Romain Esse’s fine finish gave Millwall a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth and fired the Lions into the Carabao Cup second round for the first time in three years.

Millwall were embarrassed 4-0 by Reading last season and Cambridge the year before but the 19-year-old ended their woes.

Pompey started strongly and could have led when Ryley Towler bundled an awkward free-kick just over the bar.

But Millwall took control in the 13th minute when George Honeyman harried for the ball on the edge of the hosts’ box before Esse took over and calmly placed it into the bottom corner.

The rest of the first half was summed up by 13 combined changes from their SkyBet Championship openers. But things livened up after the break.

Firstly, Portsmouth’s Terry Devlin wheeled away in celebration having failed to realise his header had wobbled the side-netting before Honeyman was brilliantly denied by the feet of Will Norris at the other end.

Esse came close to a second when he curled a shot narrowly over and, while Pompey had late efforts through Callum Lang and Towler, they could not force penalties.