ISSUE
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BEN THOMPSON
MILLWALL ARE “BUZZING” BUT STAYING FOCUSED 1
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CONTENTS NEWS
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PREVIEW
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THOMPSON: MILLWALL ARE “BUZZING” – BUT STAYING FOCUSED
DONCASTER ROVERS
OPINION
FEATURE
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
MILLWALL A TO Z
NEWS
PLAYER PROFILE
HARRIS: TREAT MILLWALL FAIRLY IN REGENERATION DECISION
TIM CAHILL
NEWS
MATCH REPORT MILLWALL 3
HARRIS HIGHLIGHTS TWIN WING THREAT IN MILLWALL’S POSH WIN
PETERBORO’ 0 3
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THOMPSON: MILLWALL ARE “BUZZING” - BUT STAYING FOCUSED By John Kelly
matic promotion places.
EN Thompson has stressed Millwall are taking it game by game as they continue to generate belief that they can bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt.
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After their 2-1 defeat to Barnsley on January 2 that difference was a daunting 16 points. But six wins and a draw in eight games has brought the Lions right back into contention.
In what was expected to be a period of transition, Millwall are fifth in League One with Thompson one of nine payers to come through the youth ranks to play for the first team this season.
Thompson was outstanding last weekend in the 3-0 defeat of Peterborough at The Den and could be part of a side back in a play-off final in May.
Neil Harris’ side will be chasing their fifth away league win in a row when they take on Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. That would strengthen their position in the top six and potentially close the six-point gap to the auto-
The 20-year-old midfielder was there as a supporter when the Lions defeated Swindon Town 1-0 in 2010, but he isn’t allowing his attention to drift past this weekend’s clash at the
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the Keepmoat Stadium. “It was an unreal day, the atmosphere was fantastic,” Thompson said. “To get there again would be great but we’ve just got to focus on every game, take it step by step to get there. “I never actually thought of (playing at Wembley) then, but now it’s realistic and you could see it happening. “Everyone around the training ground is buzzing, everyone comes in with the right attitude looking forward to training and playing. If that keeps going there’s no reason why we can’t get there. “You don’t look ahead, don’t get too carried away. Obviously each game is as just as important as the next. If you don’t focus on the next game you lose track of where you are.”
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“EVERYONE AROUND THE TRAINING GROUND IS BUZZING, EVERYONE COMES IN WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE LOOKING FORWARD TO TRAINING AND PLAYING. IF THAT KEEPS GOING THERE’S NO REASON WHY WE CAN’T GET THERE.” 7
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DONCASTER ROVERS By John Kelly
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HAUN Williams is back for Millwall after his two-game ban for the clash with Doncaster this weekend, but right-back Shaun Cummings is out for the rest of the season after surgery on a knee cartilage prob-
Manager Darren Ferguson said this week his side are in relegation trouble, and admits trying to correct that dismal home form could be key to a late-season revival. “I don’t want to start changing loads of things,” Ferguson told the Doncaster Free Press. “I believe if we stick to what we believe in, we’ll get back to winning ways.
Carlos Edwards, 37, played for 60 minutes for the U21s on Tuesday as he builds up his match sharpness.
“I’m not with a bunch of players that have gone from really good to really bad. We’re on a bad run, there’s no getting away from that.
Jamie Philpot scored a penalty in that 3-1 defeat to Hull City, and the 19-year-old could be in Neil Harris’ matchday squad following the departure of John Marquis on loan to Northampton.
“We’ve got a really big game now against Millwall and obviously the home form is something we have to eradicate very quickly.”
Harris has picked a settled side recently, with injury and suspension resulting in a natural rotation in certain positions.
Doncaster this week extended Lynden Gooch’s loan from Sunderland. Midfielder Richard Chaplow could play against his former side.
It’s a crunch week for the Lions. After Doncaster, second-placed Wigan visit The Den on Tuesday night before another home fixture against Blackpool.
Steve Morison (above) hit an early double the last time that sides met.
And Harris indicated he could make changes to his starting XI,
Millwall record against Doncaster: Played 28 Won 12 Drawn 8 Lost 8
“Willo comes back into the thinking for the side, as does Aiden O’Brien, certainly,” Harris said. “Aiden’s had a rest and I think he’s fresh and ready to go again. Fred Onyedinma has had a period of time out of the limelight now where he’s also ready to go.
Form guide (Last five league): Doncaster: DLLLL Millwall: DWWLW Sky Bet odds: Doncaster 13/8 Draw 23/10 Millwall 6/4
“With three games in seven days we’ll be thinking about using those players that are fresh. Shaun Williams will hopefully have trained before Saturday and be fit after his back spasm.”
Probable Millwall team: 4-4-2: Archer; Romeo, Webster, Beevers, J Martin; Wallace, Abdou, Thompson, Ferguson; Morison, Gregory.
