Report by John Patrick Heeley

After the defensive shut out at the New Den on Saturday something had to give on a night when there could only be one winner.

The expectations of most fans were that it would be a tough, hard fought out contest between two sides who had already battled out three stalemates this season and it took one solitary goal on the hour mark to decide the tie.

Little Darren Sheridan was the hero of the night as his goal sent Wigan Athletic to Wembley for the second time in barely more than a year and that step closer to Division One for the first time in their short league history.

However, outstanding performances by stand in keeper Derek Stillie and defender Pat McGibbon should be remembered.

The first half was in the whole Millwall's. They piled on the pressure and carved out chance after chance in a bid to get a grip on the proceedings but Wigan's back three were in fine form and Derek Stillie between the posts was in fine form and kept Latics in the contest on more than one occassion.

Neil Harris saw a couple of his efforts narrowly go wide of the target and Derek Stillie was forced to punch clear after Moody threatened to get on the end of a Lucas Neill free kick.

After thirty minutes had elapsed Neil Redfearn lined up a free kick ten yards outside the area in a dangerous position.

His shot at goal, however, took the slightest of deflections off the Millwall wall and went behind for a corner kick.

Half Time: Wigan 0 Millwall 0

Millwall came out for the second half much the same way as they went in from the first, piling on the pressure.

Five minutes into the second period David Livermore fired a low ball across the face of the goal and all it needed was someone to connect but luckily for Latics there was no one there to oblige.

Stillie was called into action five minutes later after Cahill had latched onto a Harris cross but Derek was there at the near post to block with his legs.

Just before the hour mark Pat McGibbon earned his pay packet after Stillie made his first and last mistake of the evening.

Stillie came to the near post to collect a cross from dangerman Harris out on the left flank.

Stillie's fumble looked to have let Cahill sneak in but McGibbon slid in to deny the Millwall midfielder.

This proved to be the turning point of the game as Wigan went straight up the field from the resulting corner with Haworth racing down the right and was brought down by Livermore just outside the penalty area.

Wigan pushed everybody forward and packed the penalty area expecting Darren Sheridan to lob into the box and find a Wigan head but he had other ideas.

As the two teams were jostling with each other for position Sheridan drilled the ball low through the pack of bodies, taking a deflection off a Millwall player en route before nutmegging former Liverpool reserve keeper Tony Warner with the ball going through his legs and sending the Wigan faithful wild.

Straight from the restart Sheridan was in action at the other end of the field. Derek Stillie pushed a Moody effort behind and from the resulting Ifill corner Sheridan was there on the line to head clear from a bullet of a header from Cahill.

Haworth very nearly made his critics eat their words after 75 minutes after finding himself clear just outside of the area.

He looked up and curled a ball around the diving Warner but his effort went inches wide.

Millwall increased the pressure for the remainder of the game with Wigan forced to defend in numbers but probably the save of the night came from Stillie after Scott Green powered a header towards his own net.

Stillie dove to his left and somehow clawed the ball around the post and out for yet another Millwall corner.

With three minutes of injury time played and seconds ticking away, Millwall forced what seemed like their hundredth corner of the night.

This prompted 6'4" Tony Warner to leave his line in a hope that his height may prove fruitful and square the tie sending it to extra time.

The cross came to the far post and Pat McGibbon was on hand to head clear to Liddell who turned and headed off up the pitch with Warner still only a matter of yards outside the Wigan penalty area.

Liddell only managed a few strides as Whitley Bay official David Laws brought an end to the proceedings signalling a pitch invasion by jubilant Wigan fans and disgraceful behaviour from a section of the Millwall following.

Seats were ripped up and hurled onto the pitch by some fans as others fought it out with riot police in an attempt to get on the pitch themselves.

Now it's off to Wembley and the twin towers where Latics will meet Gillingham to decide who will be playing First Division Football in August.

Gillingham pulled back from a 3-2 deficit to level the tie at full time and settled it in extra time against nine man Stoke City. Final score at Prestfield 3-0 (agg. 5-3).