Full-time from The Den
The teams were locked 1-1 at the end of normal, and then extra time and all five penalty takers from either side scored until Lions keeper Tom King saved splendidly from Coner Hubble, leaving young Millwall sub Kyron Farrell to send his side through 6-5 with a clinical sixth spot kick.
Neil Harris' U21s booked their place in the next round of the League Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Colchester United at The Den on Monday night.
Neil Harris' U21s booked their place in the next round of the League Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Colchester United at The Den on Monday night.
Millwall looked quite comfortable in the opening stages and had a good opportunity to test James Bransgrove in the visiting goal in the ninth minute, but a six-man defensive wall did its job and blocked Magaye Gueye's stinging free-kick.
There was to be no let-off, however, just four minutes later when from a near-identical position some 20 yards out, Powell curled his free-kick over the wall to give Bransgrove no chance - and Millwall the lead their early play deserved.
It was so nearly 2-0 on 22 minutes when Sofiane El Bekri's 18-yard shot took a wicked deflection, looped up and dropped inches past the post for one of seven Millwall corners in the opening half.
From Powell's resulting delivery, Jake Goodman's bullet header was acrobatically tipped over by Bransgrove and moments later the big defender was in action at the other end, sweeping up the ball from U's Byron Lawrence as he shaped to shoot.
Colchester stunned the home team by grabbing an equaliser just before the half-hour mark with a thumping finish by Tom Lapslie from the edge of the area after The Lions had failed to clear their lines.
Neither keeper got near to saving any of the first ten spot kicks taken as the two teams were locked at 5-5. But Lions stopper King produced an excellent save low to his left to keep out Hubble's crisp penalty and up stepped Farrell to settle the match with a cool-as-you-like finish for Millwall.
Powell almost snatched victory right at the death with a low angled drive that flashed just past the upright with Bransgrove stranded, and penalties followed.
With both teams tiring, a long forward ball from Powell was intercepted by keeper Bransgrove, who sprinted off his line to clear with Philpot racing through on goal as the game entered the final five minutes.
Home keeper King was called into action twice in the first period of extra time, first getting his body behind a fierce drive from Lawrence and then superbly tipping Kane Vincent Young's goalbound effort onto the bar and over for a rare Colchester corner.
The Lions had a couple of opportunities too with Dylan Casey's bullet header flashing narrowly wide following a super passage of play and Ben Thompson scooping over after the ball bobbled just as he was about to connect from close-range, but neither team could find that second goal and the game headed into extra-time.
Three times Bonne was in great positions but fired high, then wide in a one on one with King before the keeper spread himself brilliantly to avert the danger with a brave block five minutes from time.
It was Colchester - and Macauley Bonne in particular - who were left to rue what might have been in the second half as the visitors created the clearer chances.
The U's grew in confidence and it took a fine save by Lions keeper Tom King to parry Dominic Vose's drive just before half-time to ensure the sides went in level at the break.
Powell almost snatched victory right at the death with a low angled drive that flashed just past the upright with Bransgrove stranded, and penalties followed.
With both teams tiring, a long forward ball from Powell was intercepted by keeper Bransgrove, who sprinted off his line to clear with Philpot racing through on goal as the game entered the final five minutes.
Home keeper King was called into action twice in the first period of extra time, first getting his body behind a fierce drive from Lawrence and then superbly tipping Kane Vincent Young's goalbound effort onto the bar and over for a rare Colchester corner.
The Lions had a couple of opportunities too with Dylan Casey's bullet header flashing narrowly wide following a super passage of play and Ben Thompson scooping over after the ball bobbled just as he was about to connect from close-range, but neither team could find that second goal and the game headed into extra-time.
Three times Bonne was in great positions but fired high, then wide in a one on one with King before the keeper spread himself brilliantly to avert the danger with a brave block five minutes from time.
It was Colchester - and Macauley Bonne in particular - who were left to rue what might have been in the second half as the visitors created the clearer chances.
The U's grew in confidence and it took a fine save by Lions keeper Tom King to parry Dominic Vose's drive just before half-time to ensure the sides went in level at the break.
Bransgrove, Vincent-Young, O'Donoghue, Okuonghae, Lokko, Lawrence, Vose, Bonne (Hubble, 91mins), Lapslie, Curtis, Smith. Subs not used: Carroll, Roast, Brampton. Colchester United:
Powell (13mins) Scorer:
King, Siafa, Casey, El Bekri (Rylah, 94mins), Goodman, Shittu, Powell, Thompson (Wood, 104mins), Philpot, Onyedinma (Farrell, 75mins), Gueye. Subs not used: Webb, Girling.