Doncaster haven’t won in seven games and have lost their last four. Their last win at the Keepmoat Stadium was on December 12 against Crewe. 9
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NATURAL ROTATION If Millwall get to the play-off final this season it’ll have been a long and gruelling campaign involving 59 games. There is a mental and physical relentlessness to League One. International matches and postponements have meant a higher number of intense periods in the season. Manager Neil Harris doesn’t rotate, however. Rather, it happens naturally. Take the last two months. Jordan Archer was sent off against Gillingham on December 19. David Forde replaced him and kept his place for the next five fixtures. Archer has looked reinvigorated since his return when he has arguably produced his best form of the season, summed up by that superb, improvised and athletic headed save against Peterborough last weekend.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR By John Kelly
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After Mark Beevers was sent off against Oxford, Sid Nelson partnered Byron Webster against Walsall, Rochdale and Scunthorpe, excelling in the first two but struggling at The Den against the Ironn. Nelson is only 20 years old and will learn to compose himself playing at home. Beevers told NewsAtDen this week that he’s not a good spectator, missing the buzz of matchday as his teammates travel to away fixtures. At a crucial point in the season he is now back in the side, physically and mentally recuperated and determined to keep his place for the rest of the season. Carlos Edwards is in a similar position, albeit it was injury that kept him out of the side. Edwards looked relaxed and played well within himself against Hull U21s this week. Mahlon Romeo, another beneficiary of that natural rotation, has come in and performed exceptionally well, perhaps to the extent he is now first choice. Harris picks the team on form, and if Romeo’s dips then Edwards’ period away from competitive action should ensure he is ready and rested to make an important contribution.
WATCH FOR THE VULTURES
Chelsea being interested in Mbulu might be a bit unlikely (And a source told NewsAtDen during the week the player has, in the short term, no intention of leaving the club that gave him his professional chance, anyway), but the fact that 13 players (We’re not including Tony Craig) who have come through the youth system have featured in senior matchday squads this season will provoke interest at some point.
It won’t be long before Millwall’s success in integrating players from the youth ranks in the first team starts to get noticed by clubs higher up the food chain. Millwall fans woke on Wednesday morning to the eye-catching news that Chelsea were reportedly interested in U21 centre-back Christian Mbulu. It was reported in the Sun and then picked up on by a number of other national outlets.
You can add to that impressive figure Jordan Archer, Mahlon Romeo and Shane Ferguson, who were discarded by other clubs but been picked up by Millwall and given the platform on which to regularly show their talent and potential.
The truth is it’s quite easy to make these links. There are scouts at every game and all it really takes is for a Premier League scout, for example, to be recognised at an U21 game and links, whether with or without foundation, made into a story.
Harris has done and is doing what he said before the start of the season he would – bringing in young players schooled in the Millwall way and who have a deep connection with the club and therefore help deepen the connection between the fans and the team.
“Scouts are checking out player X…” is vague enough not to raise suspicion that it was conjured up on a slow news day if a move does not actually eventually materialise, while also eye-catching enough to pique readers’ interests, particularly when that scout is reported to be acting on behalf of Chelsea.
The flipside is those fans could soon find themselves worrying about those players being poached by the bigger clubs.
GENERAL LEE
Remarkably, Millwall have yet to lose any of the 15 games in which Gregory has scored this season. When he’s on fire, he’s firing Millwall to the draws and wins that have propelled them into automatic promotion contention.
Hands up, who thought Lee Gregory would be on 20 goals at this stage of the season? It’s all the more impressive given he’s arguably missed at least half that number in chances he ought to have taken.
It seems a long time ago that he was being substituted at half-time in a 2-0 defeat to Chesterfield and then subsequently dropped for four games. Gregory’s innate ability to get into goalscoring positions has been a feature of his play this season, and the addition of Jed Wallace on the right wing has increased his threat.
Gregory, and his striker partner Steve Morison, are quintessential Harris front men: Hard workers with clever movement, and in Morison’s case probably better than any other front player in the division in the air and better than any other attacker at defending set-pieces.
If Gregory avoids injury or a dip in form, his goals could ensure Millwall are well in the promotion shake-up, whether in the top two or, after May 8, preparing for the play-offs.
Gregory scored just twice in his first 12 games this season, and both of those were penalties. He got his first league goal against Swindon on October 17. Since then he has scored 16 in 24 games.
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Morison tops the assists chart. He has seven this season in all competitions. Shaun Williams is second with six. The top-assisting defender is Mark Beevers, with three. 14 ŠMillwallFC
Stat's that... BY JOHN KELLY
28 55 10
350 1
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Millwall and Doncaster have met 28 times in their history. The Lions have won 12 with eight draws and eight Doncaster wins.
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At the same stage in League One in 2009/10, Millwall had 55 points from 32 games and were seventh in the table. This season’s haul of 53 points from 32 games has them fifth. Lee Gregory has scored ten goals in his last ten games. After scoring in six consecutive games before the Scunthorpe defeat he might have been thinking about the club record for most consecutive game scored in. That belongs to Steve Lovell who scored in 11 games in a row in 1984-85. If former Lions midfielder Richard Chaplow plays on Saturday it will be his 350th professional appearance. Put your money on a Millwall win or loss – they have only drawn one of their last 22 fixtures. The Lions haven’t drawn away from home since the 1-1 stalemate against Blackpool on October 20.
