A hard fought point away at a ground where we usually come away with nothing.
We were really slow out of the blocks and looked hesitant and indecisive. They realised that we looked punch drunk and pushed and pressed us but rarely threatened. We took a good ten minutes before we got into our stride but we were still second best most of the time. We gave the ball away cheaply and it was very frustrating to do all the hard work to win the ball back and then do very little with it. Poor Emakhu looked a bit like a fish out of water. His strength is to stay deep, fly down the line with a ball over the top and then race towards goal. He ran about a bit but at times tried unsuccessfully to be the target man. Longman was trying hard to get into the game and a decent run down the right saw him gain a corner . It was knocked into the box, Cooper glanced it on and Flem was past the far post to hit a firm shot which cannoned off the foot of the post. It was as close as we got in the first half. They played some neat football and their midfield looked a threat. They knocked some good diagonals right but the crosses did not threaten and we rode it out to a goalless break.
NH would have been the happier of the two managers but would have wanted more in possession. Clearly Emakhu had run his course and Obafemi replaced him at the break. Straight away we looked more of a threat. Oba is full of running and bluster and their defence now had something to think about and a man to keep an eye on. Ten minutes had gone before he struck his first goal for the Lions. Some persistence on the right from Longman got the ball to Billy who hit a peach of a cross into the box. There was some good fortune from Oba as he tried to wriggle his way near to their goal. A fortunate ricochet put him in the clear and a little jink made room for the shot which he buried. The Millwall fans behind the goal went nuts. We had something to hold on and it just needed ten minutes to burn them off and seal the win. Sadly almost ten minutes was up before they equalised. Leonard brought the ball out of defence and laid it off to Danny on the left. He hit it back inside to Cooper but his pass was short. Their blondie hit it inside to Szmodics and he hit it first time past Shark into the corner for 1-1. They tried to capitalise on their equaliser but we stood firm. Fresh legs were needed and Danny and Longman made way for BNC and Joe. We looked more in our shape and had more legs. They tried every which way to get around us but we played some solid and controlled defence and kept them at bay. At the death Watmore came on for Flem and we saw out the five added minutes without any drama.
Shark played well but had little to do apart from picking the ball out of the net. Leonard was solid and Cooper and Tango hardly gave an inch to them. Danny made one blip and we were made to pay for it. Sav and Billy covered every blade of grass and the latter’s excellent cross for the goal was cancelled out when he gave the ball away late in the game. Honeyman probably shaded MOM with tireless running and some very good play. Flem had his moments but Emakhu was played out of position and had little impact. Longman had a few moments but flatters to deceive at times. Joe looked solid when he came on and so did BNC. Watmore hardly broke sweat in his 7 minute cameo.
Now two points clear of the drop zone and a good point against a side we rarely get anything at their place. Now onwards to a big game against the Blues on Saturday where we hope to keep up this momentum.
We were really slow out of the blocks and looked hesitant and indecisive. They realised that we looked punch drunk and pushed and pressed us but rarely threatened. We took a good ten minutes before we got into our stride but we were still second best most of the time. We gave the ball away cheaply and it was very frustrating to do all the hard work to win the ball back and then do very little with it. Poor Emakhu looked a bit like a fish out of water. His strength is to stay deep, fly down the line with a ball over the top and then race towards goal. He ran about a bit but at times tried unsuccessfully to be the target man. Longman was trying hard to get into the game and a decent run down the right saw him gain a corner . It was knocked into the box, Cooper glanced it on and Flem was past the far post to hit a firm shot which cannoned off the foot of the post. It was as close as we got in the first half. They played some neat football and their midfield looked a threat. They knocked some good diagonals right but the crosses did not threaten and we rode it out to a goalless break.
NH would have been the happier of the two managers but would have wanted more in possession. Clearly Emakhu had run his course and Obafemi replaced him at the break. Straight away we looked more of a threat. Oba is full of running and bluster and their defence now had something to think about and a man to keep an eye on. Ten minutes had gone before he struck his first goal for the Lions. Some persistence on the right from Longman got the ball to Billy who hit a peach of a cross into the box. There was some good fortune from Oba as he tried to wriggle his way near to their goal. A fortunate ricochet put him in the clear and a little jink made room for the shot which he buried. The Millwall fans behind the goal went nuts. We had something to hold on and it just needed ten minutes to burn them off and seal the win. Sadly almost ten minutes was up before they equalised. Leonard brought the ball out of defence and laid it off to Danny on the left. He hit it back inside to Cooper but his pass was short. Their blondie hit it inside to Szmodics and he hit it first time past Shark into the corner for 1-1. They tried to capitalise on their equaliser but we stood firm. Fresh legs were needed and Danny and Longman made way for BNC and Joe. We looked more in our shape and had more legs. They tried every which way to get around us but we played some solid and controlled defence and kept them at bay. At the death Watmore came on for Flem and we saw out the five added minutes without any drama.
Shark played well but had little to do apart from picking the ball out of the net. Leonard was solid and Cooper and Tango hardly gave an inch to them. Danny made one blip and we were made to pay for it. Sav and Billy covered every blade of grass and the latter’s excellent cross for the goal was cancelled out when he gave the ball away late in the game. Honeyman probably shaded MOM with tireless running and some very good play. Flem had his moments but Emakhu was played out of position and had little impact. Longman had a few moments but flatters to deceive at times. Joe looked solid when he came on and so did BNC. Watmore hardly broke sweat in his 7 minute cameo.
Now two points clear of the drop zone and a good point against a side we rarely get anything at their place. Now onwards to a big game against the Blues on Saturday where we hope to keep up this momentum.
onwards and creeping upwards
