TALK about the romance of the cup - this was football's equivalent of Valentines Day.

First there was fans' hero Francis Benali starting his first game for almost three years and his first ever at St Mary's.

Then Steve Claridge - the ultimate non-Saint, Portsmouth-born, Portsmouth supporting, former Portsmouth player and manager - put lower division underdogs Millwall into the lead.

Then, with only a minute left, Kevin Davies, who revealed in the Echo the day before the match that he is going to leave Saints having not been offered a new contract, pops up to earn a replay against the team he was on-loan with only a few months ago.

To top it all, one manager was best man at the other's wedding.

A dozen red roses and a rather large box of Milk Tray for whichever footballing God wrote this script.

Gordon Strachan and Mark McGhee may be old friends, but the Lions boss came up with a cunning plan that worked well on Saturday.

He left Claridge up front on his own and strung five across the midfield. The three central players held together tight and compact in front of the defence while the two wide men broke forward to join the attack.

McGhee explained: "Tactically I thought we got it right, making it difficult for them and letting them have possession at the back - they found it difficult to pick us off.

"At home it might be more difficult for us to do that, but I don't think it will be the same game.

"If we had come here and tried to match them in a 4-4-2 we would have been beaten."

Former Aberdeen European heroes McGhee and Strachan will now meet up again at The New Den a week tomorrow and have put off their 'loser pays for dinner' bet until after the replay.

The Lions boss added: "I thought it was a good game and a good cup tie.

"The equalising goal came late but they did have chances to get a goal before that, but I enjoyed it tremendously.

"The replay will be another difficult game but we will look forward to it.

"As the game went on I never thought we were in the next round.

I couldn't begin to think that way because cup ties have a habit of going the distance, but it was a big disappointment that we lost the goal.

"We deserved a draw but we could have got a victory.

"All I hope is that they don't find a different Millwall side in the replay.

"I don't think our best chance has gone, I think their best chance has gone."

Saints got plenty of the ball out wide, thanks to Millwall's two wide men playing in advanced positions and the other three playing centrally, but didn't create much from crosses.

McGhee's men had the first opening when Michael Svensson's pass was intercepted by Paul Ifill who rounded Antti Niemi.

He carried on when he might have gone down and Claridge got in a shot which returning hero Benali, whose last first team appearance was as a sub at Middlesbrough in September 2001, cleared off the line.

But there was no reprieve on 17 minutes when Steven Reid's right wing free-kick was headed down by Paul Robinson and Claridge did well to control and finish with the outside of his right boot from close range - his sixth goal in the last five league and cup ties.

He certainly enjoyed it - the celebrations, all in front of the Saints fans, went on for quite some time and it seemed that the more stick he got the better he played.

Saints almost levelled after 31 minutes when Michael Svensson slid on to Rory Delap's deep cross to hit the post.

Then ensued an amazing goalmouth scramble with both Anders and Michael Svensson having shots blocked, saved and cleared off the line by the last defender.

In the second period the game became increasingly open and Niemi had to pull off a few important saves - two from Reid set-pieces and one from the impressive Ifill.

Jo Tessem, introduced for Ormerod and later joined in attack by Davies, blew a great chance to level when he got through one-on-one with Tony Warner and fired straight at him.

But he did much better in the final throes of the match when his shot was only parried by the keeper and feel to Davies who made no mistake, sidefooting into the top corner from six yards to extend the romance for at least another week.