1 min
Millwall comfortably booked their place in the Second Round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 victory at League Two side Crawley Town.
The Lions got off to the perfect start, opening the scoring after just fourteen minutes with Scott Malone finishing tidily from a Ryan Woods cross.
The visitors continued to control the game and could have doubled their advantage through Connor Mahoney before a 31st minute own goal by Jordan Tunnicliffe made it 2-0.
However, a defensive lapse two minutes later allowed Sam Ashford to run through on goal and calmly slot past the outstretched Bartosz Bialkowski to halve the deficit.
Unnerved by Crawley’s goal, half-time couldn’t come soon enough with the Lions using it to regroup before coming back to flex their Championship superiority in a dominant second-half showing.
Matt Smith’s stooping header from a Jed Wallace cross extended Millwall’s advantage just before the hour mark and ultimately was enough to see the side progress despite late Crawley pressure.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Matt Smith’s 59th minute goal doubled Millwall’s advantage at a crucial stage and killed any hope of an upset.
Moan of the Match
Millwall were at times too slow in moving the ball around and failed to put Crawley on the back foot when counter-attacking opportunities were available.
Talking Point
Did this game provide a stern enough test with the opening weekend of the Championship just a week away?
Man of the Match
Ryan Woods – dictated the play in the Millwall midfield with the Lions losing some of their structure on his substitution.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
David Rock (Hertfordshire) – had no major calls to make and generally allowed the game to flow.
Atmosphere
Whilst this had the feeling of a pre-season game upon arrival, the players ensured it retained a competitive edge and were clearly ‘up for the cup’.
Verdict
Millwall will be pleased with the victory but it’s hard to read too much into a game against much inferior opposition.
