Super sub Collins John wasted no time sparing Fulham from FA Cup embarrassment after coming off the bench at Pride Park.

John's Premiership side looked like being on the receiving end of an upset after they trailed to Marcus Tudgay's second-half goal for the Championship play-off hopefuls.

But John's first touch sealed a Craven Cottage replay within a minute of being sent on by boss Chris Coleman as a replacement for Tomasz Radzinski.

John latched onto a low Mark Pembridge through-ball which deceived the home defence and poked the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box.

John's goal denied the brave Rams who had pressed forward with purpose from the start of the second period and grabbed a deserved lead when Tudgay knocked home Tommy Smith's cross.

But it was what Fulham deserved with the visitors having previously spurned glorious chances through Sylvain Legwinski and former Ram Pembridge to grab the lead.

Fulham had looked flustered in the first half with the Rams kicking off with high hopes of an upset following a midweek win over Leeds which shunted them into the Championship play-off zone.

But the cautious approach of both sides contributed to an instantly forgettable first period with clear chances at a premium.

The visitors offered little other than Legwinski's bad miss in the box while the Rams were too reliant on German Marco Reich's work down their left flank.

Coleman's men had started in business-like fashion with Luis Boa Morte looking lively in an attacking opening period.

He set up Fulham's first attack in the fourth minute after finding space on the left flank but his cross was knocked wide by Lee Clark under pressure from Rams defender Pablo Mills.

The impressive Smith also figured prominently in Derby's best early moves, narrowly failing to set in-form Pole Grzegorz Rasiak clear due to Alain Goma's timely interception on the edge of the box.

Reich gave Fulham an early warning of his intentions with a dangerously deflected cross from the left which finally bounced to a grateful Edwin van der Sar in the visitors' goal.

But the Rams' promising work occasionally threatened to be undone by defensive carelessness with Michael Johnson's awful attempted back-pass in the 10th minute lucky not to let in the lurking Radzinski.

Reich set up the best early chance for the home side in the 18th minute with another fine cross which was nipped off the head of Rasiak by Rams keeper Lee Camp on the edge of the six-yard box.

Moritz Volz created a similar chance from the Fulham right in the 25th minute with a precise cross which was well caught by Camp under pressure from Andy Cole.

Two minutes later came Fulham's best chance of the first half with Legwinski scampering clear into the box only to scoop a simple chance well wide of target.

Derby's straight-forward approach leant heavily on the left-sided Reich, and his cross on the half-hour mark caused problems in the Fulham box before Inigo Idiakez blazed over the bar.

Reich's removal at half-time appeared to be injury-related but it did not take his replacement Tudgay to make an impression in a much better start to the second period.

First the stretching Raiak just failed to connect with Idiakez's left-wing cross in the six-yard box.

Then Tudgay came even closer to finishing off a move begun by Tommy Smith on the opposite flank.

Fulham served warning of their counter-attacking capability when Boa Morte blazed straight over the half-way line and teed up former Ram Mark Pembridge, who shot wide from close to the penalty spot with the goal at his mercy.

Tudgay finally broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when he pounced at close range in a crowded box to sweep home another Smith cross and put the Championship side ahead.

But the Rams were guilty of sitting back on their lead and John pounced with his first touch to put the Londoners level in the 70th minute.

Pembridge's low through-ball eluded everybody until it fell to the striker who poked home from six yards - then was promptly booked for his celebration.

As the pace quickened Tudgay was denied a second by van der Sar's left-footed block two minutes later.

But the Rams will take some solace from the financial benefits of a replay after giving their all to get the job done first time round.

Teams

Derby Camp, Kenna, Johnson, Huddlestone, Mills, Bisgaard, Idiakez, Taylor, Reich (Tudgay 45), Rasiak, Smith.

Subs Not Used: Grant, Junior, Bolder, Boertien.

Booked: Idiakez.

Goals: Tudgay 56.

Fulham Van der Sar, Volz, Goma, Knight, Rosenior, Legwinski, Clark, Pembridge, Radzinski (John 70), Boa Morte, Cole.

Subs Not Used: Crossley, McBride, Jensen, Pearce.

Booked: Cole.

Goals: John 71.

Att: 22,040

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).