Millwall

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Rex Features

You can't beat a late, late away winning goal can you?

Especially if, like Millwall's Josh Coburn, you'd earlier made a hash of an 83rd minute penalty with a half-hearted effort so weak as to resemble a cup of tea made with a third-time around teabag.

When you're in the relegation mire like Derby County, the only luck that you get is the bad variety as the Rams hit the underside of the Millwall crossbar via Femi Azeez's head on 62 minutes.

Overall, this was a drab game of very little incident that would be settled five minutes into an added eight, thanks to a very effective run and cross by young Millwall striker Aidomo Emakhu.

His ball into the Rams' six-yard box found its way to Coburn, via a point-blank block by Derby keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, and he despatched it with the kind of glee that a condemned man might show if his gallows had jammed at the moment of decision.

Watching on TV, my two cats were propelled from their soporific half-sleep, straight out of the window in fright, as I let out a loud "YES!" roar of approval.

Truly the Gods of football have a deep sense of humour however, as this win leaves Millwall six points away from the play-off zone, just a few days after most of us had written the Lions' chances off following a loss and two successive draws.

Like I say, you can't beat a late, late winner...

Find more from Nick Hart at Achtung! Millwall, external.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall boss Alex Neil says his side's injury-time winner at Derby just minutes after missing a penalty was all down to their tough mental resilience.

Since losing his first game in charge, on New Year's Day, Millwall have lost just twice in 12 games - and this latest victory moved them four places up to 10th, still within only six points of a play-off place.

"The discussion point before the game was 'Don't let this season drift'," Neil told BBC Radio London.

"We always knew it was going to be tough. It was John Eustace's first home game and, given where Derby are in the league, we knew we had to go about our work.

"But we're at that stage where you look at the fixtures and think 'That's a big one' and we don't want to be any different. The last thing we want is for people looking at our games thinking 'That's a dead rubber'."

In the end, the points came after Josh Coburn had his spot-kick saved by Jacob Widell Zetterstrom but then netted in the fifth minute of added time, scoring from the rebound after Zetterstrom had saved from George Saville.

Neil said: "The ball landed to Josh, he tucked it away and it's a good moment for him. But it was no more than we deserved. We were the team pushing to try and get the goal.

"It shows the resilience of the group. The moment's gone, but it's a case of 'Don't feel sorry for yourself', get on with it.

"We want to be in contention and make sure there's something for us to fight for and the only way to do that is to win more points."

What a task new Derby boss John Eustace has on his hands. The new Rams boss saw his side thrashed 4-0 at QPR in his first game in charge and consequently saw his side drop into the Championship relegation zone.

Eustace said after the game that he "learned a lot about the group" after that game and it will be interesting to see how his team reacts after spending a week with them on the training pitch.

They go into this game on a run of no wins in their past 11 games in all competitions.

It's no win in three for Millwall who missed the chance to close the gap on the play-off places in their last outing after their 1-1 draw at Preston.

That was their second consecutive draw with the Lions 14th and six points adrift of the play-off positions.

• Derby County have failed to win any of their last four league games against Millwall (D2 L2), last enduring a longer winless run against the Lions between 1992 and 1994 (six games).

• Millwall have won each of their last four away league games against Derby County since 2019, winning by a one-goal margin in each of those matches.

• Derby County have gone 10 Championship games without a win (D2 L8) since beating West Brom on Boxing Day. The Rams last had a longer winless league run between October and December 2020 (11 games).

• Millwall boss Alex Neil has lost six of his 10 Championship meetings with Derby, though this will be his first since a 1-0 win on Boxing Day in 2020 as Preston manager.

• Derby haven't scored a single goal in any of their last five home league games. The Rams have never previously gone six in a row without a goal on home soil, with this their 2,559th home game in the Football League.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall manager Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London following their 1-1 draw at Preston.

"It was a tough match, they have a really strong record at home and have lost one in 15, but it was a strange game in that we looked more dangerous when they had their best spells," he said.

"We hit the bar with a header and then had a great free kick that ends up in the back of the net.

