More cup woe for Lions

Hamstring problems deprived The Lions of the services of Neil Harris and Lewis Grabban for the tie, with manager Kenny Jackett choosing to bring in Ahmet Brkovic alongside Tresor Kandol up front.

With a first league win under their belt after Saturday's match with Huddersfield, the home crowd were hoping for an assured passing performance from their team. But the midfield struggled to keep possession in the early stages, and Colchester fans were celebrating an opening goal as early as the eight minute.

A curling right-foot free kick into the box from Dean Hammond was not properly cleared by the defence, allowing Perkins to blast a strike from the edge of the area. Keeper David Forde tipped the shot onto the crossbar, but was helpless as it bounced off him and into the net.

Millwall could have equalised on 17 minutes after Ashley Grimes was sent through on Mark Cousins, but the Colchester keeper blocked the shot as Grimes hesitated in the box.

Colchester had enjoyed the better movement in the early stages, with Medy Elito, David Perkins and Sunday-Akanni Wasiu particularly threatening in the final third. And The Lions were lucky not to be picking the ball out of the net a second time as the lively Perkins played Wasiu through in the left channel, only to see him slice his shot wide.

Millwall's rearguard were often reduced to looping long balls up to no one from their own half, but the team nearly nicked an equaliser two minutes before half time when Dean Hammond fouled Ashley Grimes right on the edge of the D.

Loan signing Karl Moore left the keeper stranded with a delicately placed free kick over the wall, but saw his shot bounce away off the underside of the bar.

Manager Kenny Jackett sparked Millwall's best spell of the game by bringing on substitutes Gary Bowes and Ali Fuseini for Grimes and Andy Frampton. Bowes was especially full of running early in the second half, riding a challenge in the 48th minute to hit a shot that was blocked out for a corner. Moore's ensuing ball was nodded just over by defender Zak Whitbread.

Colchester had taken their foot largely off the pedal in the second half. However, Millwall's early second half promise slowly dwindled and their threat diminished when Bowes was forced to leave the field with a hamstring tweak on 72 minutes.

Lions fans instead focused their attentions on referee Gavin Ward, who booked Fuseini and Chris Hackett as the last 15 minutes crumbled into a mass of stoppages and laboured play.

The roar went up for a last-gasp penalty when Brkovic chased a cross-field ball into the area, only to be met by what appeared to be a high boot. And referee Ward invited jeers from the home fans when he forced Brkovic to leave the field to replace his bloody shirt, just as Millwall were gearing up for a stoppage-time throw-in level with the Colchester six yard box.

Ward was booed by large sections of the crowd as he left the field. But manager Jackett refused to blame the referee for the club's cup exit after the match.

He said: "A couple of players thought he was a bit harsh, and there were one or two moments at the end. But I haven't got any problem with the referee.
"A good side were playing against us tonight. They had a bit too much for us in almost every department. The back four were okay, although they were at full stretch. The keeper wasn't troubled, but the midfield four were quite poor.
"Kandol caused the centre halves problems, but we didn't have enough behind or around him.
""They've just come out of the Championship, and they got a fair amount of points there. I don't think we're a million miles away, but they had an edge. It wasn't a chasm but it's a gap we've got to make up, especially in the front six positions."

Millwall will look at Grabban and Harris in training on Thursday to check their availability for the home match with Hartlepool on Saturday. Jackett admitted he did not know how long midfielder Danny Spiller would be out after he pulled up with groin trouble in training.

The club kept their chequebook closed as Monday's transfer deadline rolled by, but Jackett claimed he was confident with his current squad at this stage.

He said: "We don't need any injuries, but who does? When we've got our strongest side out and we're there or thereabouts, we're a decent team."