Millwall have ended their recent Carabao Cup woes, securing a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth and booking their place in the second round for the first time in three years. The Lions' previous two outings in the competition had ended in embarrassing defeats to Reading and Cambridge, but a fine finish from 19-year-old Romain Esse proved decisive at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth enjoyed a promising start to the match, narrowly missing out on an early lead when Ryley Towler's header from a free-kick sailed just over the bar. However, Millwall gained control of the match in the 13th minute. George Honeyman's tenacious pressing forced a turnover on the edge of the hosts' box, setting up Esse for a composed finish into the bottom corner.
The first half remained a relatively subdued affair, with both sides making significant changes from their opening Championship fixtures. The game livened up considerably after the break, with both sides creating chances.
Portsmouth's Terry Devlin celebrated what he thought was an equaliser, only to realise his header had gone wide of the target. At the other end, Honeyman was denied by a fine save from Will Norris. Esse came close to doubling Millwall's lead with a curling effort that narrowly missed the goal, while Portsmouth's late attempts from Callum Lang and Towler were not enough to force a penalty shootout.
Millwall will be looking to build on this positive result as they progress in the Carabao Cup, while Portsmouth will be hoping to bounce back from their opening day defeat in the Championship.