"It was relatively even in of opportunities but they dominated the ball and were the team that controlled the game in that sense.

"Their goal was an opportune moment where Riis has smashed it from 25 yards, a great finish and it ends in the back of the net.

"We can play better but a point is not to be sniffed at coming here."

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Sloppy defending allowed West Bromwich Albion back into Saturday's match, after Jake Cooper's excellent downward header on 19 minutes had put the Lions deservedly ahead.

Spare a thought for poor Joe Bryan - two own goals in a week surely merits some kind of scoring bonus? Ok, maybe not...

After the half-time break however, Millwall really turned the heat up on the Baggies - unfortunately without ever quite boiling over into a goal.

With the number of chances created, head coach Alex Neil must have expected one to have gone into the Albion net.

But some heroic goalkeeping by Joe Wildsmith kept the scoreline even, he was surely West Brom's player of the match.

Still a point is a point and this game was underpinned with a strong sense of relief that the shambles of that 5-1 loss at Plymouth wasn't repeated.

"Be grateful for small mercies" has always been my motto following the Lions, alongside "manage your expectation" and "don't sit beneath where the pigeons perch".

Saturday saw the home debut of club record g Camiel Neghli - and I have to say that he looks to be some player. Alongside Femi Azeez, our attack from the wings looks to be a real threat.

I wondered how we might replace the departed Romaine Esse, but these talents certainly each look the part...

Find more from Nick Hart at Achtung! Millwall, external.

In-form Preston, in 15th, welcome 14th-placed Millwall on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) with the Lilywhites hoping to extend their unbeaten home league run to 11 games.

Paul Heckingbottom's side picked up a point against Lancashire rivals Burnley in a stalemate at Deepdale last time out on Saturday.

The Lions also go into the game on the back of a draw after being forced to settle for 1-1 at home to West Brom on the same day.

With both sides on 41 points, victory for either side would move them to within four points of the play-off places.

• Preston North End are winless in their last 11 league encounters with Millwall (D4 L7), including a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in September.

• Millwall haven't lost an away league game at Preston since a 3-2 defeat in December 2018, winning on three of their five trips since (D2)

• Preston have only won one of their last 12 Championship games against London clubs (D3 L8), a 2-0 win at QPR in April 2023.

• Millwall have won two of their last three away league games, although lost their last 5-1 at Plymouth – the first time they had shipped 5+ goals in an away game in the Championship since May 2021 at Coventry (1-6).

• Millwall manager Alex Neil has lost three of his four previous league meetings against former side Preston as a manager, though did win his only such trip to Deepdale with Stoke City in October 2022 (2-0).

Two sides seeking to get back on track meet at The Den on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as Millwall entertain West Bromwich Albion.

The Lions' three-match winning run came to a shuddering halt with a 5-1 thumping at Plymouth on Wednesday night.

Wednesday's home defeat to Blackburn means the Baggies have taken just 12 points from 10 matches since the departure of Carlos Corberan on Christmas Eve, though have managed to cling on to the final play-off place for now.

Though Albion are eight places ahead of the Lions, a home win would take Alex Neil's men within four points of Tony Mowbray's side.

• Millwall are unbeaten in each of their past seven league games against West Bromwich Albion (W2 D5), with each of their last four meetings ending level.

• West Brom have only won on one of their past 12 visits to Millwall in the Football League (D3 L8), with that coming in February 2020 (2-0).

• Millwall are looking to win successive home league games for only the second time this season after a run of three victories between October and November.

• West Brom are winless on the road in the Championship in their past eight games (D4 L4) and could lose three successive games for the first time since January 2024.

• West Brom's Adam Armstrong has been involved in seven goals in his 10 previous league games against Millwall (4 goals, 3 assists), four of which have come at The Den (3 goals, 1 assist).

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall head coach Alex Neil says his side's heavy 5-1 loss at Plymouth Argyle was down to his tactics.

The Lions were 2-0 down at half time and were 4-0 behind before Joe Bryan scored with 10 minutes to go.

But the hosts - who beat Liverpool on the FA Cup on Sunday - got a fifth soon after for their biggest win since September 2023.

