Fulham’s FA Cup with Budweiser dreams continued on Tuesday evening as the Whites defeated Blackpool 2-1 at Bloomfield Road in a pulsating encounter.

Nathan Delfouneso’s late goal looked to have won it for Blackpool on a freezing cold night in Lancashire – where the thermometer was in negative figures throughout – only for Kieran Richardson to equalise with the last kick of the 90 minutes.

Extra-time ensued and penalties seemed inevitable until Brede Hangeland leapt highest with just minutes remaining to send the Whites through.

It was a dramatic and draining 120 minutes as the Whites set up a Fourth Round tie with either Manchester United or West Ham United.

Martin Jol made five changes from the side that drew with Wigan Athletic on Saturday, with Philippe Senderos, Matthew Briggs, Chris Baird, Ashkan Dejagah and Hugo Rodallega all given the nod. Influential forwards Dimitar Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz were rested ahead of the weekend’s crucial game away at Manchester City.

The Whites dominated possession in the opening stages without really threatening, although Blackpool – just like at the Cottage 10 days ago – looked dangerous on the break, with Thomas Ince and Nathan Eccleston providing pace down the flanks.

The first decent opening of the game came after 15 minutes. Rodallega’s speculative effort from 30 yards cannoned fortunately off a tangerine shirt and into the path of Dejagah down the right. The winger cut inside and found Mladen Petric who, unfortunately, got his shot all wrong as he sliced wide.

A neat counter attack from Fulham on 24 minutes saw us break after Briggs did well to head the ball clear to Giorgos Karagounis, who got Dejagah and Sascha Riether involved down the right. The latter found the Iran international, who controlled his shot well, but couldn’t get enough power on it to truly test Matt Gilks.

Blackpool responded immediately through Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s bending effort, but Mark Schwarzer was never going to be beaten by the forward’s attempt from distance.

There was a hairy moment for the Whites when Hangeland miscontrolled the ball in his own six-yard box and – as a combination of white and tangerine shirts sprinted towards the danger – Senderos got there first to clear to safety.

The game was beginning to show signs of life and Rodallega drew a great point-blank save from Gilks moments later after the ball dropped to him from Petric’s corner. The save led to another corner kick from which the Colombian again threatened – this time heading over.

The home side were struggling to deal with our corners and Baird came within a whisker of opening the scoring on 36 minutes. The Northern Ireland international escaped his marker to glance a header towards the far post from Karagounis’ set-piece – only to see it fall agonisingly the wrong side of the upright. The Seasiders showed that they, too, offered a similar threat when Chris Basham headed over from a corner a minute later.

The second half began at a decent tempo and Ince drew a routine save from Schwarzer after 49 minutes after running half the length of the pitch following a surrender of possession by Alexander Kacaniklic.

Chances were rare for either side and Petric may have been better off not attempting to head Dejagah’s shot goalwards on 70 minutes as the initial effort looked as though it was heading on target, whereas the deflection sent it harmlessly over. A minute later Jol made his first change of the game as Aaron Hughes came on to replace Senderos.

Lovely play by Baird and Petric on 76 minutes saw the ball worked to Rodallega who burst into the box before drawing another good save from Gilks with a well-struck effort from 10 yards.

The Whites were on top but could have fallen behind on 78 minutes when Basham’s drilled effort was heading in before Briggs got a crucial toe on the ball to send it wide of the post. Strangely, a goal-kick was awarded, at which point Damien Duff came on for Petric.

Fulham gave the ball away almost instantly, though, and it needed a fantastic fingertip save from Schwarzer to tip Ince’s rasping drive over the bar from 25 yards.

Blackpool had seized control for the first time in the game and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 82 minutes. Briggs’ clearance inside his own six-yard box went more up than out and Schwarzer’s subsequent attempted punch fell straight to Delfouneso who rolled into an empty net from close range.

Unsurprisingly the Seasiders sat men behind the ball from that point and our first attempt to draw level was a speculative Baird effort three minutes later which was always rising.

The Whites looked dead and buried but then a superb strike by Richardson deep into stoppage time meant the tie went into an additional 30 minutes. A hopeful ball was pumped into the box and after the Tangerines could only half clear, the Fulham substitute – a late replacement for Kacaniklic – rifled a volley in from 20 yards that squeezed just inside the near post to the delight of the vociferous 300-plus travelling Fulham fans.

In the first minute of extra-time, Rodallega burst through but couldn’t get his shot away under pressure from Alex Baptiste, before two excellent reflex saves from Schwarzer kept the score level shortly after.

Blackpool should really have regained the lead on 96 minutes. Substitute Tiago Gomes broke before drawing a save from Schwarzer which fell straight to Kirk Broadfoot – who had marauded forward – but the centre-back somehow blazed well over from five yards.

Fulham responded three minutes later when Dejagah’s shot from distance was deflected narrowly over for a corner, before Rodallega looped his header from Briggs’ deep cross into Gilks’ clutches.

A slick counter by the Whites on 103 minutes saw us take on the Tangerines’ backline three-on-three with Duff electing to feed Richardson down the left. Our goalscorer took a touch before shooting but couldn’t keep his effort down. Fulham had taken the initiative and Gilks was called into action a minute later to deny Dejagah a first goal for his new Club.

Hearts were in mouths on 111 minutes when a brilliant ball over the top sent Ince through one-on-one but the winger hit his effort straight at Schwarzer, who stood his ground well. The game was wide open and a minute later Taylor-Fletcher headed straight at our keeper when he had the goal at his mercy.

The Whites were next to come close and Richardson volleyed narrowly wide after Gilks failed to get enough distance on his punch following Baird’s free-kick.

Majestic footwork by Dejagah with four minutes remaining saw the winger jink into the box before seeing his powerful effort deflect wide for a corner – from which the Whites took the lead for the first time in the tie.

A brilliant delivery from Duff was begging to be attacked and Captain Hangeland duly obliged with a superb looping header.

Blackpool won a corner in the dying seconds but Fulham held on to seal their place in the next round of the famous competition.