Morison tops the assists chart. He has seven this season in all competitions. Shaun Williams is second with six. The top-assisting defender is Mark Beevers, with three.
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Morison (four) and Williams (three) have also hit the woodwork more often than anyone else…
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…and the same duo are top of the indiscipline charts. Morison has given away 50 fouls in the league, Williams 35.
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Doncaster boss Darren Ferguson has won just under 41 per cent of his games in charge (9/22). Not counting a three-game spell as caretaker in 2013-14, Lions boss Neil Harris’s win ratio is just over 47 per cent (24/51)
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In the first encounter between the sides this season, Steve Morison scored both goals within the first eight minutes.
Millwall have 57,100 followers on Twitter. Doncaster have 129,000.
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IS FOR KANE By Mark Litchfield
tively, but it was his partnership with Darius Henderson – beginning with the cup replay against Dagenham – where Lions fans began to see Kane’s talent.
HE Lions have utilised the loan market to great success (and not so great success!) over the years – you can find out about that later on in this issue.
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Jackett’s men quickly dispatched their London rivals, winning 5-0, courtesy of two goals from Kane and a Henderson hat-trick. The striker did not score for nine games after that, but his hard-working nature and willingness to play for the badge began to endear himself to the Den faithful. With Andy Keogh coming in to replace Henderson for the final part of the season, Kane’s industry turned into goals, as the Lions strung together an eight-match unbeaten run, pulling themselves away from the Championship relegation zone at the right time.
However, as The A-Z of Millwall reaches the letter K, it is time to take a look at one of the clubs most famous loan captures – Harry Kane. With Kenny Jackett’s side struggling in the bottom half of the Championship, the manager turned to Tottenham Hotspur for help, bringing in Kane – then a young, relatively unknown striker – on loan on New Years Day 2012. Kane made his debut as a lone striker in a 1-0 defeat to Bristol City two days later, before being paired with John Marquis and Dany N’Guessan in a 0-0 FA Cup draw with Dagenham & Redbridge and a 6-0 defeat at home to Birmingham City respec-
Included in that unbeaten run was five straight wins (Hull City, Portsmouth, Leicester City, Coventry City and Ipswich Town) – seven strikes in the final fourteen games of the 17
season complimented Keogh’s nine, as the partnership scored the goals needed to ensure survival.
Kane made his way back to Spurs for the beginning of the 2012/13 season, but if truth be told, the Lions never really stood a chance.
Despite only being at the club for half the campaign, Kane won the Young Player of the Season and was presented with the trophy before the clubs final game of the year against Blackpool.
Kane’s quality was clear to see; even at such a young age, his Premier League class was evident – it is no surprise to any Lions fan that he has gone on to become one of the best strikers in the country.
Calls from the stands to sign the youngster on a permanent basis eventually fell on deaf ears, as
Just imagine if we did sign him, though?
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IS FOR LOAN MARKET By Mark Litchfield
such as Jason Puncheon, Harry Kane, James Henry and Andros Townsend, but on the flip side, tortured them with the likes of Dany N’Guessan, Calvin Andrew, George Friend and, of course, the worst of them all, Rob Hulse.
S already shown in this week’s edition of The A-Z of Millwall, the loan market has thrown up some memorable moments in the Lions’ history.
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However, it has also provided some not so memorable ones, too.
The hot seat occupant before Jackett, Willie Donachie, brought in names such as Jamie O’Hara, Danny Haynes and Jay Simpson, whilst the ill-fated managerial spell of Nigel Spackman saw a first taste of SE16 for Liam Trotter, who would go on to rejoin the club on loan four years later, before signing permanently.
From Benny Fenton bringing in Steve Sherwood from Chelsea in October 1973 to the capture of Jed Wallace in January 2016, the weird and wonderful have arrived on loan at The Den. Kenny Jackett holds the record with regards to bringing loan players in during a spell as Millwall manager, signing no less than 49 loanees across a period of five and a half years. From Marcus Bignot to Sean St Ledger, Jackett provided the Lions faithful with quality
The tumultuous period of the 2005/06 season saw a plethora of players arrive on a temporary basis, but the likes of Colin Cameron, Jamie Vincent and Bruce Dyer could not save the 20
Lions from relegation to League One under the stewardship of Dave Tuttle and Colin Lee.
spell at Highfield Road. Along with names such as Puncheon, Kane, Townsend and Huckerby, Millwall have had many successful loanees – Stuart Nethercott and Mick McCarthy started out as temporary buys, for example – but the biggest instances of failed loan signings perhaps came in January 1996, as Vasili Kulkov and Sergei Yuran arrived from Spartak Moscow.
Under Dennis Wise, the club were treated to the uselessness of Jo Tessem, Stefan Moore and more, but the diamond in the rough was Danny Dichio; the former Sunderland striker initially joined the Lions on loan, before signing on a permanent basis, via a crucial goal in the run to the FA Cup Final in 2004, in Round Five against Burnley.
