Fulham will now face either Bolton Wanderers or Tottenham Hotspur at the quarter-final stage of the competition.

"It would mean a lot to us," said Hodgson. "It would be another major step forward with the progression at the club. We'll be highly motivated and nervous about the quarter-final because we badly want a good result."

Hodgson, in the meantime, was pleased with his team's showing against the minnows, explaining that Notts County had the potential to cause them real danger.

"It was a real potential banana skin and I'm just happy we didn't slip up on it. I wasn't wrong to suggest they would give us a good game," Hodgson added. "It worked perfectly because we saw the game through and were able to rest players for the last 20 minutes with a game on Thursday and Sunday coming up.

"It could have been less goals but it is nice to get four goals and be in the hat."

The modern game

However, Hodgson admitted the romance of the Cup has to take second place to a more pragmatic outlook in the modern game.

"There have been fewer winners of the FA Cup since the inauguration of the Premier League," he said. "It's wrong to compare the mythical Fulham teams of the '60s and '70s, or even the showbiz teams, when Rodney Marsh, George Best and Bobby Moore were playing in the same team.

"We have to be more journeyman-like in our approach because staying in the league is so important," Hodgson stated.