Ross Stewart was stretchered off, casting a shadow over a pulsating FA Cup tie which saw Sunderland earn a replay against Premier League Fulham on Wearside. Top scorer Stewart suffered what looked like a painful injury midway through the first half after an innocuous tussle with Issa Diop, and depending on the seriousness of his problem it could have major repercussions on the Black Cats' play-off hopes.
Stewart's injury took the shine off an incredible game at Craven Cottage with chances galore for both sides. Jack Clarke had put Sunderland in front after only five minutes and the visitors had opportunities to kill the game before half-time, but could not do so.
And they paid the price when Tom Cairney levelled on the hour. Either side could have won it with both Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson and his opposite number Marek Rodak making crucial saves.
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It means both Sunderland and Fulham will be in Monday's fifth round draw, and the club's must meet again at the Stadium of Light next month to decide who progresses. Tony Mowbray made just one change to the side that started last weekend's Championship win against Middlesbrough, and that was forced upon him by the cruciate ligament injury which looks set to end Corry Evans' season.
Edouard Michut came into the side to take Evans' place. Fulham boss Marco Silva made seven changes to the side that lost at home to Spurs on Monday.
Only Kenny Tete, Andreas Pereira, Joao Palhinha, and Diop were retained from that line-up. In came Rodak, Layvin Kurzawa, Tosin, Harry Wilson, Cairney, Manor Solomon, and Carlos Vinicius, with Bernd Leno, Harrison Reed, Tim Ream, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Willian, Anthonee Robinson, and ex-Newcastle man Aleksandar Mitrovic making way. Fulham created an early chance inside the first couple of minutes when referee Michael Salisbury allowed play to continue despite what looked like a clear foul on Amad, but when the ball came to Wilson on the edge of the box his low shot was comfortable saved by Anthony Patterson.
Sunderland went in front in the sixth minute with their first real attack. Fulham defender Diop dithered on the ball and Clarke nipped in to pick his pocket, getting into the penalty area and steering his finish beyond Rodak and into the bottom right-hand corner.
Fulham should have levelled before the quarter-hour mark,m but Tosin saw a downward header bounce over the bar. Then came the injury to Stewart, with the Scot immediately going down as he chased a loose ball along with defender Diop, and after treatment he departed on a stretcher to be replaced by Abdoullah Ba.
Amad brought a routine save out of Rodak, and at the other end Pereira's appeals for a penalty, when he went down under a challenge from Ba, were waved away. Wilson and Kurzawa had chances for the hosts, but they could not make them count.
Then Sunderland went close as Roberts set up Amad inside the box, but his effort went wide of the near post when he should have done better. A couple of minutes before the break, Pereira met a cross from Solomon on the volley and only a brilliant block from Dan Ballard on the line kept his effort out, with the ball then ricocheting onto Patterson's foot to take it away from goal.
In injury time at the end of the first period, Sunderland could have added a second when Michut put Amad through on goal but his shot deflected off a defender and went behind for a corner. Sunderland had another great chance to double their lead five minutes into the second period when Roberts glided across the edge of the box from right to left and teed up Ba at the far post, but he sent his shot wide when he should have scored.
The game then became something akin to a basketball match, with chances coming thick and fast at both ends. Patterson leapt to his right to push away a shot from Wilson, and then Amad forced Rodak into a save with his legs at his near post.
Fulham launched a rapid counter-attack from a Sunderland corner with Periera feeding Wilson, but he could not beat Patterson with his finish. Amad then brought another save out of Rodak, with the keeper recovering well to get to the loose ball before Clarke could follow up.
And after charging forward down the right, Roberts sent a shot just wide of the post. Instead, Fulham levelled on 61 minutes. Kurzawa's low ball into the box from the left came to Cairney, and he twisted and turned to get away from first Michut and then Ballard, before firing his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
Patterson made a fine save from sub Willian's free-kick, and he also made stops from Soloman and sub Mitrovic. In injury time, substitute Chris Rigg put the ball in the net but the 15-year-old's effort was disallowed for an offside against Ba in the build-up.
How they lined up
Fulham: Rodak, Tete, Diop, Kurzawa, Tosin, Palhinha (De Cordova-Reid 78), Cairney (Reed 78), Wilson (Willian 68), Pereira, Solomon, Vinicius (Mitrovic 64). Subs not used: Leno, Duffy, Ream, James, Harris
Booked: Wilson, Kurzawa
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Alese (Huggins 46), Neil, Michut (Ekwah 77), Roberts (Rigg 86), Amad, Clarke (Bennette 77), Stewart (Ba 20). Subs not used: Bass, Kelly, Johnson, Watson
Booked: Alese, Batth
Referee: Michael Salisbury (Lancashire)
Attendance: 22,905
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