Millwall and the not so happy Christmas 2015--the win at Southend made up for some

9/12/15 At home to Gillingham who are sitting pretty near the top.

26/12/15 At home to Walsall  who are sitting pretty near the top

28/12/15  Away to Southend who are in 7th spot

We sit just outside the play-offs and it's three tough games on the trot and hopefully at least seven points to set us up nicely for the new year.
__________

Millwall 0 Gillingham 3, League One, Game 21, 19/12/15 att: 12,032 (away 1,607)

In this league playing Gillingham is our local derby

'Oh dear, It didn't take long before we 2-0 down and reduced to ten men. We were playing like we were at the bottom of the League as in the " good old days" and we went behind in the 20th minute when Gillingham were awarded a free kick after Mark Beever's fouled. The 2nd goal was a result of a basic defending mistake when Jordan Archer and Mark Beever's both left each other to clear the ball but neither one did and it resulted in Archer feeling the need to foul the Gillingham player McDonald and a red card followed. I had my head in my hands and so did a good few others looking looking at this and this was two bob stuff. Gillingham scored from the resulting penalty and we were 2-0 down after 28 minutes. With David Forde now in between the sticks we had a bit of a mountain to climb and the end of the first half couldn't come quick enough.

Second half and we improve but nowhere near enough to get something from the game

Millwall: Archer (Forde 25m), Edwards, J.Martin, Beevers (Onyedinma 82m), Webster, Upson, Saville, Williams, Gregory Morison, O'Brien

subs not used, L.Martin, Ferguson, Thompson, Abdou, Nelson

__

Gillingham: Nelson, Jackson (Osadeba 69m), Garmstone, Egan, Hessenthaler, McDonald (Donnelly 46m), Samuel (Norris 90+6), A.Morris, Dack, Wright, Oshilaja

subs not use, G.Morris, Ehmer, Houghton, McGlashan

Goals: Samuel 20,89m   Dack 28m

__________

Millwall 0 Walsall 1, League One, Game 22, 26/12/15, att: 8,364 (248)

Walsall go top of the division after this narrow win but we should have got t least a point from this game. Walsall dominated the first half with plenty of possession football and looked pretty stroking it about amongst themselves. Some of Walsall's finishing was woeful and apart from Walsall's Sean O'Driscoll's possession football tactics we were not out bossed or out played throughout this match. We were crap in the first half of this game and looking at the starting line up with five changes after the Gillingham defeat it land Walsall taking the lead it looked like another thumping at home was on the cards.We finished the half 1-0 down after Walsall scored that only goal of the game on 29 minutes when Sid Nelson miss-read a long ball. We did have chances our selves in this first half and what seems to be a common concurrence is woeful officials that are really getting our backs up which in a strange way produces some of our most intense noise and the Lions better play. " No one likes us...............

Forever optimistic 

Once again like the Gillingham game we improved second half  and could have equalised after a few minutes when a Aiden O'Brien effort was tipped round for a corner. We had opportunities scattered across the half but just could not provide that effort, that little bit of magic that was going to the job and frustrating for all as Walsall still could have punished us more with one of their break-aways There was always a chance being just the one goal but we could not manage it.

That's two home defeats on the spin and I am well off with my 7 point prediction. Is there a chance of getting all three at Southend in a couple of days time? With Millwall there is always a chance and recovery will be a major factor after such a short space of time between games. Let's wait and see.

Millwall: Forde, Edwards, Martin (Pavey 75m), Nelson, Beevers, Abdou, Williams, Ferguson, 0'Brien, Morison, Onyedinma (Upson 68m), 

subs not used, King, Cummings, Webster, Saville, Thompson

Walsall: Etheridge, Demtriou, Taylor (Kinsella 46m), O'Conner, Downing, Chambers, Sawyers, Forde, Lalkovic (Preston 88m), Morris (Cook 71m), Evans

subs not used, Roberts, Mantom, Baxendale, Flanagan

Goal: Lalkovic 29 mins

__________

Southend 0 Millwall 4, League One, Game 23, att: 10,099 ( we take away 1,745 )

