Carling Cup

Mansfield Town 2 v 3 Millwall

DAVID Livermore picked the perfect time to score his first goal of the season with a 90th-minute winner sending Millwall into the Carling Cup Fourth Round draw.

Livers lashed home a stunning left-foot 25-yarder to settle a tie in which The Lions had to dig deep to beat a spirited Mansfield side who had battled back from 2-0 down to set up a grandstand finale.

Due to a combination of injuries, suspensions and ineligibility for the competition, manager Colin Lee was forced to field a patched-up side including five changes from the team which started against Southampton on Saturday.

However, Millwall barely had time to settle before Mansfield nearly capitalised on a calamitous piece of play when Don Hutchison's quick free-kick fell woefully short enabling Simon Brown to nip in and win possession.

Much to Hutch's and his team-mates relief the Mansfield forward ran out of steam as he was preparing to pull the trigger.

It took a further five minute before The Lions created their first opening of the game when Matt Lawrence launched an angled pass which found Barry Hayles just inside the danger zone on the right.

Hayles controlled the ball, cut in and let fly with a low drive which keeper Kevin Pressman scrambled to hold at the second attempt.

On 14 minutes Alan Dunne, playing at right-back in the absence of Phil Ifil, tried his luck with a left-foot drive which flew wide whilst, seconds later, Town's Jake Buxton skipped past Livermore and saw his tantalising cross headed wide by Richard Barker.

Ben May showed how it should be done when he headed home the 24th-minute opener from close-range after Dunne's lofted pass had been flicked on by Carl Asaba.

A slick piece of skill by Asaba saw the striker create space for a shot on the edge of the area shortly after but his rasping effort was hit straight into the hands of Pressman.

Paul Robinson made a superb block to prevent Brown's angled drive finding a way through as Mansfield pressed forward in search of an equaliser.

It nearly arrived seconds before the interval when Brown, who was a constant threat all night, sprinted clear of a static rearguard before screwing his shot into the side netting.

Lee's men bagged their second goal of the night on 62 minutes when Robinson headed home after Hutchison's corner had ricocheted in the area.

It should have been game over but League Two strugglers Mansfield had other ideas and turned the tie on its head with two goals in as many minutes.

The first, on 66 minutes, came when a quick throw-in caught the defence napping and Marshall saved at full stretch from Gus Uuhlenbeek only for Brown to steal in at the far post and slot home.

Matters went from bad to worse within 120 seconds when Barker bundled Hutchison and the ball into the back of the net for a scrappy leveller.

But to their credit the beleaguered Lions dug deep to produce a winner in the final minute of normal time courtesy of Livermore's stupendous strike.

It seemed to take an eternity before Mike Riley eventually blew the final whistle and the frayed nerves of the visiting supporters were given a much needed respite.

Millwall: Marshall; Elliott (Morris, 73); Craig; Hutchison (Cogan, 73); Lawrence; P.Robinson; Livermore; Dunne; Hayles (Braniff, 90); Asaba; May.

Subs not used: Masterson; Igoe.

Att: 4,133.