Local hero Matt Derbyshire rounded off a move oozing with South American flair to finally give Paul Ince his first Premier League home win as Blackburn boss.
Derbyshire, introduced for the final quarter hour with Ince desperate to break the deadlock, pounced after Roque Santa Cruz flicked a superb through ball from Chilean debutant Carlos Villanueva into his path.
Derbyshire's timely strike ended 84 minutes of agony for Ince, whose side had toiled to little effect and looked set to end a strangely sunny Saturday afternoon still firmly rooted in the relegation zone.
Until Derbyshire's intervention Brett Emerton had had Rovers' best chance with a curling 39th-minute effort which beat Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer but rebounded off the far post to safety.
It proved an inspired end to the game for Ince, who also saw Villanueva come close to crowning a promising start with his first goal, but it might have been different if Paul Robinson had not pulled off a fifth-minute wonder-save.
Coming into the game on the back of two consecutive wins, Fulham started well and when Simon Davies crossed Johnson looked certain to score only for Robinson to somehow palm his low shot over the bar.
Rovers responded by almost taking the lead themselves in the eighth minute, Jason Roberts flicking the ball on to Keith Andrews who lashed a right-foot shot into the side-netting.
Andrews was the first man in referee Lee Probert's book in the 25th minute for a scything challenge on Jimmy Bullard on the halfway line which left the Fulham man requiring lengthy treatment.
Bullard was back in the wars on the half hour when he was dumped on the turf by Emerton, earning the Australian a yellow card and Fulham a free-kick 35 yards from the Rovers goal.
This time Danny Murphy sent his set-piece out wide to Bobby Zamora, whose header flew over the bar before Rovers immediately responded with a chance of their own, Santa Cruz wriggling clear but drilling a low shot straight at Schwarzer.
A moment of magic from Emerton almost gave Rovers the lead in the 39th minute when he cut into the box from the left flank and flung in a curling effort which beat Schwarzer but clattered back off the far post.
Fulham created the first chance of the second half when Murphy's neat through ball sent Johnson scampering into the box, but Ryan Nelsen got back well to make a superb saving challenge.
Referee Probert was doing little to endear himself to the home fans, booking Chris Samba for hacking down Zamora but moments later allowing John Pantsil to escape after tripping Keith Treacy on the wing.
Rovers were struggling to find a way through the resolute Fulham rearguard with Santa Cruz forced out wide chasing an Emerton through ball and Roberts failing to reach a high cross from Danny Simpson.
The visitors almost made Rovers pay on the hour when Pantsil lofted in a cross from deep on the right flank and Zamora rose unchallenged to head the ball onto the roof of the net, although he was subsequently deemed offside.
Fulham came even closer in the 63rd minute when Johnson wriggled clean through in the box and when his low shot was saved by Robinson, Nelsen booted the rebound clear under pressure from Davies.
Eager to finally earn his first home league win as Rovers boss, Ince responded in the 65th minute by withdrawing Roberts in favour of Premier League debutant Villanueva.
Derbyshire followed shortly afterwards in place of Treacy and capped his introduction by finishing off the fine move which finally gave Rovers their first home win of the season.
It might have got even better for the home side in the dying minutes with the impressive Villanueva unleashing a powerful left-foot drive which flashed just wide of Schwarzer's right-hand post.