Regular subscribers would have read about the duo in an earlier issue, but they aren’t the only examples of loanees that failed to impress over the years.
Going further back, Mark McGhee didn’t make many loan signings – just two, in fact – but he didn’t have to – the crop of players at the Scotsman’s disposal were that good. Just Sam Parkin and Steve Claridge joined in the 2000/01 season, as the club romped to the Division Two title.
In more recent times, Izale McLeod and Nathan Tyson sit amongst the pile of Jackett signings, whilst recent managerial disasters, Steve Lomas and Ian Holloway, delighted the Den crowd with the likes of Justin Hoyte, DJ Campbell and Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
September 1996 brought up a subject that is still talked about to this day. Darren Huckerby arrived on loan from Newcastle United and set the Den alight in his monthlong spell, scoring three goals in five games. The opportunity was there to sign the striker, but he joined Coventry City instead (to the tune of £1million), going on to have a successful career, playing for the likes of Manchester City and Norwich City, as well as his
It’s fair to say that the loan market has its pros, but it has some almighty cons, too. Who has been your favourite loan singing? And what about the worst?
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HARRIS: TREAT MILLWALL FAIRLY IN REGENERATION DECISION By John Kelly
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EIL HARRIS wants Millwall to be “treated fairly” in any decision about the future of land around The Den. ly against plans to redevelop but where we are at the moment, and with the football club being the hub of Bermondsey society, we should be partly in control of what happens around the ground.
The Lions boss is hoping that Lewisham Council members take into account the important work the club does in the Bermondsey area before seeking Compulsory Purchase Orders and potentially selling the land to a private developer.
“All we want to do is make sure Millwall Football Club is treated fairly and appreciated for what we’ve put back into the community, and ultimately make sure the sporting side of things, community-wise, is taken care of.
A decision on the CPOs was delayed last week, renewing hope that a deal can be struck between the club and the Council. And Harris says he is backing his chairman John Berylson who wants Millwall included in any plans for the regeneration of the area.
“Hopefully there will be a natural conclusion to it that will be in the best interest of all parties. “I fully support the club and the chairman. We have to make sure that Millwall is protected long term but also people around us, the people we care for in the community, are taken care of.”
“What we try to do is not only what’s best for Millwall Football Club but what’s best for the community as well,” Harris said. “A club like ours relies on community and society. We’re not huge-
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CHELSEA LINKED WITH YOUNGSTER - BUT HE WANTS MILLWALL STAY By John Kelly
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HRISTIAN Mbulu sees his immediate future at Millwall – despite reports this week linking Chelsea with a move for the defender. feels he owes a debt of gratitude to Millwall and to Neil Harris after the club offered him his first ever professional contract last summer.
The Premier League club have reportedly sent scouts to check on the 19-yearold centre-back’s progress after some impressive performances for the Lions’ U21 side in their run to the Premier League Cup quarter-final.
Mbulu, who has been compared to Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, wants to continue his development at Millwall.
Millwall’s coaching staff are said to be pleased with the progress of Mbulu, who had received no professional training before being recommended to the club after some eye-catching displays with Brentwood Town.
He recently spent time on loan at Canvey Island in the Isthmian League Premier Division, before returning to Millwall last week and playing for Justin Skinner’s side in their 3-1 cup quarter-final defeat to Hull City last Tuesday.
And a source close to the player told NewsAtDen Mbulu
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P LAYER PROF I L E :
TIM CAHILL By Mark Litchfield
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HEN the discussion of Millwall’s greatest players rears its head, the usual names are always there; Barry Kitchener, Terry Hurlock, Neil Harris, to name but a few. 250 appearances in a Lions shirt, involving himself in some of the clubs greatest moments to date.
Without any doubt, all three all deserve to be put on that pedestal in their own right. Whether it’s Kitch’s blue blood and record appearance making ways, Hurlock’s commitment to the cause or Harris’ goal-scoring exploits, the greatest Millwall XI has quite the spine.
He made his debut on the final day of the 1997/98 season, in a 2-1 Den defeat to AFC Bournemouth, but the following campaign, Cahill became a first team regular, registering 42 appearances in a season that saw the Lions make the Auto Windscreen Shield at Wembley, cruelly losing out in the final moments to Wigan Athletic.
However, I’d like to add another name to that list – Tim Cahill. ‘Timmy’ may have gone on to represent Everton in the Premier League, plus clubs around the world, including the United States, China and his native Australia, but to many Lions fans, The Den will always be Cahill’s home.
Earlier that year, the midfielder scored his first Millwall goal in a 2-1 win over Northampton Town; coincidentally, a certain Neil Harris also opened his Den account in that game.
