Millwall send toffee’s packing as the Lions claim FA cup scalp with late winner

Murray Wallace was the hero in South East London as the left-back scored a 94th minute match-winner, in a dramatic game that saw lowly Championship side Millwall beat Premier League Everton 3-2 at the Den.

Richarlison put Marco Silva’s men ahead as Lions number one Jordan Archer failed to hold onto the ball. Neil Harris’s men did show character to score the equaliser when Lee Gregory’s looping header stunned the away side.

Turkish striker Cenk Tosun managed to put the visitor’s back in front before Jake Cooper gave the lions another way back into the game, though there was heavy controversy over the decision to allow the goal as the ball went in off the centre-back’s arm.

Wallace then won the match for the home side as he knocked in a Shaun Hutchinson header to put the underdogs into the fifth round.

Neil Harris named three changes to the side that drew with Middlesbrough last weekend, with both Shane Ferguson and Ryan Tunnicliffe replacing cup-tied Ben Thompson and Ben Marshall. Jed Wallace was also left out and later revealed to have a groin strain, he made way for Aiden O’Brien.

Silva named a full-strength Everton side with two new faces in the team following their 2-1 loss to Southampton, Bernard was replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin while on loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma made way for Yerry Mina.

Early chaos in the box saw Hutchinson tussle with England defender Michael Keane from a corner, with the former having his arms around the opponent’s neck. The Lions defender was lucky that referee Michael Oliver never saw the incident, as it was a strong case for a penalty.

Centre-half Jake Cooper wasted an early chance in the 8th minute as he failed to direct his header on target following a Shane Ferguson free-kick. The pressure from the hosts continued as Lucas Digne had to clear a Hutchinson header off the line.

Yerry Mina went down in the 26th minute with a foot injury, though at the time was able to continue he did eventually make way for on-loan Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma as Marco Silva’s men were forced into making a sub at half-time.

Brazilian attacker Richarlison forced the first major chance for the toffee’s as all his delivery was missing from the free-kick was contact as Mina was inches away from giving the hosts the lead in the 33rd minute.

It would be the former Watford man who would start what would be an interesting end to the first half with both sides netting before the half-time whistle.

The 21-year-old’s long-range effort from outside the box gave Everton the 1-0 lead following an Andre Gomes pass, the attacker turned and let one fly with a deflection from Millwall captain Hutchinson doing enough to disorient Archer who fumbled the ball into his own net.

Lee Gregory ran the show for the hosts with his continuous hard-work being a constant threat to the Premier League side’s back-line. It was the Englishman’s header from a set-piece that brought the South London club back onto level terms in the second minute of stoppage time.

The striker beat Digne in the air as he looped a header past England number one Jordan Pickford, he got on the end of a Cooper header following Ferguson’s set piece on the half-way line, giving Neil Harris’s men a something to talk about at the break.

After the break, the game died down, though Silva’s men looked more up for the challenge in the opening spells. The hosts had to dig deep to deny the Premier League side a second, with balls being smashed away at every opportunity.

Turkish striker Cenk Tosun replaced Dominic Calvert-Lewin just after the hour mark. The Turkish forward was giving Everton the lead seven minutes later as he got on the end of a Gylfi Sigurðsson through ball to finish coolly beating Archer by placing it into the far corner.

It was another set-piece that undid the toffee’s as Jake Cooper controversially put the ball into the back of the net three minutes later to make it 2-2. Wallace’s shot bounced up after hitting Pickford and then was turned in by Cooper’s arm.

Marco Silva was infuriated by the decision and later called for VAR to be at every ground. Replays showed clearly that Copper handled the ball.

Both Tosun and Idrissa Gueye got booked for their constant protesting against the decision as referee Oliver was fed up with the players for overstating their points.

With Four minutes of Stoppage time many fans of the hosts fought that they would be booking their tickets to Liverpool for a midweek game at Goodison Park, but this wasn’t to be the cause as Scottish full-back Murray Wallace scored a dramatic last gasp winner to send the lions through.

As Shaun Williams’s free-kick was knocked down by captain Hutchinson which allowed the defender to control the ball and put it past Pickford,. The Den erupted, their place in the fifth round all but secured.

Millwall are the first side outside the top flight since West Ham between the periods of 1958 and 1991, to win five consecutive home games against Premier League sides in the FA Cup.

The hosts will welcome Rotherham United to The Den as they face off in a relegation six-pointer next Saturday while the toffee’s will look to beat Huddersfield Town on the road next Tuesday as they look to put this disappointment behind them.

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