by the fact that the replay, scheduled for Wednesday week, falls two days after Fulham's Premiership match at Spurs. Tigana was unsure whether his side would have any leeway over their fixture list. "I want to try to change something but I don't know if it is possible,'' he said.

Burnley's manager, Stan Ternent, acknowledged the size of the task facing his side. "It's going to be difficult for us in the replay because Fulham are a quality side. We under no illusions.''

One of Ternent's preoccupations is the likelihood that Sky will take the game, thus giving his club some assistance with their current deficit, which stands at more than £4m.

Burnley have a rich history in the FA Cup, having won the trophy in 1914 and reached the final in 1962, but it was their exploits in more recent Cup competition – they beat Spurs in this season's Worthington Cup before losing 2-0 to Manchester United – that suggested they could rise to the big occasion.

That potential became evident at an uncomfortably early juncture for the home side. A pass back by midfielder Sean Davis, called up but not used by England in midweek, left Steve Finnan and Andy Melville dithering over whose responsibility it was until Burnley's winger Alan Moore took charge to beat the keeper Maik Taylor and send the 3,000 travelling fans behind the goal into claret-and-blue rapture.

As half-time approached, it seemed Burnley would carry their advantage into the changing room. But their resistance was breached in the 45th minute when a hooked clearance from defender Ian Cox fell to the unmarked Malbranque on the edge of the box. As the little Frenchman has shown in recent weeks, Malbranque plus time equal danger and his right-foot shot arrowed past the outstretched arm of Burnley's keeper, Marlon Beresford.

Fulham improved in the second half, but with Burnley's recent signing from the Belgian side Mechelen, Drizza Diallo, outstanding at the back they were unable to turn their possession to tangible advantage.

Tigana was understandably grateful to Malbranque, who with full-back Jon Harley has provided all of the home side's goals in their last five games. "I hope he keeps scoring,'' said the Fulham manager. "I know we had a problem today – our forward players have lost their confidence.''

But Tigana denied that his players were suffering in any way from the uncertainty over the club's future now that a return to their old home at Craven Cottage looks virtually impossible.

There has been much speculation that Tigana will be severing his connection with the club at the end of this season, but he refused either to confirm or deny the rumour yesterday, saying he had met the club chairman Mohamed Al Fayed the previous day and had what he described as "a good conversation''.

But when asked if he would like to stay at the club, Tigana responded: "The problem is not me. We need to know what is the target. The target is not only the money.

"But if it's not possible to challenge the big teams like Arsenal and Manchester United, then maybe you have to fight," he added.

However, if that is to be the key to Fulham's survival they will need to show considerably more spirit than was evident on this occasion.

Goals: A Moore (4) 0-1; Malbranque (45) 1-1.

Fulham (4-4-2): Taylor; Finnan, Melville, Goma, Harley; Goldbaek (Marlet, h-t), Djétou, Davis, Malbranque; Saha, Sava (Inamoto, 71). Substitutes not used: Herrera (gk), Ouaddou, Womé.

Burnley (4-4-2): Beresford; West, Cox, Diallo, Branch; I Moore, Grant, Cook (McGregor, 81), Briscoe; Taylor, A Moore (Weller, 77). Substitutes not used: Michopoulos (gk), Blake, Papadopoulos.

Referee: G Poll (Tring).

Booking: Burnley: West.

Man of the match: Diallo.

Attendance: 13,062.