Derby edged out Millwall on 5-3 penalties in their FA Cup third-round replay at Pride Park on Tuesday night.
Bywater save sends Rams into fourth round
Derby edged out Millwall on 5-3 penalties in their FA Cup third-round replay at Pride Park on Tuesday night.
Steve Morison's extra-time strike looked to have earned Millwall a place in the fourth-round round, but Steve Davies equalised soon after to force penalties.
Derby scored all five of their penalties in the shoot-out with Stephen Bywater's save from Danny Schofield proving to be the difference for Nigel Clough's side.
Millwall had a great opportunity to take the lead after nine minutes when winger David Martin pulled the ball back from the byline for Morison, but the striker scuffed his left-footed strike wide.
Derby should have been in front moments later when Stephen Pearson broke from midfield to race clear of the Millwall defence but his tame finish was comfortably dealt with by David Forde.
And Rams striker Chris Porter came close to an opener 21 minutes in, when he headed narrowly wide after being picked out by Lee Croft.
But Millwall were on top and missed another opportunity to take the lead six minutes later when skipper Paul Robinson met a corner from the right but headed wide from eight yards out.
Vulnerable
Derby looked vulnerable at the back and Lewis Grabban tested Bywater nine minutes before half-time after getting the better of Miles Addison, who was replaced by Shaun Barker minutes later due to injury.
Kris Commons looked Derby's most threatening player going forward and he flashed a left-footed strike narrowly wide from 20 yards out after a neat turn.
Derby looked more dangerous after the break and Jake Buxton headed across the face of goal after being picked out by Commons but there was nobody on hand to apply the finish.
Millwall needed some desperate defending to clear after a goalmouth scramble following a Commons corner.
Derby midfielder Pearson sped away down the left in the 67th minute and produced an inviting cross for Porter, but the former Motherwell frontman's finish rattled the crossbar.
And Derby had one last chance to win the tie inside 90 minutes, but Davies' ball across the box in stoppage time once again evaded everybody.
Morison should have done better when he headed straight at Bywater 10 minutes into extra-time and moments later Scott Barron was unfortunate to see his right-footed curler from long range come back off the inside of the post.
Opener
But the Lions were in front after 107 minutes when Morison rose to head a left-wing corner against the post but poked home the rebound with the Derby defence failing to react.
But with time seemingly running out for Derby, Davies burst through and produced a clinical left-footed finish with seven minutes remaining to take the tie to penalties.
And it was Bywater who proved to be Derby's hero, denying Schofield from the spot, with Davies, Robbie Savage, Porter, Gary Teale and Dean Moxey scoring for the Rams.
