Lions' heartbreaker

Birmingham win 4-3 on penalties

Carling Cup 4th Round

MILLWALL suffered a penalty shoot-out Carling Cup heartbreak after taking Premiership Birmingham City to the wire.

The unfortunate Barry Hayles and Ben May missed their spot kicks leaving Stan Lazaridis to score the winner and send the Blues into the quarter finals at Millwall's expense.

But it was a classic cup tie in a cracking New Den atmosphere and from it the Millwall players and boss Colin Lee can take a lot of credit.

The hosts fought back from a goal down to force extra time and then the shoot-out as if they were putting on a show for new chairman Peter de Savary.

De Savary, or PdeS as he likes to be known, addressed the fans before the match with a rousing speech on how he will make Millwall the best club in London.

When the Birmingham fans derided his comments he told them Quiet at the back' and immediately won over his new army of supporters.

But if he is expecting every Millwall game to be a similar classic he will be disappointed - but what an introduction.

The match started as the form book suggested when, as both sets of fans broke steward cordons to race at each other and hurl taunts and abuse, Julian Gray dispatched a right-foot shot across keeper Lenny Pidgeley to give the visitors the lead.

Pidgeley, 21, had been brought in on an emergency week-long loan from Chelsea and he could do little about the opener.

Almost immediately Carl Asaba was replaced with Ben May and the youngster made an immediate impact when his challenge on Matthew Upson in the visitor's penalty area ended with the ball appearing to hit the defender's arm.

Referee Graham Poll waved awat appeals and Hayles, in his customary manner, almost argued himself into being booked.

Millwall pushed forward but Blues keeper Nico Vaesen was untroubled by Hayles' deflected header off Jermaine Wright's free kick.

At the other end Lions skipper Dave Livermore was struggling with Walter Pandiani's strength and experience and the Uruguayan set up a chance for Emile Heskey but the former England international blazed over the crossbar.

The match jolted rather than flowed end-to-end and Millwall's Alan Dunne could have tested Vaesen from 12 yards before finding Wright.

The on-loan midfielder had a clear shot on goal but instead he fired across the six-yard box and the chance was gone.

There was more changes for Lee to make when the injured Phil Ifil was replaced with Carlos Fanguiero.

Pidgeley earned the fans' plaudits when he pulled off two good saves to deny Upson after the tall centreback connected with consecutive corners.

The half ended with Birmingham trying to solidify their lead and Pidgeley had to be on hand to gather Nicky Butt's drive.

Millwall almost started the second half in perfect fashion when May found himself free in the penalty area but as he was about to shoot the referee pulled play back for a foul by Hayles in the build up.

It was one of a number of decisions which infuriated the Lions faithful and Fanguiero's booking for an innocuous challenge on Gray only served to increased their anger.

But the anger changed to wild jubilation on 58 minutes when Dunne lit up the night with a wonder strike.

The full-back robbed Pandiani of possession in less than delicate fashion on the corner of the penalty area before curling a delicious left-foot strike beyond Vaesen's dive and just under the crossbar.

Blues boss Steve Bruce reacted immediately by replacing the ineffectual Pandiani with David Dunn and the midfielder's first contribution set up Heskey but the striker's shot was wide.

Heskey then had a glorious chance when Fangueiro's telegraphed back-pass to Pidgeley was collected by the big striker.

He rounded the keeper and, albeit from a tight angle, missed the target when he should have scored.

Millwall enjoyed the lion's share of the final quarter and had two chances, one volleyed wide by May and a Marvin Elliott drive deflected the same way, to avoid extra time.

The 90 minutes ended with bookings for Paul Robinson following a clumsy challenge on Dunn and got Gray after he blocked Hayles.

Czech international Jiro Jarosik came on for Stephen Clemence and the visitors began to gain the ascendancy in extra time.

On 101 minutes they took the lead when Upson's header off Dunn's corner was spilled by Pidgeley and Heskey stabbed home.

As extra time drew to a final conclusion Millwall looked shattered and when Fangeiuro's through ball to Elliott required a burst of speed from the midfielder, he looked as if he was wading through mud.

But with just moments left May's drive was deflected wide for a corner.

The dead ball kick eventually dropped in front of Elliott on the edge of the penalty area and he made no mistake with a left-foot volley.

As the ball billowed the net the New Den erupted in pandemonium and celebration and suddenly the singing Birmingham fans were silenced in the deafening Millwall roar.

There was to be no further action in open play and as the penalties began, taken in front of the South Stand and the noisy Millwall fans, it was anyone's game.

Up stepped Hayles and the normally calm striker ballooned his kick over the bar while Butt's kick gave Birmingham the advantage.

Wright scored but Dunn was equal to the pressure to make it 2-1.

Tony Craig's left-footed kick was perfect and Jarosik followed suit but then May's weak kick was save, meaning if Pennant scored it was all over.

But, to the wild joy of the home fans, Pidgeley saved the former Arsenal winger's kick superbly.

With one penalty left each Millwall had to score and hope Birmingham missed to force a sudden death shoot out.

Dunne kept up to his side of the bargain but Blues substitute Stan Lazaradis dispatched his spot kick to bring a sudden end to the dream of a memorable victory.

Afterwards Colin Lee said: "It's not a nice way to go out of the competition.

"We were poor in the first half but from then on you cannot fault the players as they responded superbly.

"We showed great character to come back in extra-time and if the match had gone on for five or 10 minutes more, we could have caused an upset."

Millwall: Pidgeley; Ifil (Fangueiro, 29); Robinson; Livermore; Craig; Wright; Morris (Simpson, 98); Elliott; Dunne; Asaba (May, 11); Hayles.

Subs not used: Vincent; Braniff.

Att: 7,732.