Newcastle United needed a moment of magic from substitute Joe Willock to avoid the ignominy of penalties against lower league opposition, edging past a determined Millwall side to book their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle fielded a full strength lineup at the Den, a nod to both the injury woes hampering the Lions and his genuine respect for the competition. Yet his side struggled to convert their territorial dominance into clear openings, managing only one shot on target across the first sixty minutes, a fierce strike from Willock that was superbly parried by home keeper Filip Marschall.
The Championship outfit pushed hard for a shock result and nearly snatched the lead when substitute Tairyk Arconte raced through following a lapse from Tino Livramento, only to see his firm attempt cannon back off the upright.
Newcastle also felt hard done by just before the interval, with a strong shout for a spot kick dismissed despite Millwall’s Caleb Taylor appearing to tug at Fabian Schar’s shirt inside the area.
With the tie drifting toward a shootout, Willock finally settled matters in the 81st minute, sliding home Lewis Hall’s driven delivery from close range to send the travelling Newcastle fans into raptures.
The narrow victory keeps Jaissle unbeaten since taking charge and sends the reigning champions through to the last 16, though question marks over their cutting edge in front of goal will linger heading into the next round.