The midfielder began his playing career at Sydney Olympic, but in 1997, whilst playing for Sydney United, Cahill asked his parents to be able to travel to England to play professionally. Billy Bonds signed the Aussie, who would go on to make
Cahill trebled his goal tally in the 1999/00 season, as 12 goals ensured that he hit double the amount in his first year (6), as the club made the Division Two play-offs, losing out to
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– again – Wigan. The Aussie was to miss just one game that season – a win over Bournemouth – through suspension, as he began to make a name for himself in the world of English football.
task. With an English father, a Samoan mother and Irish and Scottish grandparents, the midfielder actually wanted to play for Mick McCarthy’s Republic of Ireland side at the 2002 World Cup. This, however, was blocked by FIFA, as news emerged of two substitute appearances for Western Samoa in Under-20 qualifiers when Cahill was just fourteen years old.
Cahill was beginning to regularly show his trademark of arriving late in the box and heading the ball home – a trait that saw him score nine goals in the 2000/01 season, as Mark McGhee’s Lions were promoted to Division One, winning Division Two in style, with a 5-0 win over Oldham Athletic at The Den. A week earlier, Tim had sealed promotion for the club, with a hallmark header in a 1-1 draw with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.
The organisation made the same steps two years previous, when the Aussie attempted to turn out for the country that he now represents, too. Cahill threatened court action, but eventually chose to play for Australia, making his international bow on March 30th, 2004, in a friendly with South Africa.
Earlier that season, it was also Cahill’s goal that put the Lions at the top of the tree for the first time, as his close range finish ground out a single-goal victory at Boundary Park, Oldham. Goals in a trio of home games that season – Bristol Rovers, Brentford and Rotherham United – are also memorable.
Back at Millwall, Cahill, by now a regular fixture in the side, would enjoy his best goal return to date that campaign, netting 13 times in the league, most notably with a crashing header at Wimbledon in the September, in a storming 2-2 draw.
Just three games would be missed in the 2001/02 season, as McGhee’s men adapted quickly to life in the second tier, missing out on a shot at promotion to the Premier League in devastating fashion, as Stern John’s injury-time winner in the play-off semi-final second leg ensured that the Blues would meet Norwich City in the final.
Just as it seemed that there would be no stopping Cahill’s rise, a cruciate ligament injury, picked up in a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on September 7th, 2002, threatened to shorten the Aussie’s career. The midfielder had played every minute of every game so far that campaign, but was sidelined until April 19th, where he made his comeback in a 3-0 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
During the following season, Cahill’s career took a different turn, as his international allegiances were brought to
Cahill made up for lost time the follow-
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ing week, however, as his goal from the bench earned the Lions a 3-2 win over close neighbours, Crystal Palace. He also scored in the next two games – the final two of the season – in a 3-3 draw with Nottingham Forest and a 2-0 home win against Coventry City; a game that also saw Tony Craig score his first Lions goal on his home debut.
open up, Paul Ifill’s jinking run down the right hand side saw his shot saved by the Mackems’ Estonian stopper, Mart Poom. The ball fell at the feet of Cahill, who rifled home past the Sunderland back-line, handing the Lions a crucial lead, sparking wild celebrations in the blue end of the home of Manchester United.
The 2003/04 season was to be the midfielder’s last in a Millwall shirt. After scoring on the opening day in a 2-0 win over nemesis’ Wigan, Cahill went on to make 40 appearances for the club, picking up a whopping 16 yellow cards – and two reds – along the way.
It was to be the only goal of the game; Tim Cahill had sent Millwall Football Club into their first and only FA Cup Final to date. The Final against Alex Ferguson’s men was to be the midfielder’s last in a Lions shirt, as he completed a move to Everton in the summer of 2004.
Nine goals were scored in the league, with two coming in a 4-1 defeat of West Ham United at The Den, titled ‘The Mothers Day Massacre’. Cahill should have had a hat-trick that day, but his penalty – one of two for the Lions in the match - found the upper tier of the Cold Blow Lane end of the stadium.
In 250 appearances, Cahill had scored 57 goals – two of them, at Wrexham and Old Trafford, being two of the most essential in Lions history. You can easily slot the likes of Kitchener, Hurlock and Harris into the greatest ever Lions side, but don’t forget about Tim Cahill.
However, the Aussie’s most notable goal-scoring exploits that season came in the FA Cup. His goal, along with a strike from Kevin Braniff, opened the Lions’ account in a Third Round win over Walsall, with an additional strike coming in the Quarter-Final replay at Tranmere Rovers. The best – and most important – of the lot, though, came at Old Trafford in the Semi-Final with Sunderland.
I’m sure you haven’t!
With a tense afternoon beginning to
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HARRIS HIGHLIGHTS TWIN WING THREAT IN MILLWALL'S POSH WIN By John Kelly
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his 20th of the season. Morison headed home Ferguson’s corner 13 minutes later.
ILLWALL boss Neil Harris felt the quality of his team’s wide play was a key factor in the 3-0 win over Peterborough at The Den on Saturday.
Morison could have claimed a hat-trick when he just failed to connect with Jed Wallace’s cross, and Harris praised the role of his wingers as Millwall recovered from their 2-0 defeat to Scunthorpe to tame Graham Westley’s side.
