Commons takes Lions to cup replay

02 January 2010 17:48
The League One Lions, beaten finalists in 2004, had taken a deserved lead through Lewis Grabban's first goal of the season shortly after half-time.[LNB]But Commons secured a replay for the Championship side moments later when he latched on to a rare mistake in the Millwall back line.[LNB]With Derby struggling in the league and having won just once on the road all term, Millwall went straight on the attack.[LNB]They almost went ahead after 14 minutes when defender Jack Smith strode forward and drove narrowly wide.[LNB]Rob Hulse should have done better with Derby's first chance but his shot flew wide, before Chris Porter's header was comfortably dealt with by Lions goalkeeper David Forde.[LNB]But Millwall bossed the majority of the first half, with Dave Martin seeing a shot deflected wide and Smith fizzing another long-range effort past the post.[LNB]Chris Hackett then played in Lewis Grabban with a superb cross-field ball but the winger's angled drive crashed into the side-netting.[LNB]The hosts survived a scare on the stroke of half-time when Commons' shot took a wicked deflection off Jimmy Abdou and Paul Robinson had to head the ball off the line.[LNB]Rams manager Nigel Clough, a finalist with Nottingham Forest in 1991, threw on new loan signing Lee Johnson at the break in place of Lee Hendrie.[LNB]But the goal Millwall had been threatening eventually came in the 49th minute when Hackett swung in a high cross and Grabban tucked the ball past Rams goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.[LNB]However, the lead lasted barely three minutes before Commons capitalised on some hesitant Lions defending to equalise.[LNB]Tony Craig could only head Dean Moxey's throw-in to the feet of Commons and the Scotland midfielder lashed the ball home from 10 yards for his second goal of the campaign.[LNB]Both sides had chances to win the game with Martin heading Marc Laird's cross wide and Hulse finding the side-netting.[LNB]Millwall striker Steve Morison, who has scored seven goals in his last seven games, had a header hacked off the line and saw his follow-up shot blocked.[LNB]And in the dying seconds Morison put another shot inches wide as the Rams held out.[LNB][LNB]

Source: Team_Talk