1 min
Millwall made it seven Championship games unbeaten as they recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over relegation strugglers Birmingham City at The Den.
The Lions took the lead as early as the third minute when Mikel San Jose underhit a backpass under no pressure and Jed Wallace nipped in to poke the ball beyond Neil Etheridge.
Despite the early lead, Millwall were unable to seize the initiative and Birmingham captain Harlee Dean came close to an equaliser when his snapshot was deflected inches wide.
The second-half saw Millwall denied a second when Matt Smith’s goal bound shot appeared to be blocked by the arm of Dean amidst vociferous protestation from all Millwall’s staff and players.
And Birmingham nearly benefitted from that good fortune when Lukas Jutkiewicz forced a smart save from Millwall keeper Bart Bialkowski at his near post.
However, Millwall made the game safe 15 minutes from time as Shaun Hutchinson found space down the right and his inch perfect cross was turned home by an unmarked Ben Thompson at the far post.
Key Points
Check out all the key talking points and reaction from London Football Scene below…
Key Moment
Jed Wallace capitalised on Mikel San Jose’s early underhit backpass to give Millwall a lead they never looked like relinquishing.
Moan of the Match
If Millwall are insistent on playing a 5-3-2 then the full-backs need to push up the field – this rarely happened and therefore led to little ingenuity in their attacking play.
Talking Point
Millwall weren’t made to rue the decision in the end but Harlee Dean’s heroic goal-line block was a handball that went unnoticed by both the referee and assistant – a case for VAR in the Championship?
Man of the Match
Shaun Hutchinson – a clean sheet and an assist for the Millwall captain; a very good night’s work.
Tweet of the Match
Referee Watch
Darren Bond (Lancashire) – a strong first-half gave way to a questionable second as both sides expressed major displeasure with a string of decisions.
Atmosphere
A competitive fixture played out amongst two very vocal sides made the match a lively encounter in the second period.
Verdict
It wasn’t pretty to watch but it was effective – Millwall make it three wins in a row. Is a Play-Off charge out of the question?