Shane Ferguson played a part in all three goals as Millwall got their sixth win in nine league games in 2016 to move into fifth place in the Sky Bet League One table.
“They’re a very dangerous outfit. They showed that in the game at London Road, 5-3 and it could have been nine-all,” Harris said.
Ferguson released Lee Gregory in the 30th minute against the Posh and, though Ben Alnwick saved the striker’s shot, Gregory had the wherewithal to gather the rebound and cross to the back post where Steve Morison headed in.
“They’ve got real quality but we did what we’re good at. That’s the key, and I said it to the players – if we keep doing what we’re good at then we’ll get results.
The Northern Ireland international took the free-kick in the 49th minute that Mark Beevers flicked on to Gregory who nodded in
“We didn’t become a bad team on Tuesday night. We played
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poorly then but showed our quality (Saturday). “Jed, for me, is an out-and-out winger. He’s an excellent footballer. What I think is underestimated with our wide players, with Jed, with Shane Ferguson, Fred Onyedinma and Aiden O’Brien when he plays there, is that they work hard. “I think first and foremost we ask our wide players to work really hard but then give us that quality. Jed puts a great delivery into the box, but it’s up to us to get the ball to him. And up to us that when he delivers the ball we get on the end of it. “I thought the end product of both wide players the majority of the time was outstanding.”
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ILLWALL moved into a season high position of fifth in the Sky Bet League One table with a comprehensive win over Peterborough at The Den on Saturday after-
BACKS TO THE ‘WALL At the time of kick-off the number of people who had signed a petition to prevent land outside The Den being sold to a private developer was approaching 18,000.
Neil Harris had called for a response from his players and the fans after the defeat to Scunthorpe on Tuesday, and he got it as the Lions went above Coventry in the table.
But if what happened on Wednesday night at Lewisham Town Hall was an example of the effectiveness of Millwall fan power to protect interests on grounds outside The Den, aiding the team in turning around their form inside the stadium has proved trickier.
noon.
Steve Morison put Millwall ahead in the 30th minute, before Lee Gregory got his 20th of the season when he headed home Mark Beevers’ flick-on from Shane Ferguson’s free-kick.
In his message to fans, Harris wrote in his programme notes that “if we can tip the balance in our favour between now and the end of the season who knows what we can achieve together”. In fact, before this fixture, all Millwall needed to do was maintain the current balance and current points/ games ratio to finish on 74 – which would have been enough for a play-off place in League One
And Morison put the result beyond doubt when he rose to flash home Ferguson’s corner in the 62nd minute.
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last season. Two seasons ago Peterborough managed to finish sixth despite losing 18 games, but it’s unlikely the Lions can afford that many. They never looked like falling to a 12th of the season here. Whether Millwall fans took their cue from their manager or not the atmosphere was certainly much more raucous much earlier in this contest. Even before Morison and Gregory had Millwall 2-0 up shortly after half-time the home supporters were doing their bit to ensure there could be no excuses no matter what the outcome. And you could certainly see what Harris meant when he said his players only seem to play with freedom once they’re ahead, with Jed Wallace and Shane Ferguson epitomising it by connecting on the left, the latter firing the ball straight at Ben Alnwick after Wallace had set him up. Morison made it three to decorate the perfect response after the Iron loss, and if Millwall can find the key to keeping their composure when a breakthrough doesn’t come so early then a top-six place should be assured. BEEVERS BACK – AND ALMOST SCORES SPECTACULAR OG Harris had called for that backing from fans – but he would have had his heart in his mouth at the chance and the save that drew the first big cheer of the afternoon. Peterborough almost went in front in bizarre circumstances, Beevers miscuing a backpass that Jordan Archer had to backpedal to meet with his head and divert over the bar. A couple of moments later the keeper had the ball at his feet ready to take a free-kick and most of the crowd rose to acclaim him. He’s a big favourite here. Beevers had been restored to the starting XI ahead of Sid Nelson who dropped to the bench, and the more experienced centre-back had a hand in setting up Millwall’s best chance before they went ahead. Gregory would set up Morison later but he must have wondered how he shot over from a couple of yards after Morison had headed Beevers’ flick back across goal. Gregory atoned for that miss in the 30th minute – but only after another one when Ferguson threaded a ball through to him only for Alnwick to rush off his line to save. The ball broke fortuitously and Gregory kept his composure to lift a cross to the back post that Morison headed in to join Aiden O’Brien on 11 goals this season.
