Fulham 2 Rotherham 1
Floyd Ayite’s second half winner kept Fulham on the heels of the play-off chasers at the expense of struggling Rotherham.
Ayite swept home a cross from substitute Lucas Piazon to complete a comeback win for the Whites which would have been by a wider margin with more clinical finishing.
Buoyed by their win over Fulham’s west London rivals QPR on Saturday it was Rotherham who made the early running.
Thomas Kalas was sold short by a loose pass sending Isaiah Brown racing clear, but the Chelsea loanee inexplicably chose to pass rather than shoot and recipient Danny Ward’s shot on the turn was blocked.
Brown was soon away again from a ball over the top, but Ryan Sessegnon got back to concede a corner.
So it was no surprise the visitors took the lead on 19 minutes when Joe Newell was allowed to drift inside and fire a low shot past David Button.
Fulham were stung into a response, Sessegnon’s delicious cross from the left headed narrowly wide by Floyd Ayite before they levelled on 31 minutes.
Ryan Fredericks waltzed past several tackles and though Chris Martin’s shot was blocked Stefan Johansen picked up the loose ball, played a one-two with Sessegnon and swept the ball past Lewis Price’s right hand
Ayite almost completed the turnaround before the break delightfully tricking his way beyond two defenders to fire off a shot blocked by the legs of Price.
Sone Aluko and Sessegnon tested Price soon after the restart and the pressure told on 54 minutes when substitute Lucas Piazon, on for Kevin McDonald at the interval escaped down the right and crossed for Ayite to drive home from close range.
Johansen was close to his second with a free-kick which clipped the outside of the post and with the Rotherham goal under siege Michael Madl was bundled over in the box. However, Chris Martin’s penalty strangely lacked conviction and Price saved to keep the basement boys in it.
Martin and Cairney had other chances to claim a third and ease nerves but Fulham saw it out.