"I'm bitterly disappointed, it couldn't have gone much worse for us if we're being honest," he told BBC Sport.

"I think the goals that we did concede, I didn't think Plymouth needed to do much to score them.

"It's just been a catalogue of errors throughout the match.

"We didn't penetrate, we struggled to get in behind them, and that was largely due to how I set us up, so from that perspective that's my responsibility.

"If you look back over the last decade in the Championship it's very rare that my teams would ever lose five goals, so from that perspective that is as bitterly disappointing for me as it is for the players.

"But whether we lose 1-0 or 5-1 - I know it's very different - but it's three points gone, we need to focus on what the next game looks like."

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

'Focusing on the league' must be one of the most depressing football phrases in the game.

Alongside 'football is a business', it normalises a drab world of second string teams and half-hearted early FA Cup exits by superstars who haven't quite made it yet.

Well table-topping Leeds United certainly were 'focusing on the league' by making wholesale changes to their starting XI in their 2-0 loss at home to Millwall on Saturday.

Millwall's team selection was based more on the impact of injuries and cup-tied new gs, as much any league ambitions.

Despite all this, did Leeds give this cup-tie their fullest attention and effort?

It certainly looked like it as the match unfolded.

A very open game, it was stand-in Lions goalkeeper Liam Roberts who rightly earned the 'man of the match' plaudits with a string of decent saves, as well as a game-saving penalty block on 58 minutes.

Millwall will regard this excellent away performance as a real season booster - yes, whisper it, but we're only five points shy of the top six spots, dear reader.

With a terrific showing of fine counter-attacking football and strong performances by two-goal forward Femi Azeez, as well as midfielder Casper De Norre, it may well be the Lions who also get to use this cup-tie win to 'focus on the league', too.

Find more from Nick Hart at Achtung! Millwall., external

The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Championship teams left in the competition.

Games will be played over the first weekend of March.

• Aston Villa v Cardiff City

• Crystal Palace v Millwall

• Manchester City v Plymouth

• Preston North End v Burnley

You can find the full draw here.

Plymouth Argyle will turn their attentions back to the battle for Championship survival following their memorable shock FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday.

The Pilgrims are bottom and four points from safety ahead of the visit of play-off chasing Millwall, but Miron Muslic's side did end a 15-game winless run in the league by beating West Bromwich Albion last time out.

The Lions beat Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend and have won three on the bounce in the league to reignite their quest for a top-six finish.

• Plymouth Argyle have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Millwall (D4 L4), since a 3-0 home victory in December 1997.

• Millwall have won each of their past three league games against Plymouth Argyle, already the Lions' longest ever run against the Pilgrims in the EFL.

• Plymouth ended a 15-game winless Championship run with a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion last time out. Argyle haven't won consecutive league games since February 2024, the only time they've achieved that in the Championship over the last two seasons.

• Millwall have won their past three league games, having won none of their first four under Alex Neil (D2 L2). Each of their past eight league wins have all come via a one-goal margin.

• Ryan Hardie scored both of Plymouth's goals in their 2-1 win over West Brom, having only netted once in his previous 35 Championship games. The Scotsman last scored in consecutive games in January 2024.

Leeds United welcome Millwall to Elland Road for an all-Championship FA Cup fourth round tie on Saturday lunchtime (12:15 GMT).

• Leeds have won eight of their past nine home games against Millwall in all competitions, with the exception being a 4-3 loss in January 2018.

• This will be the first ever FA Cup meeting between Leeds and Millwall. Indeed, the only previous cup competition in which they've faced was the short-lived Full Cup, with the Lions winning both meetings 2-0 (December 1987 and November 1988).

• Leeds could reach the FA Cup fifth round for the third consecutive campaign, which would be as many times as they'd reached this stage of the competition in the previous 22 seasons.

• Millwall are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2018-19. However, they've lost each of their past six ties against sides from the same division or higher than themselves.

• Leeds are set to play consecutive home games within the same FA Cup campaign for the first time since 2001, when they beat Barnsley 1-0 in the third round before losing to eventual winners Liverpool in round four.