Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s second winner in less than a week ensured Fulham safely made it into the hat for the fourth round draw of the FA Cup, but Marco Silva’s side were pushed all the way by a battling Rotherham United outfit, who sit rock bottom of the Championship.

The Jamaican international, who cast further doubt on Arsenal’s title challenge with a predatory winner against the Gunners on Saturday, punished more poor defending here as he drilled a finish high into the net after Leam Richardson’s side were caught trying to play out from the back. The Millers would have rued that defensive lapse when reflecting on a narrow defeat here, as their well-organised defence kept the home side at bay for the remainder of the ninety minutes, and they created several chances of their own having grown in confidence as a forgettable contest went on.

Rotherham’s hardy travelling support made an arduous journey south more in hope than expectation having not won away from home in 28 games, a run stretching back to November 2022. But they have improved under Richardson and, on another night, might easily have taken advantage of Silva’s decision to make eight changes from the starting line-up that surprised Arsenal – with a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool looming largely on the horizon. The visitors had the game’s first chance when Jordan Hugill headed a long throw from Sean Morrison into the side netting and, although Hugill had the ball in the net after touching home a cross from Tom Eaves, the equaliser was correctly chalked off for offside.

Fulham saw plenty of the ball but did very little with it until Harry Wilson snapped into a challenge on Seb Revan after goalkeeper Viktor Johansson had been asked to deal with an overly intricate back pass from Morrison. The ball broke kindly for De Cordova-Reid, who rifled home a powerful shot from 20 yards out to end lingering Fulham frustration at their lack of cutting edge despite some pretty approach play. Rotherham appeared unable to learn from being the architects of their own difficulties, with Wilson again forcing another iffy pass out from the back, although Rodrigo Muniz was off target with his snapshot.

The Premier League should have been comfortably clear of any jeopardy look before the break. Kenny Tete sauntered down the right flank and cut an intelligent ball back for the recalled Andreas Pereira, but the Brazilian’s effort came back off the post and Reval reacted quickest to repel Harrison Reed’s follow-up. Fulham continued to ask the questions at the start of the second period but Pereira curled a free-kick over from the edge of the box before Reed saw his shot deflected wide by a sliding Morrison after Timothy Castagne had picked the captain out.

Harry Wilson then tested the Swedish keeper’s reflexes with a curler from distance, but Fulham failed to take advantage when he failed to gather a routine cross from Tete, with goalkeeper recovering to bravely block Muniz’s effort from the rebound at his near post. Johansson further redeemed himself with a fine reaction save to keep out a powerful header from Tosin Adarabioyo, but Fulham struggled to create many more opportunities after Richardson made a triple substitution.

One of the substitutes, Sam Nombe, nearly punished a mistake from Reed on the halfway line but the Fulham midfielder recovered in the nick of time, before Marek Rodak – who enjoyed two successful loan spells with the Millers earlier in his career – juggled a Morrison long throw. Rotherham kept pushing until the end with Ollie Rathbone seeing a shot blocked after another Morrison throw had caused carnage in the Fulham area. The visitors could have paid the penalty for throwing caution to the wind at the death, but substitute Carlos Vinicius criminally failed to convert a clever cut back from Willian after a lightning Fulham break.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, Castagne (A. Robinson 82), Adarabioyo, Tosin; Lukic, Reed (Cairney 74); Wilson (Willian 74), De Cordova-Reid, Pereira (Francois 74); Muniz (Vinicius 73). Subs (not used): Benda, de Fougerolles, Palhinha, Jimenez.

ROTHERHAM UNITED (5-3-2): Johansson; Lembikisa (Appiah 81), Odofin, Revan, Morrison, Bramall (Peltier 55); Lindsay, Cafu (Rathbone 64), Clucas (C. Tiehi 64); Eaves (Nombe 64), Hugill. Subs (not used): Phillips, Kelly, McGuckin, Bola.

REFEREE: Simon Hooper (Swindon).

ATTENDANCE: 15,803