Millwall 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 2 (aet, 4-5 on penalties): Seagulls win shoot-out after late comeback

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London, March 17: Brighton and Hove Albion beat Millwall on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup after staging a dramatic late comeback to draw 2-2 with the Championship strugglers.

The Premier League side looked set to be tumbling out of the competition after second-half goals from Alex Pearce and Aiden O'Brien put Millwall 2-0 up.

However, Jurgen Locadia gave Brighton hope of a comeback, which was completed when Millwall goalkeeper David Martin inexplicably let Solly March's free-kick slip through his hands with the last kick of normal time.

Shane Ferguson was sent off in extra time but Millwall held on for penalties, only to be denied a trip to Wembley as Jake Cooper blazed over to give Brighton a 5-4 win in the shoot-out and a last-four tie with Manchester City.

Brighton had marginally the better of a dour first half, Beram Kayal twice drawing saves from Martin, though the midfielder should have done better with a tame header from Anthony Knockaert's right-wing cross, those chances sandwiched by hooked effort over from Lee Gregory.

As a chill - and hailstones - descended over The Den, the action finally heated up. Martin dived to parry a Kayal effort from outside the box before Mat Ryan saved smartly from Jed Wallace after he was played through by Gregory, who was then himself thwarted by the Australian.

Millwall continued in the ascendancy, though, and were rewarded as Pearce slipped his marker Lewis Dunk and powered a thumping header into the net despite Kayal's attempt to clear off the line.

More poor defending from Brighton enabled the home team to double their lead, Wallace breaking free down the right to square for O'Brien to find the bottom-left corner.

That looked to have settled the contest in Millwall's favour but Locadia turned and lashed home emphatically to give Brighton hope of forcing extra time, which they did in extraordinary circumstances as Martin flapped at March's seemingly innocuous delivery.

Mahlon Romeo wasted a gilt-edged chance to restore Millwall's advantage in extra time, blazing over after Ryan could only parry James Meredith's shot into his path, and at the other end Martin was equal to March's near-post attempt at the end of a fine Brighton move.

Millwall's hopes of clinging on were dented when Ferguson deservedly saw red for stamping on Dunk, who subsequently put Brighton into a decisive lead in the shoot-out before nerves got the better of the unfortunate Cooper.