Due to circumstances nobody could have predicted this was an unusual game but we managed to hold out against a much stronger performance from the home side in the second-half until we conceded deep into added-time, which was a real sickener. Millwall fought back well and after a little reflection I have to say that they deserved their point. Well done to Connolly for getting off the mark.
BEFORE
I’m not expecting too much from this game as Millwall are on a good run and through injuries and suspensions we’re going to have to field a much-changed team.
With another international break there’s been a lot of time for speculation about who’ll be starting today, with Aleksic’s name coming up a lot. It does seem likely that Alese will play some part and Watson may well make another start. Like most of us I’d much prefer Isidor to play in the centre and not on the wing. Watmore and Honeyman are regulars in the Millwall side and they’ll be trying their best to show us what we’re missing. I’m up in Sunderland and I’ll be enjoying (I hope) the match with my friends here. My match prediction is 1-1.
I got the team-news around 2.15 and Alese was starting while Aleksic was on the bench. Patto was back in goal and we had Isidor, Mayenda and Connolly upfront. My friends predictions were 0-0, 1-1 and 2-1 to us. Sheffield United had drawn 2-2 away to Coventry in the early match and that was all to the good.
THE GAME
We attacked from the off but it only resulted in a foul by Neil and a free-kick to Millwall. It had the makings of a rough and tumble affair with both sides dishing it out. In the ninth minute we were awarded a free-kick near the left angle of their box and when it came across and was headed clear, Connolly was waiting at the edge of the area to slam a low right-foot shot into the bottom-right corner and we were ahead. I must admit I hadn’t expected much from Connolly based on his previous form but I’m happy to be proved wrong. We kept on with plenty of pressing and I could sense a second not far off.
Isidor had a low shot on target in the sixteenth but it was straight at Jensen in goal. We won our first corner soon after that but it only resulted in Isidor clashing with Jensen and hurting his foot, though he was soon able to continue. Watson had a shot on target in the twenty-first but Jensen dealt with it comfortably enough.
Millwall had created very little upfront since the first couple of minutes so I hoped we’d keep it that way. The ref was kept busy dishing out free-kicks all over the pitch and Isidor got a clip on the ankles but battled on. As we approached the half-hour mark Millwall had started to press forward more but they hadn’t seriously threatened our goal yet. Bryan was forced to concede our second corner when we attacked from the left but it only resulted in a free-kick to Millwall. In the thirty-seventh O’Nien went down with what looked like a back injury but typically was soon back on his feet again. We’d conceded several free-kicks near the right angle of our box and Millwall were awarded another one in the fortieth minute. Honeyman’s effort sailed high and wide but we couldn’t afford to keep giving free-kicks away.
Next thing there was some kind of incident in the crowd and medical staff raced to deal with it while the players had a drinks break. Whatever the incident was, it was clearly very serious as after five minutes or so the ref took the teams off the pitch. There were still several minutes of the first-half to go so I didn’t know what would happen. Next thing the commentator said that the match had been temporarily suspended and that the first-half would be restarted sometime soon.
The match eventually restarted at 4.15 and I wondered what effect this long break would have on everything. The first event after the restart was that Millwall won a corner, although our players protested strongly. Nothing came of it anyway. The ball was mainly in our half for the rest of the first period but again Millwall didn’t make any serious threats. It remained 1-0 to us as the whistle went and there was some discussion as to whether there’d be a short half-time break but I couldn’t see that happening.
The break did seem to be slightly shorter and then we were off again. The first event was that we conceded a daft corner and a Tanganga header wasn’t far over the bar. Next thing a Neil shot put Tanganga on the deck but he picked himself up. Millwall were starting to put a few decent moves together and Neil conceded a free-kick near the left angle of our box in the fifty-second. The resultant kick was headed well wide. It had already been a long game but I had the feeling the second period was going to feel very long too. Patto made a good save from Watmore and it was another corner to Millwall. Connolly was down injured for a while and he was eventually replaced by Aleksic. Mayenda had impressed so far and in the fifty-ninth he went on a good run and hit a shot on target but Jensen covered it. A short while later Millwall had a shot on target but Patto was there to grab it. We conceded another corner in the sixty-third and though it created no threat, our arses continued to be against the wall and I was watching that clock.
We conceded another corner in the sixty-ninth and it ended with Patto making a bit of a meal of gathering a weak ball. Aleksic made a very nifty back-heel and it suggested he was going to be an asset. Millwall continued to stack up the corners and we were giving the ball away too much and allowing them to keep pressing us. In the seventy-fourth Watmore was subbed and I wasn’t sorry to see him go. Aleksic was yellow-carded, which didn’t take him long, but I did like the look of him. The time was actually going faster than I’d expected and we were still managing the occasional break such as when Ballard burst out of defence but his pass proved to be a little too powerful for any of our players to reach. Eight minutes to go at 5.10 and we were still holding tight. We conceded yet another corner in the final minute and Patto eventually smothered it. Five minutes of added-time were announced and that was more than I’d expected and then Isidor set Aleksic up for a run on goal but he shot straight at Jensen. We were to regret that as Millwall were immediately up the other end and Azeez equalized from close range following a low cross from the left. It ended 1-1.
I didn’t learn any information about the person in the crowd who was taken ill but best of luck to them for a speedy recovery.
