Despite not being able to hold on to their leads, it was another performance of promise from Steve Evans' men as they continue to establish themselves in the Championship.
Here's five things we learned from the game.
You're most vulnerable when you concede
This one is right up there with the best footballing cliches, but the Millers found out the hard way that it is actually true and it was most unlike them. On three occasions they surged into the lead against the Cottagers yet every time they were pegged back within five minutes. The first one can be excused owing to the uncertainty of the penalty awarded to Fulham, but they were far too loose after Jonson Clarke-Harris had restored their lead in the second half and their failure to see out the game when going ahead for the third time in the 86th minute is something that we do not expect from this Rotherham side.
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| Calm down, Ben Pringle coming to the party for the Millers was never in doubt |
Expectations are rising
When the fixtures came out in June, Millers fans were probably ready to write October off as after September closed with a game against Blackburn, the computer handed them meetings with Norwich, Leeds and Fulham. That looked tough on paper but having taken an impressive seven points from the first three games the possibility of beating Fulham was a realistic one.
The way the Millers played reinforced their sense of belonging to the division and the fact that people went home disappointed about being held to a draw by a side who were in the Europa League final four years ago, had a former England captain on the bench and had an £11million striker leading the line shows just how with success comes rising expectations.
Ultimately, they led three times and having gone in front after 86 minutes the hosts should have shut up shop and won the game, but as boss Evans pointed out afterwards, two years ago they were losing at home to Wycombe.
Ben Pringle is beginning to find his range
Pringle has not had it all his own way this season as he took time to find his feet at a higher level as he admitted himself and even found himself out of the team at one point. But after that ghastly experiment by Evans of playing him on the right, he is back on the left and is beginning to have the same sort game-changing impacts on proceedings as last season. He turned in a fine showing when the TV cameras rolled up against Leeds last Friday, but arguably saved his best for the visit of Fulham.
He whipped in a number of dangerous crosses as 'the wand' made an appearance, with his delightful ball into Clarke-Harris making that goal while it was his shot that was turned in for an own goal at the end.
His work-rate has never been in question, and now as he begins to find his range, the Millers have a real threat in their ranks. Was it ever in doubt?
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| Kari Arnason had two chances to put the Millers ahead but missed both |
Arnason has quite rightly earned a lot of praise so far this season as he has been arguably the Millers' star player in the opening quarter. He has been assured, calm and solid at the back and has also been sensational at international level for Iceland. And up until the 90th-minute where he allowed Dan Burn a free header to score he was again imperious against the Cottagers. But there is no doubt he needs to get better in the opposition penalty area as he squandered two chances to put his side ahead (again). Both were free headers from set-plays, the first from another Pringle delivery was a particular inviting chance, but he failed to hit the target on either occasions.
In the typically self-depreciating manner that has earned him the nickname Albert Tatlock, the Icelandic defender admitted he was "not very good at finishing" and despite a goal against Blackburn last month, that is something that most Millers fans will agree with. If Evans' men could find 10 goals a season from Arnason and Morgan, who looks just as unlikely to score, that could potentially earn an extra six or eight points. And with Pringle in the side, they will have plenty of deliveries to attack.
Fulham are on the rise
If Fulham had come to New York six weeks ago, the Millers could have probably played half as well as they did on Tuesday and still come away with the win as the former Premier League club were a side in disarray. But under the caretaker leadership of Kit Symons they are resurgent and showed that they will be nowhere near the bottom of the league come May.
The way a young side fought back from goals down on three occasions, particularly the last coming so late in the game, deserves massive credit and in the second half they were a constant threat going forward. That character has been instilled by Symons, who should be handed the job permanently, and people who had the Cottagers down as relegation candidates this season can think again.
