Millwall 3 Derby 3 Championship Game 45, 25/4/2015, att:12,571

As we know Rotherham deducted three points and its all to play for.  COYL

You can always rely on the Den wit

A nice gesture by the sponsors a salute to Steve McClaren

LEE GREGORY BLASTS A HAT-TRICK

Being 2-0 up and then 3-1 this was a game that may have saved our Championship bacon but we blew it. I cannot believe Tom Ince was allowed to score from a free kick that brought Derby back into the game at 3-2. If you look at the picture below and I will leave it to you to judge how Ince managed to score to the right of David Forde.

Derby free kick

Tom Ince found room to David Forde's right, do we know how that happened?

Lee Gregory opened the scoring when a poor clearance gifted him the opportunity to score his 7th goal of the season and we were off and running. The Den now reached critical level and extra support and ropes were needed to keep the roofs on the stands as the Lions pressed for a 2nd. it only took 10 minutes befor Gregory scored again this time when he sunk a penalty which was awarded when the referee blew for a penalty when a Derby player hand balled in their box. Lee Gregory was now on fire and was putting in a shift and he finally proving that he can hold his own in the Championship and it was plain to see that he was enjoying himself. Neil Harris has introduced a new lease of life for this squad and the supporters and I am sure the Den crowd could have been heard at London Bridge. We were keeping the large Derby away support quiet and they were probably wondering "what's going on, Millwall are in a relegation spot so they must be crap, why are we losing to them" shock horror.

Derby who are pressing for a play off spot pulled one back before half time when as mentioned above our favourite opposition player  Tom Ince who got his own back after receiving dogs abuse curled one in after taking a free kick on the edge of the box. It was now 2-1 and the second half was all to play for.

Hat Trick

Lee Gregory scores his 2nd penalty and the Lions go 3-1 up

The Den was double rocking and it seemed that this was going to be the game that kept us in the promised land. We certainly looked crisp and sharp and we were working our nuts off to stay in this division. Without doubt Neil Harris is doing the job.

Joy

It's been a gloomy two or three years but it looks like Millwall are back and back in style.

Credit to Derby they didn't fold under the Den onslaught and were awarded a penalty on 70 minutes when a Aiden O'Brien bumped into Tom Ince. I thought it was harsh but seeing that the ref had gave us two penalties he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to give one to the opposition. Derby scored and it was a nervy last twenty minutes. We couldn't do it and succumb to the equaliser with five minutes of normal time to go. At any other time a draw against high flying Derby would have been a decent result but in this instance that's two points dropped and it may be the end of us in the Championship. Rotherham have got to lose their last two games and we have to win away at play off spot chasers Wolves managed buy our old mate Kenny Jacket.

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Nelson, Hooiveld, Harding, Martin (Gueye), Abdou, Bailey, Woolford, Gregory (Fuller), O'Brien (Cowan-Hall), 

Subs not used, Archer, Taylor,Fletchert, Thompson, 

Goals: Gregory 26, 36 pen, 50 pen, 

Derby: Grant, Shotton, Keogh, Forsyth, Warnock (Albentosa), Hendrick, Dawkins (Martin), Hughes, Ince, Sammon, Lingard (Russell), 

Subs not used, Christie, Ward, Naylor, Roos

Goals: Ince 42,  Martin 70 pen,  Hendrick 85

All in all a decent performance but just the one point and only two points over the last three games. Neil Harris must be offered a permanent job, surely. That is the ninth game of his ten game spell and his record is LDDWLWDLD = 10 points and 9 goals

We meet Kenny Jacket's Wolves next Saturday and it could be a critical game for us as well as Wolves who are scrapping for a play-off place. If Rotherham win at home to Reading Tuesday night we will just have our pride to play for. Kenny may be expecting a favour but I doubt it.