Match ends, Rotherham United 0, Fulham 1.
Rotherham United 0-1 Fulham
- From the section Football
Rotherham became the first side in the top six tiers of English football to be relegated this season as a home Championship defeat by Fulham condemned them to the drop.
Sone Aluko poked home the only goal of the game to lift the Cottagers into the play-off places.
The scrambled finish ended Rotherham's three-season stay in the second-tier.
Fulham keeper David Button had earlier denied Lee Frecklington and Jon Taylor, while Danny Ward also went close.
Ward wasted the best chance of the first half, sending a free header wide, while Taylor was foiled moments after Chris Martin wasted Fulham's first real chance.
The goal which inflicted an eighth straight defeat on Rotherham, and sent them down, was an untidy one, with defender Darnell Fisher and goalkeeper Lewis Price initially blocking efforts before Aluko finished from close range.
Fulham's first win in three games was enough to move them above Sheffield Wednesday after the Owls were held to a 1-1 draw against Barnsley earlier in the day.
Rock bottom for six months
Since a 2-1 defeat by Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield on 27 September, Rotherham have been bottom of the Championship.
In total, the Millers have spent just 26 days of the 239 this season outside the relegation places.
Caretaker boss Paul Warne was the man to oversee relegation, having taken charge of the club in November after Kenny Jackett - who succeeded Alan Stubbs - resigned after just 39 days at the helm.
Rotherham interim boss Paul Warne: "There's a little bit of embarrassment. I took the reins a few months ago and I haven't been good enough to get the results to keep us up and that is on my head.
"The performances have been okay at times but we haven't got that strength in depth. But that's my fault, it's not anyone else's.
"I don't think anyone thought before today that we would stay up, we weren't going to win eight on the spin. So to have relegated next to our name isn't too much of a shock."
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic: "It is a great step for us towards where we want to be.
"It was a very tough game. I am pleased because I have missed some 1-0 wins, so to get the goal and then finish with a clean sheet is pleasing and it is important news for us.
"We tried to be focused on our job and thinking about what we can do.
"We weren't thinking about Sheffield Wednesday or about other teams. Our focus is on us in this crucial part of the competition and getting as many points as is possible for us."
Line-ups
Rotherham
- 12Price
- 4Vaulks
- 15Ajayi
- 26Belaid
- 17FisherSubstituted forPurringtonat 76'minutesBooked at 82mins
- 11Taylor
- 33Smallwood
- 8FrecklingtonSubstituted forFordeat 79'minutes
- 22Newell
- 9Ward
- 10MorrisSubstituted forYatesat 62'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Kelly
- 6Wood
- 7Forde
- 18O'Donnell
- 27Bray
- 30Purrington
- 39Yates
Fulham
- 27Button
- 2Fredericks
- 26Kalas
- 15Madl
- 3MaloneSubstituted forReamat 90+4'minutes
- 6McDonald
- 14JohansenBooked at 90mins
- 24AlukoSubstituted forR Sessegnonat 90+2'minutes
- 10Cairney
- 7KebanoSubstituted forAyitéat 63'minutes
- 25Martin
Substitutes
- 1Bettinelli
- 9Cyriac
- 11Ayité
- 13Ream
- 17R Sigurdsson
- 30R Sessegnon
- 33Petsos
- Referee:
- Tim Robinson
- Attendance:
- 9,004
Match Stats
Home TeamRotherhamAway TeamFulham
- Possession
- Home31%
- Away69%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away14
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Rotherham United 0, Fulham 1.
Substitution
Substitution, Fulham. Tim Ream replaces Scott Malone.
Attempt missed. Aimen Belaid (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Semi Ajayi.
Attempt missed. Danny Ward (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Substitution
Substitution, Fulham. Ryan Sessegnon replaces Sone Aluko.
Foul by Chris Martin (Fulham).
Ben Purrington (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Stefan Johansen (Fulham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Stefan Johansen (Fulham).
Anthony Forde (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Ryan Fredericks (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jon Taylor (Rotherham United).
Foul by Floyd Ayité (Fulham).
Aimen Belaid (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Chris Martin (Fulham) header from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Floyd Ayité with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Semi Ajayi.
Kevin McDonald (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United).
Booking
Ben Purrington (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sone Aluko (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ben Purrington (Rotherham United).
Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Ryan Fredericks.
Attempt blocked. Danny Ward (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Danny Ward (Rotherham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jerry Yates.
Foul by Chris Martin (Fulham).
Ben Purrington (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Rotherham United. Anthony Forde replaces Lee Frecklington.
Delay in match Lee Frecklington (Rotherham United) because of an injury.
Foul by Floyd Ayité (Fulham).
Ben Purrington (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Lee Frecklington (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jon Taylor.
Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Kevin McDonald.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution
Substitution, Rotherham United. Ben Purrington replaces Darnell Fisher because of an injury.
Delay in match Michael Madl (Fulham) because of an injury.
Delay in match Darnell Fisher (Rotherham United) because of an injury.
Chris Martin (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Aimen Belaid (Rotherham United).
