Millwall secured their first point under new head coach Alex Neil with a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.
Here is Alex Grace’s lowdown on the Championship match.
THE LINE-UPS
Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle, Valery (Valentin 79), Iorfa (Otegbayo 70), Bernard, Lowe, Charles (Chalobah 79), Bannan, Musaba (Lowe 86), Windass, Gassama, Ugbo (Smith 70). Subs not used: Charles, Palmer, Paterson, Ingelsson.
Millwall: Jensen, Leonard, Tanganga, Wallace, Bryan, Saville (Wintle 78), De Norre (Langstaff 85), Esse, Honeyman, Azeez, Ivanovic (Hutchinson 88). Subs not used: Roberts, Harding, Mitchell, Kelly, Mayor, Bradshaw.
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME
Sheffield Wednesday came flying out of the blocks and took the lead in the sixth minute. Former Southampton player Jan Valery fired home from Anthony Musaba’s cross. There was frustration in the Lions camp when the home side were awarded a penalty after Joe Bryan’s collision with Musaba, referee Robert Jones pointed straight to the spot. Ike Ugbo blazed his penalty over the bar.
The Lions should have drawn level at the start of the second half. A free-kick into the box caused the Wednesday defence problems but Mihalio Ivanovic could not keep his effort on target.
Wednesday should have added a second a few minutes later – the crossbar denying both Barry Bannan and Gassama in a matter of seconds.
The Lions got themselves level midway through the second half. George Saville’s free-kick fell kindly to George Honeyman, who showed great composure and slotted the ball into the net. Ryan Wintle scored his first goal for the club in the 83rd minute to put the South Londoners in front but, just two minutes later, the Owls levelled through Gabriel Otegbayo.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Alex Neil made two changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Oxford United on New Year’s Day with Femi Azeez and George Honeyman coming into the side in place of Macaulay Langstaff and Duncan Watmore.
Neil reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation after going with two strikers for the Oxford game, that looked a smart move against a Wednesday side that has been good on their own patch in recent times.
Set-pieces and crosses into the box looked like the best route for the Lions back into the game. Wednesday were very vulnerable from those situations and it was no surprise that is where the Lions’ goals came from – balls into the box that were not dealt with properly by the home side.
STAR MAN
George Honeyman. It was not an easy game from a Millwall perspective to play as the number 10. However his presence and movement did cause problems for the home side.
BEST MOMENT
Honeyman’s goal. He is a player that divides the fanbase at times but he took his goal very well. I was impressed with the amount of composure that he showed, to take it down and calmly slot it past the keeper was top class in a high pressure moment.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
Millwall’s first-half display – it was a really tough watch. Wednesday had it all their own way in the opening 45 minutes. The Lions carried hardly any threat, which has been a recurring theme in recent matches. The build-up play against Oxford was not bad but lacked any real slick movement. In the first half today, even that was lacking. Wednesday were hammering the Lions down both wings with Musaba and Gassama causing real problems for Ryan Leonard and Bryan. In the end it was Musaba who won the penalty off of Bryan.
Neil will not want to see a repeat of that first half performance going forward.
A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB
Millwall’s record on the road.
The Lions have been solid for the most part this season despite only claiming three points once on their travels – the 1-0 win at Swansea City. Despite that, it’s only four defeats on the road and seven draws after this one today.
It just shows how tight Millwall’s games have been all season, 10 goals scored and 13 conceded away from SE16 – it’s worth noting that four of those 13 goals conceded came against Bristol City back in August.
It’s 30 points on the board now, but only 10 of them have come away from home. The away form needs to improve to ease the pressure on home games going forward.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
“Based on the game it was a great point for us. First half we didn’t do well enough, I thought we were lucky the scoreline was only 1-0. We had a chat with the lads at half time and in the second half we responded brilliantly, scored two goals, made it much more difficult for Sheffield Wednesday, albeit they did still have their chances. Naturally when you go 2-1 up, you are disappointed that you don’t see the game out particularly as defensively we are quite strong.”
“The goal is disappointing, particularly from a set play as we should spot it, deal with the ball down the side, if we do that I think we defend our box and potentially go on and get the three points.”