Maresca: A home tie will Pep us up in the next round
ENZO MARESCA says all he wants in the FA Cup fourth round is some home comfort after Leicester survived a scare in the Lions’ Den.
Goals from Cesare Casadei, Ricardo Pereira and Tom Cannon saw the runaway Championship leaders through.
But Millwall ran them close with Zian Flemming setting up a tense finale after Duncan Watmore got them back in it.
Maresca, who won this competition as Pep Guardiola’s assistant last season, was cheekily asked afterwards if he wants Manchester City in the next round.
But he joked that he doesn’t care so long as the Foxes are at the King Power Stadium after playing all four of their ties in both cup competitions away so far this season.
Maresca said: “Do I want City in the next round? We will see! All I can say is I would like to play at home.
“It was a tricky game for many reasons. We made many changes. But we created many chances, scored three goals, could have scored more.”
The Lions should have taken the lead when Watmore raced through but chose to shoot when Kevin Nisbet was better placed.
They were made to pay when Marc Albrighton swung in a deep cross from the right and Casadei rose highest to head it home in the 17th minute.
It was Leicester’s first effort on target and Millwall came back strongly with Watmore, Flemming and
Jake Cooper all going close. So it was totally against the run of play when the visitors doubled their lead through Pereira.
The home side grabbed a lifeline when Flemming headed on George Honeyman’s corner and Watmore stabbed it home from close range.
Millwall were pressing hard for an equaliser when Cannon scored a killer third on the break after a pinpoint long ball from Callum Doyle.
Flemming then made things interesting by volleying home a corner with five minutes to go.
But after Cannon was denied a penalty at one end in stoppage time, Flemming fired wide at the other and Leicester clung on.
Lions boss Joe Edwards said: “They dominated in both boxes. They were clinical.
“Not many teams score two against them and we looked like scoring a third.
“But their third was a killer blow.”
MILLWALL: Sarkic 7; Leonard 5 (Longman (42) 6), Cooper 6, Harding 6; Mcnamara 7, Honeyman 7, Mitchell 6, Bryan 6; Watmore 8 (Esse (77) 6), Flemming 7; Nisbet 6 (Bradshaw (67) 6) LEICESTER: Stolarczyk 6; Ricardo Pereira 6, Coady 7, Nelson 6, Doyle 7; Casadei 8, Choudhury 6; Albrighton 7, Akgun 7 (Dewsburyhall (72) 6), Marcal-madivadua 6 (Maswanhise (77) 6; Cannon 7 STAR MAN: Duncan Watmore – Valiant in defeat as Millwall fought tooth and nail to get back into the game. REF: Oliver Langford 6