Scunthorpe booked their place in the Northern Area final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Tranmere.
The game was three minutes into stoppage-time and destined for a penalty shoot-out when Rovers defender John Johnson deflected a free-kick from Paul Hayes into his own net.
Scunthorpe had taken the lead in a bright first half when striker Ben May sent a superb header flashing past goalkeeper Danny Coyne from an Ian Morris free-kick in the 26th minute.
The home side also went close when winger Martyn Woolford struck the foot of a post with a fierce drive.
Tranmere had almost snatched an early lead when Chris Greenacre, back in the side after injury, had a shot cleared off the line by Scunthorpe skipper Cliff Byrne.
The visitors drove forward at the start of the second half in search of an equaliser which came in the 54th minute with a terrific finish from Ian Moore's angled drive.
Rotherham scraped through to the Northern Area final after a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory against Darlington following a 1-1 draw.
Steven Cann was the Millers' hero, saving two penalties before Michael Cummins scored the winning spot-kick to dump his former club out of the competition.
The only bright spot in a disappointing first half came in the 34th minute when Darlington skipper Steve Foster turned the ball home from close range. Billy Clarke's free-kick from wide on the right found its way to Liam Hatch and his cross was turned in by Foster.
Rotherham failed to manage a single shot on target in the first half, and Simon Brown's only worrying moment came on the half hour when Peter Holmes put Ryan Taylor through, but the keeper got down smartly to save before Taylor could pull the trigger.
It was a different story after the break as Rotherham suddenly sprang to life. Reuben Reid and Taylor tested Brown, while Jamie Green had the keeper scrambling, but the home side had to wait until the 74th minute for an equaliser.
Dale Tonge's cross from the right eluded everyone to reach Danny Harrison on the far post and he slammed the ball into the roof of the net.
Shrewsbury striker Grant Holt missed the crucial fifth penalty as Brighton secured a 5-4 shoot-out victory in the Southern Area final of after a goalless draw.
Shrews, who had scored 13 goals without reply in their previous ties, could not find a way past their League One opponents.
Holt and Ben Davies twice missed good chances and Brighton's young goalkeeper John Sullivan kept the Seagulls in the game with a spectacular flying save to tip over a 20-yard drive from Jamie White.
When the tie went to penalties, the two sides scored their first four. But after Matt Richards scored a fifth for Brighton, Holt, who has scored from the penalty spot six times this season, missed the vital kick.
The Football League's bottom club Luton pulled off a shock 1-0 win over League One Colchester to earn a place in the Southern Area final.
Claude Gnakpa's 29th-minute goal was enough to see the Hatters - still stuck on minus six points at the bottom of League Two - dispose of their higher league opponents.
After a quiet opening period it was the hosts who had the first chance when Wayne Andrews cut in from the left in the 24th minute and unleashed a 25-yard effort that was tipped aside by Dean Gerken. Five minutes later Luton were ahead when Rossi Jarvis cut the ball back from the left byline for Andrews to strike a 16-yard effort that was deflected in by Gnakpa from six yards.
Colchester responded and almost drew level five minutes before the break when Scott Vernon's thunderous 15-yard volley came back off the underside of the crossbar from Johnnie Jackson's corner. Luton then had another lucky escape five minutes after the interval when Jackson ran into the penalty area past Ian Roper and Jake Howells only to see his 14-yard effort hit the inside of the post and fly across the goalmouth to safety.
A rare second-half chance for Luton saw Jarvis curl an 18-yard free-kick just past the post in the 55th minute, but Colchester piled on the pressure late on and substitute Steven Gillespie was guilty of a glaring miss nine minutes from time when he side-footed wide from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.
Then, deep into injury-time, Conrad Logan pulled off a stunning save from Anthony Wordsworth's close-range effort to ensure Luton went through.
