Fulham edge past Cambridge in Carabao Cup thanks to Emile Smith Rowe winner | OneFootball

A much-changed Fulham were given a stern test by Cambridge but prevailed 1-0 thanks to a goal midway through the second half by Emile Smith Rowe as Marco Silva’s side were spared embarrassment at Craven Cottage.

The ground was barely half full for the Carabao Cup tie and the hosts offered those in attendance little to get excited about before ultimately limping through to round four.

Smith Rowe’s finish was a rare bright moment, turning home Timothy Castagne’s delivery in the 66th minute following a string of impressive saves from vising goalkeeper Jake Eastwood.

Silva changed his entire XI from the side that beat Brentford on Saturday, which meant a full debut for Kevin, the 22-year-old winger signed from Shakhtar Donetsk on transfer deadline day for a club record £34.6million.

The Brazil Under-20 international, with his lightning quick footwork and incisive cutting-in from the flanks, was the only persuasive evidence in the first half that this was Premier League versus League Two.

Fulham defender Jorge Cuenca blasted high over the crossbar from 35 yards in what was the sum of his team’s attacking threat in the opening 25 minutes.

Cambridge had the half’s only real chance, Northern Ireland international Shayne Lavery squeezing a low shot wide at the second attempt via a deflection off Cuenca after the home side failed to deal with a ball into their box.

An uneventful 45 minutes took a descent into cabaret when, during a break in play, referee Ruebyn Ricardo endured several botched attempts to destroy a gold balloon thrown on to the pitch by visiting fans, each failure greeted with a mocking jeer of approval from supporters seemingly appreciative of having anything at all to respond to.

The pantomime was spoiled when Cambridge defender Liam Bennett showed the official the proper way to do it with a brutal two-footed stamp.

The second half began with an audacious attempt by Raul Jimenez to break the tedium and the deadlock with a volleyed back-heel that flew inches over the bar.

Adama Traore then sent over a cross for Harrison Reed to head goalward, from which fine handling from Eastwood was required to cling to the ball at his near post.

Reed went closer still with a drive from inside the box that Eastwood again had the measure of as Fulham began finally to play like a team three divisions higher in the pyramid.

Jimenez tried once more to inspire his side when he sprung into a leaping volley that was pushed out by the goalkeeper to Castagne, who delivered it straight back into the middle for Smith Rowe to spare Fulham blushes and shovel it home.

Cambridge still had ideas of taking the game all the way to penalties.

Sullay Kaikai almost caught out keeper Benjamin Lecomte, Fulham’s 34-year-old summer signing recovering his position to keep out the winger’s cross-shot.

Josh King made a final attempt to give the scoreline a more flattering hue in the final minute but he somehow failed to convert from virtually on the goal-line.