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Agony for Owls after missing out on draw - MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
SECONDS before kick-off, Hillsborough's announcer gave a message to fans on behalf of the club: "It's a a new year; it's a new dawn at Hillsborough, so, please, embrace the change."
With boardroom changes already made, and the attempt to tie up new investment in full swing, the Owls are looking ahead with fresh optimism and determination.
The ultimate goal of course is for the the club to become re-established in the Premier League.
It is 10 years since they were a well-placed top-flight side like Fulham are now; on Saturday the Owls were given another glimpse of the standards they must aim for to get back to that level.
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It could be said that the gap is not great, in some ways, for Wednesday made a game of it despite having to field a weakened side, but it was the extra quality that counted for the Cottagers as they became the fourth Premier League team to knock the Owls out of the FA Cup in the last few years, following Charlton, Manchester City and Derby.
Two lethally taken goals by Andy Johnson showed what you get for 10.5m and they were both expertly created.
The gulf between the clubs' squad strengths is demonstrated by this comparison: Fulham sent on a substitute striker who cost 1.8m and he made the winning goal; Wednesday sent on a 17-year-old, Nathan Modest, as part of their attempts to change the game at a stage when it was stalemate.
Brian Laws jokingly referred to his under-sized bench as his creche, with five youngsters there taking the number of academy products in the match 16 to 10.
Up against a ninth-placed Premier League side with a proper complement of subs, Laws may have feared deep down that his patched-up side would end up being embarrassed.
But he need not have worried. Wednesday played a full part in an entertaining tussle against classy opposition, and not only battled all the way but, in patches, played some of their best football in weeks.
If they had also come up with the necessary finishing from ordinary chances in a addition to a wonder goal by Tommy Spurr, we would have had the sort of shock result that had looked unlikely when the teams were announced and it became clear that Steve Watson (hip) and Marcus Tudgay (thigh) were on the lengthy injured list.
Cool finishing has never been Jermaine Johnson's strength, and the makeshift striker twice let Fulham off. when he snatched a shot over the top and headed over the bar.
Fulham's Johnson showed how it should be done when he turned past the Owls defence and ran on to a Danny Murphy pass of such perfection that he did not have to take a touch before slipping the ball past Lee Grant.
Tommy Spurr's equaliser was just extraordinary of course. I reckon the distance was around 32 yards and it brought back memories of his Goal of the Season winner against Plymouth last season - a long-range volley at the Kop end.
Saturday's shot could not be bettered by a Premier League player, and Wednesday were ahead on first-half chances. But Fulham started to get on top in the last 15 minutes of the game, and Grant heroics kept the Owls in it until Fulham's Johnson struck again.
Once against the killer ball and Johnson's intelligent run were both perfect; he darted in front of Lewis Buxton and behind Richard Wood to get clear and score from close range.
Wood, who in general had a fine game, admitted: "At the end of the day Fulham's quality showed. The first goal was my mistake. He (Johnson] spun off me. The second goal was great passing and movement - a great ball in.
"It's difficult. We gave it a good go. We defended well at times. We created a lot of chances and could have got a draw. We were happy with our performance . The lads did very well."
Spurr admitted that the Owls flagged in the latter stages and he gave an interesting insight into what it's like to play against a top-flight side: "It was one of the most tiring games I've played in.
"It's a different style of play, compared to the Championship. They move the ball a lot quicker; the movement is a lot better. They don't look interested then they'll just make a run and the pass is
unbelievable; you don't think they've got it under control then they'll pick a pass out; it's just quality.
"I think a few of us tired at the end, from chasing and from how quick they are.
"We got done at the end with a quality cross and another good finish."
But the Owls could still have nicked a replay: in stoppage time, a Spurr cross was headed down at the far post by Rocky Lekaj to Francis Jeffers, who had the chance to mark his first full 90 minutes for the club with his first goal of the season but scuffed his shot at the keeper.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, who had paid Wednesday respect by making only two changes, both forced, to a line-up that had drawn with Chelsea, hailed a first away win of the season "after a very hard fought and thrilling Cup-tie.
"All credit to Sheffield Wednesday, for the way they played and forced us to give of our best.
"It was important for us to get that second goal. We were in a good spell in that period but I was wondering whether the goal would come. The keeper made a couple of good saves and we hit the post; we did get the goal then they nearly scored; it summed up the game, I thought."
"Wednesday worked so hard. Their midfield players did a fantastic job. Maybe they tired as time wore on and the tempo was maintained from our side. We started to get more possession and started to make better use of it."
"It was an excellent Cup tie."
Laws' view:
I've got to give my players credit. They went out there with confidence and they took the game right to the death against a Fulham side who are buoyant in the Premier League.
I was very proud of our players. We deserved a draw..
If you look at the chances that went begging in the first half, we were unfortunate not to come in at half time 2-1 up. Jermaine Johnson had two of the best chances in the game. In the Premier League, those get tucked away.
Andy Johnson is a quality player. He runs off the ball and is always a threat. With his pace, he is always spinning off the centre halves - great movement against two young centre halves - I thought they handled him quite well the majority of the time.
It was a fantastic goal by Tommy Spurr. He was always trying to create, always trying to get forward. He had a great game.
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