'Giant killing' - Fan-turned-coach knocks off EPL side in English FA Cup

Until 11 days ago, Pete Wild had been planning to cheer on Oldham as a fan with his pals in their English FA Cup third-round match at Premier League club Fulham.

Wild was indeed at Craven Cottage yesterday but in the dugout, rather than the stands, guiding the unheralded northern England team to victory in one of three so-called 'giant killings' on a classic day in the famous knockout competition.

Fourth-tier Oldham beat Fulham 2-1 at the same time as non-league team Barnet was stunning second-tier Sheffield United in a 1-0 win, despite a gap of 84 places in English football's pyramid.

A few hours later, fourth-tier Newport County eliminated Leicester, the seventh-placed team in the Premier League, after a 2-1 win at their atmospheric Rodney Parade ground.

BIGGEST WIN

Ruining the day for the romantics was Manchester City, which swept to a 7-0 victory over second-tier Rotherham in their biggest win under Pep Guardiola.

While Guardiola is arguably football's most famous coach, Wild is still making his way in his managerial game and was Oldham's youth team manager until December 26, when he was asked to take charge of the first team on an emergency basis following the firing of their manager after a 6-0 loss.

The 33-year-old Wild accepted the challenge, led Oldham to back-to-back wins in their league games, and has now masterminded one of the biggest FA Cup shocks in recent years.

"It is Roy of the Rovers stuff," said Wild, referring to a now-defunct British cartoon about a fictional football player. "It is one you have to savour."

Especially since the manager in the home dugout at Craven Cottage was Claudio Ranieri, the storied coach who led Leicester in their fairy-tale Premier League-winning campaign in 2015-16.

Ranieri's Fulham were 1-0 ahead with 14 minutes left, only to concede goals to Sam Surridge and Callum Lang. Lang's 88th-minute winner came moments after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had a penalty saved off his first touch after coming on as a substitute.

"I did not see desire or passion," Ranieri said. "I wanted to see desire - show me I am wrong, show me! I am not wrong."

Aside from the embarrassment of losing to a team three leagues below, the loss will not do Fulham's confidence any good as the club from southwest London fights for survival in the Premier League. Fulham are on next-to-last place, four points from safety.