Fulham 1-0 Rotherham: FLW report as Bobby De-Cordova Reid sends Millers out | OneFootball

Fulham have booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating Championship strugglers Rotherham United 1-0 at Craven Cottage on Friday night.

It has been more than two decades since the Millers got past the third round of the competition and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, who fired into the top corner after Aston Villa loanee Sebastian Revan's mistake, ensured that their wait goes on for at least another year.

Leam Richardson's side have other priorities, of course, with a Championship relegation battle on their hands but, bar Jordan Hugill's correctly disallowed goal, they were unable to lay a glove on their top flight hosts, who barely got out of first gear and didn't really need to.

Fulham 1-0 Rotherham United

The hosts are pushing for a top half Premier League finish this term while Rotherham are battling for second tier survival and that's exactly how it looked in the opening exchanges. Fulham dominated the possession and patiently tried to find any holes in a Millers' side happy to sit deep and stay in their shape.

The opening seemed most likely to come down the Whites' left, where De Cordova-Reid, Andreas Pereira, and Timothy Castagne looked hungry, but a stern defensive effort, particularly from Wolves loanee Dexter Lembikisa, and some bodies on the line defending at set pieces ensured they were kept at bay until midway through the half.

It was De Cordova-Reid who made the breakthrough in the 25th minute but Millers defender Sebastian Revan can be credited with at least half of the assist. The centre-back looked to play his way out of trouble inside his own box and coughed up possession under pressure from Harry Wilson, who teed up Fulham's number 14 with time to pick his spot. He obliged by firing into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Rotherham responded well and had the ball in the hosts' net moments later - Jordan Hugill tapping in Tom Eaves' cross at the back post after a free-kick - but the celebrations of the travelling fans were cut short by the assistant, who correctly flagged for offside.

Fulham went close to a second several times on the eve of the break. Andreas Pereira struck the post with a swiveled volley and Harrison Reed's follow-up strike was blocked wide by Revan. It did hit the arms of the Rotherham defender but VAR, rightfully, ruled it was not a penalty.

Rodrigo Muniz saw a header and a shot blocked from the resulting corner but Richardson's side cleared their lines to ensure they were only one behind at the half.

An important block from Sean Morrison, who was outstanding throughout, ensured Reed didn't double the deficit inside five second half minutes and the Rotherham captain was there again to spare Viktor Johansson's blushes a few minutes later when his fumble handed Muniz an opportunity from six yards out.

For all Fulham's quality in possession and the ease with which they were dealing with the long balls forward to Hugill and Tom Eaves, the hour came and went with the score still 1-0 and Rotherham still in the game.

Richardson turned to his bench, first to bring on Lee Peltier for the injured Cohen Bramall and then to introduce Christ Tiehi, Oliver Rathbone, and Sam Nombe, and the Millers did start to carry more of a threat, with Nombe looking particularly dangerous, as time ticked away and they grew in the belief that they might be able to snatch something late on.

Silva made changes of his own - with Willian, Carlos Vinicius, and Tom Cairney on for Wilson, Reed, and Muniz - in search of a second goal to kill the game. That never came but they didn't need it - Rotherham hadn't had a shot on target all game and were unable to change that in the five minutes of added time.

The Millers will have few complaints about going out after being well beaten by a Premier League side but it does mean their 20-plus year wait for a fourth-round tie goes on until at least next season.

Fulham player ratings

Marek Rodak - 6

Kenny Tete - 6

Issa Diop - 7

Tosin - 7

Timothy Castagne - 6 (Antonee Robinson (82) - 6)

Harrison Reed - 6 (Tom Cairney (74) - 6)

Sasa Lukic - 7

Bobby De Cordova-Reid - 8

Andreas Pereira - 7 (Tyrese Francois (82) - 6)

Harry Wilson - 7 (Willian (74) - 6)

Rodrigo Muniz - 6 (Carlos Vinicius (73) - 6)

Unused subs: Steven Benda, Raul Jimenez, Joao Palhinha, Luc De Fougerolles

Rotherham player ratings

Viktor Johansson - 6

Dexter Lembikisa - 6 (Arvin Appiah (81) - 6)

Sebastian Revan - 5

Sean Morrison - 8

Hakeem Odoffin - 6

Cohen Bramall - 6 (Lee Peltier (55) - 6)

Jamie Lindsay - 6

Sam Clucas - 6 (Christ Tiehi (64) - 6)

Cafu - 6 (Oliver Rathbone (64) - 6)

Jordan Hugill - 6

Tom Eaves - 6 (Sam Nombe (64) - 7)

Unused subs: Dillon Phillips, Georgie Kelly, Tolaji Bola, Ciaran McGukin

Attendance

The attendance for Fulham v Rotherham at Craven Cottage was 15,083.

That includes 690 travelling Millers fans.

Silva felt his side achieved their ultimate aim, reaching the fourth round, but admitted that the host of changes he had meant the performance left a little bit to be desired.

He said: "Job done. It was the most important thing for us. A professional performance. We deserved to go through in the competition.

"We didn't give almost anything to them. No saves for Marek and no shot on target for them but I knew that this could happen when I made seven, eight changes there is always an impact from a performance point of view."

Richardson was quick to credit the work his Rotherham side had put in against a Premier League side.

He said: "First of all congratulations to Fulham and good luck in the competition and the Premier League. From our point of view, we're disappointed to lose a game of football but great credit goes to the players for the job spec. We nullified them in many areas, we had a goal disallowed, I've not seen that back yet, so we'll only grow from that as a group of people."

"Absolutely (there are positives to take)," he added. "I thought in the first half we had to keep our shape. It was obviously a mistake that led to our goal, which I don't mind as it's a positive mistake. He'll grow from that, that's why he's out on loan.

"Second half we grew up the pitch a little more but we just needed a bit more quality in the final third, need better decisions. It'll only help enhance the group individually. It's the first time some of these have played in the FA Cup and against top opposition."