Morison had been involved in a minor kerfuffle with Ricardo Santos – that was the kind of spikiness that had been absent against Scunthorpe. Peterborough had started confidently, with rightback Michael Smith deployed in an advanced position on the right when his team had the ball. It was from his run infield that the Posh created a halfchance, but Archer was behind Jon Taylor’s low shot and pushed the ball out for a corner. Souleymane Coulibaly also had the ball in the net in the opening period but the linesman’s flag had gone up after Erhun Oztumer had flicked the ball on. Once Gregory had put the Lions two goals ahead and Morison made it three when he powered in Ferguson’s corner, Peterborough were a shadow of the side that had won 5-3 at the ABAX Stadium in October when they looked such a dangerous attacking unit. Millwall missed out on the chance to go fifth on Tuesday, but after a tricky start on Saturday afternoon they never appeared in the mood to relinquish another opportunity. MAN OF THE MATCH He often toils and does a lot of the unseen work without the reward of a goal – how many times has he cleared away corners this season at the front post? – but Morison more than deserved his two finishes against the Posh. Morison now has 12 for the season, and he will hardly care that he was denied a hat-trick when Harris took him off with just under 20 minutes left to give John Marquis a longer period in which to impress. Harris will be just as pleased with Ben Thompson, who summed up his performance with a crunching tackle late on to stop a breakaway.
©MillwallFC
LEAGUE ONE TABLE P W D L F A G D PT
1 B ur t o n A l bi on 31 2 0 3 8 42 2 7 1 5 63 2
W iga n A t h l e t i c
3 Gillin g h a m
32
1 6
11
5
52
30
22
59
32 1 7 7 8 58 39 1 9 58
4 Wa ls a l l 31 1 6 9 6 4 9 33 1 6 57
5 Millw a l l 32 1 6 5 11 51 40 11 53
6 C o v e n t r y C i t y 31 14 10 7 55 33 22 52 7
So ut he n d U n i t e d
32
14
8
10
4 4 39
5
50
8
Sh e f f i e l d U n i t e d
32
1 3
9
10
47
5
48
42
9 B r a d for d C i t y 31 1 3 9 9 37 34 3 48
10 B a r n s l e y 32 14 4 14 50 44 6 46
1 1 P o r t Va l e 33 12 9 12 35 37 -2 45 1 2 P e t e r borou g h U n i t e d 32 1 3 5 1 4 55 50 5 44 13 Scun t h or p e U n i t e d
31 1 3 5 1 3 37 39 -2 44
14 B ur y 32 12 8 12 42 51 -9 44 15
Sw in don Tow n
32
12
6
14
4 9
50
-1
42
16 Ro c h da l e 32 11 9 12 42 44 -2 42 17 Do n c a s t e r R ove r s
31 9 9 1 3 35 4 1 -6 36
18 B lack p ool
32 9 7 1 6 32 4 1 -9 34
19 C h e s t e r fi e l d 32 10 4 18 42 52 -1 0 34 20 F le e t w ood Tow n
31 8 9 1 4 36 39 -3 33
2 1 Sh re w s bu r y Tow n 31 9 6 1 6 37 51 -1 4 33 22 O ld h a m A t h l e t i c
31 6 1 4 1 1 31 4 2 -1 1 32
2 3 C re w e A l exa n dr a
32 6 1 0 1 6 34 56 -2 2 28
24 C o lche s t e r U n i t e d
32 5 8 1 9 4 0 78 -38 23 44
FIXTURES DOnCASTER ROVERS KE EPMOAT STA D I UM S ATU RDAY 27 T H FE B R UA RY
W IGAN ATHLETIC T HE DEN TUESDAY 1 ST M A R C H
Blackpool T HE DEN S ATU RDAY 5TH M A R C H
Swindon Town CO UNTY GROUND S ATU RDAY 1 2 T H M A R C H
SHEFFIELD UNITED T HE DEN S ATU RDAY 1 9 T H M A R C H 45
PLAYER STATS LEAGUE ONE
Ap p
Sta r ts
Assi sts
Go als