POINTS COME AT LAST

Back at a Roots Hall after a short time and we are back with our winning ways. That's six goals scored against Southend in our last two games at their place and once again we take a large away support. Aiden O'Brien is back on the score sheet with his 10th goal of the season and he's prediction of ten goals at Christmas was a little bit out but he has achieved ten before the new year which is top drawer for a bloke not long out of the Academy. Southend hadn't been beaten in eight games in the league so this 4-0 thumping of the Shrimps is even more impressive considering that the last time we won a league game was the 1-0 against Bury way back on the 28th of November.

Neil Harris changed things again in this game with Sid Nelson and Carlos Edwards rested and they were replaced by Bryon Webster and Shaun Cummings. George Saville was back in midfield joined by Ed Upson and the recently back to fitness Jimmy Abdou and Loanee Shane Ferguson dropped to back on the bench.
As soon as the whistle went we were up and at them forcing corners one after the other but we did not score our first goal to the 27th minute when young Fred Onyedinma set up Joe Martin who 15 yards out smacked a shot low to the ground that flew in off the post. The large travelling support behind the Southend goal hit the rafters and they were to be shortly on another two occasions be treated to more cheers of happiness as the Lions go in at half time 3-0 up with these two goals scored by Cummings
(off the post then off the keeper) and then Fred getting one of his own when he picked up a rebound after a shot by Steve Morison and drilled it into the Southend goal.

1700 go home happy

Southend made changes for the start of the second half and by the 9th minute had changed three players with Phil Brown looking and probably hoping for a change of fortune. The change of fortune did not happen and although Southend finally had a spell of worthwhile pressure it was Millwall who got the fourth. Steve Morison passed a peach of a ball to Aiden O'Brien and as mentioned earlier buried a slick low shot into the corner of the net at that was that. 1700 go home happy and thousands elsewhere finally have some football cheer over the Christmas period.

That's 34 points, 9th in the table, our 10th league win of the season and still only three points outside the last play-off spot

Millwall: Forde, Cummings, Martin, Beevers, Webster, Onyedinma (Ferguson 86m), Saville, Williams, Upson, Morison (Pavey 88m0, O'Brien (Thompson 80m)
subs not used, Archer, Nelson, Philpot, Abdou

Goals: Martin 27m, Cummings 35m, Onyedinma 45+1m, O'Brien 70m

Southend: Bentley, White, Coker (McLaughlin 46m), Thompson, Worral (Deegan 46m), Mooney, Payne, Atkinson, Hunt (Piggot 54m), Leonard, Barrett
subs not used, Smith, Prosser, Hurst, Rea

Millwall V Gillingham, is this the biggy?

COMING UP SHORTLY

With a weekend off due to the match at Oldham being postponed because of a water logged pitch its all to do at home this Saturday when we play Gillingham who are located as our nearest rivals in this division this season. We have no London Derby games this season and maybe playing Gillingham is the big one.
It pains me to say " the big one" because Kent's biggest club normally does not register very much on my football opponents radar but you get what your given and I am looking forward to the game. Gillingham are above us in the division and got thumped by Burton Albion 3-0 at home last weekend so as per normal they are beatable and now is the time to start our little purple patch over Christmas and see if we can mix it with the small boys at the top.

Top Six
1) Burton Albion 44 pts
2) Coventry City 39 pts
3) Walsall 39 pts
4) Gillingham 38 pts
5) Peterborough 34 pts
6) Wigan 34 pts
_________________

7) Bury 33 pts
8) Millwall 31 pts

We have a game in-hand over five teams above us.

Southend United 0 Millwall 2, Johnstone Paint Cup, 8/12/15, att: 5,972 we take 1,553

Semi Final-Southern Section

I never thought I would get there. I have no idea how people do this type of journey day after day.

From South London to Southend in the rush hour, I must have been nut's but the win eased the journey home. It may have only been the Johnstone Paint Trophy but with the amount of the support that also made the journey it was a big win which meant another chance of Millwall taking 40,000+ to Wembley again.

