For the second time in five days, Cheltenham Town came out on top in an absorbing contest at Whaddon Road.
This time Millwall, a Coca-Cola League Championship club last season, were beaten in an action-packed contest that had just about everything.
Five goals, a sending-off and chances aplenty at both ends provided plenty of entertainment for the neutral, not that there were many in a crowd that made plenty of noise on all four sides contributing to a tremendous atmosphere.
Robins manager John Ward selected the same starting XI for the fourth consecutive contest, with Mickey Bell (left) being the only change to the teamsheet. The former Port Vale man successfully came through an hour of football at Kidderminster Harriers in midweek and stepped up to the bench at the expense of Andy Gallinagh.
The Robins made a positive start and created chances to take an early lead inside the opening ten minutes. Grant McCann drew a sharp save from former Chelsea shotstopper Lenny Pidgeley with a firm free-kick at a tight angle, while Kayode Odejayi glanced JJ Melligan's centre across goal and wide moments later.
Guinan should have done better from close-range with Odejayi's cutback after the big striker had collected a punt upfield by Higgs with ten minutes played, but despite openings for Zak Whitbread, who headed wide, and Derek McInnes' off-target shot, the home side looked the greater threat in the opening stages and with 13 minutes played, a clumsy piece of defending handed Cheltenham the opportunity to forge in front.
Odejayi flick-headed Craig Armstrong's searching ball from the left into the path of the industrious Melligan, who dinked the ball behind his full-back. His cross appeared to be heading out of play but Paul Robinson wrestled with Steve Guinan and referee Trevor Kettle pointed to the spot.
It was a rash moment by the centre half with the danger apparently averted; and it handed McCann (right) the opportunity to lash the ball into the top right corner for his third goal this term.
Guinan went close to doubling the advantage with a low effort from 20 yards, while at the the end Jamie Victory made a perfect interception to deny Marvin Williams a strike on goal.
But Millwall began to get a foothold in the game and the pressure took it's toll in the 24th minute.
John Finnigan was commited to a tackle on Filipe Morais on the edge of his penalty area and was unfortunate to see the ball squirm loose 20 yards out. Kevin Braniff laid it back to Lions' skipper McInnes, who thumped the ball first time and gave Shane Higgs no chance on his 150th Cheltenham league appearance.
There was further drama with little under ten minutes remaining of the first period after McCann released Odejayi with a delicate ball over the top. Pidgeley raced from his area to narrow the angle but as the striker pulled the trigger, the goalkeeper spread himself and blocked the effort. His protestations that the ball had been struck against his face fell on deaf ears and referee Kettle, believing that he had handled it outside his area, brandished a red card.
Skipper McInnes took his protest too far and found himself in Mr Kettle's book so boss Nigel Spackman was forced to withdraw Morais and send on replacement Chris Day to face the subsequent free-kick. Brian Wilson though failed to examine the shotstopper, lifting his effort his over the crossbar.
The sending off meant that Millwall lined-up with a solitary striker but as is so often the case in football, the incident seemed to galvanise the visitors.
In first half injury time, some great work by Finnigan in the middle handed Steve Guinan a chance but Day did well to block his effort from 18 yards. But as the move broke down, Millwall turned defence into attack and a sublime ball by Kevin Braniff released Williams down the inside channel. The striker had Jamie Victory for company, but he cut inside, took a touch and rifled a shot past Higgs to hand his side the lead at the end of another rollercoaster half of football.
After a slow start to the second half, manager Ward felt he needed to shake his options up an hour into the game and made a double substitution. Guinan made way for Steven Gillespie while Jerry Gill was replaced by Ashley Vincent. Brian Wilson went to right back while Vincent used his pace on the left but it was the electric turn of foot by Odejayi in the 67th minute that unsettled the Millwall defence.
Ashley Vincent looked to roll the ball forward for Gillespie but the young striker was in an offside position and conceded the chase. Odejayi (left), though, did not and chased down the loose ball behind Richard Shaw and Maurice Ross, making up the two yard advantage the pair held. The big man took the ball into the penalty area and steered it first time underneath Day's frame for his third of the campaign.
A worrying sight for Robins' supporters was Steven Gillepie limping down the tunnel only 15 minutes after coming on. The striker went down after tangling with Shaw on the right touchline and was replaced by Bell for his first outing of the season.
And the left midfielder started the move deep inside his own half that handed Cheltenham their third goal after Braniff had carelessly surrendered possession. Bell played in Odejayi, who took advantage of Ross' slip to make progress down the left flank before cutting the ball back to McCann. The Irishman's shot from 18 yards was parried at full stretch by Day as far as Melligan (right), who made no mistake from a tight angle ten yards out.
The Robins had some defending to do in the closing stages, but they stood strong and a textbook piece of defending by Caines with five minutes to play halted a dangerous passage of Lions' play.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Higgs; Gill (Vincent 62), Caines, Victory, Armstrong; Melligan, Finnigan (c), McCann, Wilson; Guinan (Gillespie 62, Bell 76), Odejayi. Subs not used: Brown (Gk), Wylde.
MILLWALL: Pidgeley; Ross, Robinson, Shaw, Whitbread; Hackett (Ardley 48), Elliott, McInnes (c), Williams (Hubertz 72); Morais (Day 38), Braniff. Subs not used: Craig, Mawene.
REFEREE: T.M. Kettle (Rutland)
ATTENDANCE: 4,386 (738 from Millwall)