Paul Jones was Crawley's hero as they beat Millwall in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in the Capital One Cup at The Den.

Reds led twice through Hope Akpan and Nicky Adams in normal time but Darren Ward and Shaun Batt hit back for the Lions.

Neither side could make the breakthrough in extra-time but Reds won the shoot-out 4-1 with Jones making two excellent saves.

Crawley now go into the hat for the second round tomorrow lunchtime.

Crawley made a bright start against their Championship opponents and had already gone close through a Gary Alexander header when Akpan gave them the lead in the 16th minute.

Billy Clarke's effort was deflected for a corner and from Nicky Adams' delivery Akpan rose at the near post to glance a header past Maik Taylor.

Crawley deserved their lead but it only lasted only seven minutes. Paul Jones dropped a routine catch from a corner and although the ball was scrambled away by Dannie Bulman it was whipped back into the area by Liam Feeney for Ward to plant a header which the Reds keeper got a hand to but could not keep out.

Alexander had a great chance to restore Crawley's advantage before the interval only to head over from an inviting cross by Adams.

Reds came out quickly after the break and were back ahead in the 57th minute as Adams curled a sensational shot into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Alexander thought he had made it 3-1 when he sidefooted home from 12 yards but Adams was adjudged to have impeded goalkeeper Taylor.

Millwall began to turn up the pressure and Jones needed to be alert to keep out an effort from former Reds loanee Shaun Batt before Dannie Bulman cleared Darius Henderson's follow-up off the line.

Crawley looked like they would hold on until a poor clearance from Claude Davis with five minutes to go set up Batt to send the game into extra-time.

Millwall had the ball in the net in the first period of extra-time but Henderson was adjudged to have fouled Kyle McFadzean after rounding Jones.

Substitute John Akinde had a great chance to win the game with eight minutes to go but blazed his shot over the bar after being put clear by Sergio Torres.

Henderson also fired wide from a good position with two minutes to go to ensure the game went to penalties.

Jones made amends for his error earlier in the game when he saved from Henderson and Jack Smith in the shoot-out with Alexander, Bulman, McFadzean and David Hunt successfully converting to seal victory.