Fulham 1 Rotherham 0: De Cordova-Reid screamer settles it for the Cottagers but brave Millers push them all the way
BOBBY DE CORDOVA-REID survived a mass rotation to fire Fulham into the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The winger was just one of three players to keep his place in the starting XI that beat Arsenal last Sunday.
And after scoring the winner to down the Gunners last weekend, De Cordova-Reid scored again to see off stubborn Rotherham.
But where Fulham showed power and panache to see off last season’s Premier League runners up with a brilliant fightback, they struggled against the Championship’s bottom team.
De Cordova-Reid’s classy first half strike was one of few highlights in a gritty performance that nonetheless opens up a second cup front for Marco Silva’s in-form team.
With a trip to Liverpool high in the manager’s mind for next Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi final first leg, Silva took the opportunity against such lowly opposition to rest most of his key men.
In particular, the absence of midfield general Palhinha always leaves a hole and there is no doubt that the home team’s tempo was down a notch or two compared to recent games without him.
Even so, you shouldn’t have to be on tip top form when hosting a side that hasn’t felt the thrill of victory on the road in any shape or form since November 2022.
That is now 29 successive games for the long-suffering Yorkshire club’s fans who rallied around 500 hardy souls for a Friday night trip to South West London in faint hope of a rare away win.
Silva made eight changes to the team which fought back from a goal down against Arsenal at the weekend to claim a spirited 2-1 victory.
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He at least kept faith with De Cordova-Reid against the ailing Millers and it proved decisive.
After 24 minutes of toying around, Fulham finally got the breakthrough but thanks to a defensive lapse.
Left back Sebastian Revan, on loan at Rotherham from Aston Villa, cracked under pressure trying to play his way out of his goal area.
His rash clearance only found its way as far as De Cordova-Reid on the edge of the box who hammered a right foot shot into the top corner with his second touch.
Harrison Reed later hit the post and Wilson also went close but scuffed a shot from the edge of the area.
Millers’ keeper Viktor Johansson then saved one-handed from a Tosin header and again stopped a powerful drive from Wilson as the struggling second tier side put up a surprisingly stubborn rearguard fight while failing to register a single shot on target.
Despite their superiority, Silva still had to bring on fresh faces deep into the second half to inject some energy into the performance.
Club captain Tom Cairney and Brazilian winger Willian came off the bench with 16 minutes left.
With just thirty seconds of five minutes added time left, Fulham squandered a cracking chance to seal the game.
They broke free from their own half with Willian on the ball and sub striker Carlos Vinicius in hot pursuit.
But the two Brazilians failed to summon up any Samba soccer magic and Vinicius rolled a lame shot straight at the keeper when put clean through by his fellow countryman.