Jordan Archer gets ready for this one and appreciates the mass ranks of the travelling support behind his goal

Jordan Archer was up to his old magic not long after kick off as he superbly saved a 20 yard effort which from behind the goal looked like it was in, quality save. The pitch looked small to me which suited Southend as they looked lively and were always on to the second ball. This second ball retention seems something that we lack which means that we always seem to be chasing but it didn't stop Steve Morison picking up the ball from a cross on the far post and smacking the ball into the bottom of the right hand corner of the goal. We go in half time 1-0 up which rubbed in the face of the Southend Ultra's who had spent the first half telling us that we were not very good. What's with that drum, bang bang all through the game. 

Phil Brown ***Millwall had a strong following who made a lot of noise and I don't like people coming here and winning***

Second half and the Lions set themselves up for a ball in the box

The second half and we improved and had more action in and around Southend's box. Webster had a effort cleared off the line and free kick from Williams is cleared away by the Southend keeper. George Saville was in there as well as he shot from 20 yards out.and the ball whistles past the post.

With Roots Hall reverberating to 120 decibel Milllllllllllllllll we score our second in the 65th minute as a Shaun Williams 20 yard effort beat the out stretched hand of the keeper.. With our keeper Jordan Archer looking solid Southend were trying to get something from this game and it did not help us losing possession or giving the ball away which meant there was a few scary moments until that final whistle blew.

Southend's finest enjoy a sit on the grass and a bit of a picnic

The other Johnstone results of the night

Semi Final, Northern Section  Fleetwood 2 Morcombe 0 att: 1,715

Semi Final, Southern Section Oxford Utd 3 Yeovil 2 att: 2,582

What no Wigan?

Next it's Oxford United over two legs in the Area Final. The winner will play Barnsley or Fleetwood at Wembley sometime next year

***

Millwall: Archer, Edwards, J.Martin, Webster, Beevers, Saville, Williams, O,Brien (Nelson 90+1), Gregory, Morison (Ferguson 71m), Upson

subs not used, Forde, B.Thompson, Pavey

Goals: Morison 34m Williams 65m

Southend: Bentley, White (Rea 73m), Coker, A.Thompson, Worrall, Mooney, Payne, Atkinson, Hurst (Pigott 58m), Leonard, Barrett

subs not used, Prosser, Deegan, O'Neill

Millwall 1 Wycombe 2, FA CUP Round 2, 5/12/15, att:3,960 (658)

Losing away is one thing but getting done by a League 2 side at home is a joke
We were poor and we were average 

A fair few make up the away end
We turn up in small numbers

It's never a good omen but we lost the toss at the start of this game and attacked towards the Cold Blow Lane Stand.in the first half of this game. Should I use the term "attack? because we didn't do much of that. Over the course of the 90 minutes we were not on our game and for the first half we did not turn up, we still managed not to concede and good sides can still win games even when they are not playing well thought I.

Not on their game

We stepped it up for the 2nd half and had a mini spell of pressure on the Wycombe goal straight from kick off  but the away side broke on 50 minutes and Jordan Archer was beaten close range. This goal looked offside from the counter attack and the ref and the lino missed it, I didn't . It was not all bad and eight minutes later young (one of our own) Ben Thompson fetched it back to 1-1 and it's game on. She should go on to win this now and I was expecting a step up in play and the old Millwall at home would perhaps thump another couple at least. Somehow that did not happen and Wycombe had the dog with a bone approach and they were not going to let us have it. We could do nothing special and even the recent dynamic goalscoring  play of Aiden O'Brien was nowhere to be seen, Ben Thompson nearly scored again when he picked up a ball from Shaun but his shot missed just missed and that was a big miss. Fred Onyedinma came on and he looked like he may have been able to "do something" but a injury shortened his time on the field and he had to go off near not far off the final whistle when before we could get the substitution on Wycombe scored their second goal and it was good night Vienna. and the FA Cup.

Step up, who wants?