D. F or de 8 7 0 0 J. Ar c h e r 2 5 2 5 0 0 S. Cu mmi n g s 1 6 1 5 1 1 T. Cr a i g 1 6 1 6 0 1 S. Ne l s on 9 9 0 0 M. B e e ve r s 2 8 2 8 2 4 B. We bs t e r 2 6 2 1 0 3 S. Fe r g u s on 2 9 1 9 7 2 M. R ome o 4 4 0 1 J. Wa l l a c e 8 8 4 0 C . Edw a r ds 1 3 1 3 1 0 J. M a r t i n 1 6 1 5 0 2 S. Wi l l i a ms 2 7 2 7 3 2 E . U p s on 2 1 1 5 1 0 L . M a r t i n 8 2 1 0 J. P o w e l l 1 1 0 0 B. T homp s on 1 4 5 1 0 N. A bdou 1 9 1 8 0 1 J. P hi l p ot 0 0 0 0 K . Tw a r de k 0 0 0 0 G. S a vi l l e 1 2 1 2 0 0 P. Cow a n H a l l 3 0 0 0 L . G re g or y 2 8 2 2 2 13 F. O ny e di n ma 2 7 1 6 1 4 J. M a r q u i s 1 0 0 0 0 S. M or i s on 32 30 4 9 A. O ’ B r i e n 2 9 2 3 4 8 A. P a ve y 4 0 0 0 46
UNDER 21S AUGUST Nottingham Forest (A) 3-1 (Pavey) Crewe Alexandra (H) 1-0 (Philpot) Charlton Athletic (A) 0-1 (Abandoned) (Romeo) Ipswich Town (H) 3-0 (Philpot, Pavey, Okenabirhie)
ACADEMY ROUND-UP LAST GAME
SEPTEMBER
MILLWALL 1-3 HULL CITY
Leeds United H 3-1 (Pavey 2, Wood) Bolton Wanderers (A) 0-2 Coventry City (H) 4-1 (Wood, Pavey 3) Hull City (A) 0-0
MFC GOALSCORERS: PHILPOT
OCTOBER
MILLWALL:
Plymouth Argyle (H) 1-0 (Wood) Huddersfield Town (H) 0-2 QPR (A) 0-4 (Eze 3, Ndjoli)
Girling
Colchester United (H) 1-0 (Wood)
Edwards (Brown, 61’) Mbulu
NOVEMBER Palace (H) 5-1 (Martin 2, Upson, Thompson, Powell) Swansea (A) 1-2 (Ndjoli 2)
Parr Wood Onyedinma
DECEMBER Brentford (H) 1-0 (Martin) Watford (A) 0-1 (Ndjoli) Wolves (A) 1-3 (Onyedinma, Romeo, Cowan-Hall)
Powell Farrell Twardek
JANUARY
Ndjoli
Cardiff City (H) 1-1 (Twardek) Charlton (A) 1-1 (Marquis) Palace (A) 3-3 (Powell, Onyedinma, Twardek)
Philpot
FEBRUARY Bristol City (A) 0-1 (Garita OG) Hull City (H) 1-3 (Philpot)
TOP SCORERS: Alfie Pavey - 7 Keaton Wood / Mikael Ndjoli - 4 Lee Martin / Ebere Eze - 3
47
LAST SEVEN GAMES DAT E
2 3 -Ja n -16
30 -J a n-1 6
2 -Feb -1 6
CO MP E T IT IO N
L e a g u e On e
Lea g u e One
J PT
OPPO N E N T
C h e s t e r f i e l d ( A)
Crew e ( H )
Ox ford U td (A )
RESU LT
1- 2 W
1 -1 D
0-1 W
G O AL K E E P E R
Archer
Ar cher
Archer
DEFEN DE R S
C u mmi n g s
Cu mmi ng s
Cu mmi ngs (68)
We bs t e r
Web ster
Web ster
Be e ve r s
B eevers
B eever s
Fe r g u s on ( 76)
Fer g u son
Ferg u so n
Wa l l a c e ( 6 3 )
Wa l l a ce
Wa l l a ce
A bdou
Ab d ou
Ab d ou
W i l l i a ms
Wi l l i a ms
Up son ( 82)
O’ Br i e n ( 7 8 )
O’ B ri en
O’ B r i en
M or i s on
M or i son
M ori son
G re g or y ( 8 8)
G reg or y
G reg or y
S UB
For de
For d e
Ford e
S UB
N e l s on
Nel son
M a r ti n ( 68)
S UB
J Martin (76)
J M a r ti n
Thomp s o n
S UB
T h omp s on
Thompson
Onyed i nm a (82)
S UB
U p s on ( 7 8 )
Upson
M a rqu i s
S UB
Ony e di n ma ( 8 8 )
Onyed i nma
S UB
Marquis
Marquis
M IDFIE L DE R S
AT TAC K E R S
6- Feb-16
13 - Fe b-16
1 6-Feb -1 6
2 0-Feb -1 6
L e ague O n e
L e a g u e On e
Lea g u e One
Lea g u e One
Wa lsall (A)
R oc h da l e ( A )
Scu nthor p e ( H )
Peter b orough (H)
0- 3 W
0 -1 W
0 -2 L
3-0 W
A r ch e r
Archer
Ar cher
Ar cher
R o meo
R ome o
Romeo
Romeo
N el so n
N e l s on
Nel son
Web ster
Webste r
We bs t e r
Web ster
B eevers
Ferguson
Martin
Fer g u son
M a r ti n
Wa ll ace ( 7 5)
Wa l l a c e
Wa l l a ce
Wa l l a ce
A bd o u
A bdou
Ab d ou ( 8 1 )
Ab d ou
W il li ams
W i l l i a ms
Upson ( 4 5)
Thompson
U pson
U p s on
O’ B ri en
Fer g u son (85)
Mo ri so n ( 88 )
M or i s on
M or i son
M or i son (7 3)
G re go r y ( 88 )
G re g or y ( 8 6 )
G reg or y
G reg or y (7 6)
F ord e
For de
For d e
For d e
Wood
E dw a r ds
B eevers
Nel son
Mar tin (75)
Fe r g u s on
M a r ti n
Ed w a rd s
T homps o n
T h omp s on
Thompson ( 4 5)
Pow el l
Onyedin m a
Ony e di n ma
Onyed i nma
Onyed i nma (85)
O’ Brie n (8 8)
O’ Br i e n
O’ B ri en
O’ B ri en ( 7 6)
Marqui s ( 88 )
Marquis (86)
Marquis (81)
M a r q u i s (7 3)
50
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