City resisted the temptation to call up Marcos Lopes, despite the fact he is still an 18-year-old.
Fulham backed up their reputation as the strongest team at this age level in a keenly-fought contest at Boundary Park, but City’s Billy O’Brien kept out a Cameron Burgess header while at the other end Marek Rodak did brilliantly to stop Olivier Ntcham’s drive.
Fulham took the lead on the hour mark when Irish defender Liam Donnelly headed home from a corner but City fought their way back into it and the game seemed to be heading for extra-time when Thierry Ambrose headed home a cross from left-back Angelino with 15 minutes to go.
But the ‘other’ Moussa Dembele, a 17-year-old French striker, struck twice in the space of six minutes win it for Fulham.
CITY: O’Brien, Maffeo, Bossaerts, Smith-Brown, Angelino, Byrne, Ntcham (Boadu 76), Bryan, Intima (Celina 76), Ambrose, Barker.