Nottingham Forest 0-3 Millwall, Championship: report, ratings and verdict

Posted 6th March 2020 1 min Read Time By
VS.

Nottingham Forest 4-2-3-1

0

3

Millwall 4-4-2

Half Time: 0 - 3 City Ground ( Attendance: 27,307 (936) )
1 min

Matt Smith’s first-half hat-trick kept Millwall’s Play-Off hopes alive as they beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground.

The early exchanges indicated an open game and the Lions took full advantage as Smith scored a diving header in the 20th minute after superb work down the left from Murray Wallace.

The forward’s second six minutes later had a touch of fortune about it with Jayson Molumby’s strike deflecting off his heel on its way toward goal.

However, there was no disputing Smith’s third, a powering close range header from a Shane Ferguson corner to complete a 13 minute hat-trick.

The second-half saw Forest dominate but left frustrated as first Joao Carvalho’s penalty appeals were waved away before John Bostock’s long range effort was superbly saved by Millwall keeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

The result moves the Lions up to seventh ahead of Saturday’s games and extends their record as the best defence in the division since Gary Rowett took over.

Key Points

Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…

Key Moment

A quality counter-attack for Millwall’s second gave the Lions real belief they would go on to win the game.

Moan of the Match

Where has this level of performance been for seven of Millwall’s last eight games?

Talking Point

Should Millwall’s second goal have been awarded to Matt Smith or Jayson Molumby?

Man of the Match

Matt Smith – his superb hat-trick steered Gary Rowett’s brilliant lions to a second win in nine games.

Tweet of the Match

Referee Watch

Geoff Eltringham (County Durham) – fair throughout, made the right call not to award Forest a penalty in the second-half.

Atmosphere

Forest fans tried their best to inspire a second-half revival, whilst the Millwall fans were in fine voice throughout.

Verdict

Millwall’s victory keeps them in the Play-Off battle and they will still harbour hopes of making the top six.

Line Ups

Nottingham Forest 4-2-3-1

Samba; Cash, Figueiredo, Worrall, Ribeiro; Watson, Semedo (Bostock, 46); Lolley (Diakhaby, 80), Carvalho (Walker, 72), Ameobi; Grabban

Subs not used:

Jenkinson, Dawson, Yates, Muric

Booked

Samba

Millwall 4-4-2

Bialkowski; Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, M. Wallace; J. Wallace, Woods, Molumby, Ferguson (Bodvarsson, 86); Smith (Pearce, 80), Bennett (Bradshaw, 61)

Subs not used:

Sandford, Williams, Mahoney, O’Brien

Booked

Cooper

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