It's never a good omen but we lost the toss for the start of this game and attacked towards the Cold Blow Lane stand in the first half. Should I be using the term "attack? because we didn't do much of that. Over the course of the 90 minutes we were not on our game and for the first half we didn't turn up but we still managed not to concede and good sides can still win games even when they are not playing well thought I.

Just a few thousand had to suffer this

Millwall: Archer, Edwards, Nelson, Webster, J. Martin, O'Brien (L. Martin 84), Thompson, Williams, Upson (Onyedinma 69(Pavey 90+4), Gregory, Morison,
subs not used, Forde, Cummings, Abdou, Wood

Goal: Thompson 58m
___

Wycombe Wanderers: Ingram, Jombeti, Stewart, Pierre, Hayes, Bloomfield, Wood, Amadi-Holloway(Thompson 74), Harriman, O'Nien, McCarthy
subs not used, Lynch, McGrinn, Sellars, Kretzschmar, Rowe, Ugwu

Goals: Hayes 50m, Harrison 90+4

Burton Albion 2 Millwall 1, League One, Game 20, 1/12/15, att: 2,888 (490)

The weather was good for this yet another northern trip. Incredible away support yet again for a Tuesday night

A SPOT IN THE TOP SIX WAS THERE TO PLAY FOR
AND BURTON GO TOP (what are we doing wrong?)

With just two minutes in we get clobbered by some toe-rag tackles, but as usual we get nothing.
Sid Nelson started this one which is something that he hasn't done for awhile and over the course of the game done ok but did make mistakes. We dominated the first half and with Burton having just one up front our back line were coping well. We were having chances and looked strong and a nine minute free kick by Shaun Williams was cleared by the home side and picked up by Shaun Cummings who returned it back and Aiden O'Brien fired in a shot but unfortunately straight at the keeper. Steve Morison shortly afterwards zipped through two defenders but his effort landed on the roof of the net and it was still 0-0. A deliberate hand ball is usually a booking and maybe a sending off but by no stretched of the imagination can a loose ball that bounces off a players arm be classed as deliberate but this was and Aiden O'Brien got booked for it after he had put the ball in the back of the net. Stitch up.

Burton go on to score two goals which rocked us and half time couldn't come quick enough.I have no idea if it was Burton's manager Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank's magic but they scored two goals close to half time with a Steve Morison fierce effort in between them that was saved at full stretch by the Burton keeper. Jordan Archer was at his best and made sure Burton did not go in at half time with three goals to their tally as he some how made a double save that people will be talking about for years to come.

 Half time and we go in gutted.

It's all to do

We gave it all in the 2nd half and Aiden O'Brien and Mark Beever's had early chances and if Steve Morison had got to a ball that dropped tantalising close to him we could have pulled a goal back earlier in the game than we actually did. We put Burton under a lot of pressure and with 15 minutes to go Joe Martin tucked one home after a goal mouth scramble and we were back in it. The 490 travelling Wall were making themselves heard and screamed for a penalty when Aiden O'Brien appeared to be fouled to the ground. Young Fred Onyedinma nearly started Christmas early when he executed a overhead kick that stopped the heart for a second as it narrowly just missed wide of the upright.That was that.
To finish the game off Mark Beever's got sent for nothing and he won't be playing in the Wycombe FA Cup game come this Saturday.

I hope losing away does not become a regular occurrence as you don't win titles by getting done on the road.

Millwall: Archer, Cummings(Upson 90m), J.Martin, Nelson, Beevers, Ferguson(Gregory 46m), Williams, Saville(Thompson 46m), Onyedinma, O'Brien, Morison
subs not used, Forde, Wood, L.Martin, Edwards

Goal: J.Martin 75m

Burton Albion: McLaughlin, Edwards, Mousinho, Flanagan, McCrory, Duffy, Naylor, Butcher, O'Conner, El Khayati (Atkins 90+2), Beavon (Thiele 49m),
subs not used, Mathews, Reilly, Joachim, Binnon-Williams, Palmer

Goals: McCrory 35m,  El Khayati 42m