ISSUE
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JED WALLACE
MILLWALL CONFIRM LOAN OF EXCITING YOUNGSTER 1
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CONTENTS EXCLUSIVE
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PREVIEW
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MILLWALL CONFIRM LOAN CAPTURE OF EXCITING WOLVES YOUNGSTER
OLDHAM ATHLETIC
OPINION
OPINION
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
BUILDING FOR THE LONG TERM TAKES TIME
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
HARRIS SEES YOUNG STRIKER PLAYING IMPORTANT MILLWALL ROLE
MORISON: WE NEED OLDHAM WIN BEFORE CUP FINAL
MATCH REPORT
REVIEW
BARNSLEY 2 MILLWALL 1
REVIEW OF 2015
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MILLWALL CONFIRM LOAN CAPTURE OF EXCITING WOLVES YOUNGSTER By John Kelly
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EIL Harris has made his first foray into the January transfer market with the loan signing of midfielder Jed Wallace from Wolves.
Wallace will join the Lions on a 28-day deal and could be available to manager Harris for the rescheduled Sky Bet League One clash with Oldham at SportsDirect. com Park on Saturday.
Portsmouth but his progress has been disrupted by injury. However, Wallace is well-regarded by Kenny Jackett and, despite playing just seven games this season, his 17 goals in 50 games for Pompey in 2014-15 indicates a player with real potential.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder only joined Wolves last summer from
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Wallace becomes the second player Jackett has loaned to his former club this campaign after George Saville, who could still re-join the Lions in January. Reading-born Wallace, a former England U19 international, can play on either wing or in an attacking central role, posing a threat to defences with his direct running style, pace and shooting ability. Harris said this week he felt the squad was an attacking option short, and Wallace, who was named in the 2014/15 League Two team of the season, will add that spark to his side. The Lions boss told the club’s official website: “We’re delighted to get Jed on board. He has real ability, is a hard-working boy, and is desperate to play football and score some goals for Millwall. “Jed will provide good competition in the midfield area over the next few weeks.” Wallace will train with his new club on Friday and Millwall fans could get their first chance to see him in action against David Dunn’s relegation-threatened side.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH JED WALLACE SCORING POMPEY’S GOAL OF THE SEASON
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PREVIEW:
OLDHAM ATHLETIC By John Kelly
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EW signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers Jed Wallace is in contention to start for Millwall at Oldham on Saturday.
he took over from the sacked Darren Kelly in September, is boosted by the news defensive pair Cameron Dummigan and Daniel Lafferty have re-signed from Burnley until the end of January.
Midfielder Wallace trained with the Lions on Friday morning following his loan move from the Championship side, and manager Neil Harris could draft him straight into his line-up.
Dunn is aware of the challenge Millwall will present as he chases a first home league win as a manager. The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder told Oldham’s official website: “They are a good side and very organised. They have good commitment towards their manager and they have some dangerous players.
With George Saville back at Wolves, Ed Upson or Jimmy Abdou could partner Shaun Williams in midfield. Carlos Edwards is out with a hamstring injury, while there is still a doubt over his potential replacement Shaun Cummings.
“A couple of them have gone back to their parent clubs now so we are playing them while they have a couple of players missing but in the last few weeks our training has been good and I’ve been happy with it.”
Shane Ferguson could play his last game for the club before his scheduled loan ends, with Harris still waiting for Newcastle to decide on the player’s future.
Form guide (Last five league games): Oldham: LLDLD Millwall: LLLWL
Striker John Marquis may also be in the matchday squad following his return from Leyton Orient.
Sky Bet odds: Oldham 23/10 Draw 9/4 Millwall 5/4 Probable Millwall team: 4-4-2:
Oldham have won just one league game at home this season, against Fleetwood in August. The Latics lost top scorer Danny Philliskirk, who netted the winner in that game, and winger Mark Yeates to Blackpool this week.
Forde; Cummings, Webster, Beevers, J Martin; Wallace, Abdou, Williams, Ferguson; Morison, O’Brien.
Manager David Dunn, under pressure after just three wins in 19 games since
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CAN WALLACE BE JED MASTER? Anyone watching clips of Jed Wallace on YouTube won’t help but be excited by the variety, and indeed the audacity, of some of his efforts for Portsmouth last season. He scored 17 goals in 50 appearances to finish the season Pompey’s top scorer for the second year in a row and he was also named in the League Two team of the year. That consistent form was enough to convince former Millwall boss Kenny Jacket to take him to Molineux and his talent was endorsed by former Portsmouth player Guy Whittingham, who said of the 21-year-old: “We used to see him working every day after training practising coming in from the left on his right foot and coming in from the right on his left foot, and his heading.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR By John Kelly
“He loves the game and he’s a very fit lad who trains well and works his socks off – even when things aren’t going well, he keeps going. “He’ll fit in well at Wolves but I reckon he’ll take a bit of time to adjust because the Championship is now like the Premier League was 15 years ago. There are some really good players in there.” Those with a knowledge of the player would agree with Whittingham’s assessment of Wallace’s attitude. In that sense the signing is in keeping with one of Neil Harris’ requirements of any potential acquisition: Any player coming in must bring with them a strong work ethic and desire for personal improvement. Another important requirement is the ability to improve the squad. It doesn’t take long watching Wallace in action to recognise his exceptional talent. The fact Wallace is so highly rated yet has only played seven times for Wolves this season can partly be explained by the knee injury he sustained during the summer, that crucial period when footballers build a strong physical base for the season. He was always playing catch-up after that.
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CAN MILLWALL GIVE THEMSELVES THE PERFECT BOOST BEFORE THEIR JOHNSTONE’S PAINT TROPHY TIE?
Some people have also wondered why the deal is only a month long. As ever with these kinds of arrangements it is the parent club acting for its own benefit. In the case of Wallace, Jackett will hope that a positive spell at Millwall can kick-start his career at Molineux.
Only the very foolish would answer that question with any degree of confidence.
If Wallace does rediscover the form he showed at Portsmouth, Millwall fans could be in for some exciting moments in the next month.
But three points is surely a must for a couple of reasons.
WILL WALLACE’S PRESENCE MEAN AN ALTERATION IN FORMATION OR APPROACH?
Firstly, failure to secure a win against a side that has only one victory at home would be a real psychological blow, and possibly fatal to any play-off hopes. Oldham have also lost top scorer Danny Philliskirk to Blackpool this week.
The likelihood is Wallace will start in a wide position, but it would be fascinating to see him in a central role, similar to the position from which Bradley Dack did so much damage to Millwall before Christmas.
It’s not ideal preparation. This is also Millwall’s game in hand and there is a danger the top six sides are already pulling away. Wigan in fifth are 10 points ahead of the Lions.
Gillingham played with a narrow midfield to give Dack the platform to flourish and he tormented Millwall’s defence with his touch and vision.
All that points to a now-or-never push for the top six. Millwall have been frustratingly close to the play-off spots this season but have always suffered a setback within touching distance.
Dack wasn’t the first player to hurt Millwall this season from those areas: James Maddison and Jay O’Shea were two possessing the sort of creative skills it takes to unlock defences, something that is absent in Millwall’s team.
This season was always partly about halting a serious decline, as well as rebuilding a squad and identity, but there is enough quality and experience among the playing personnel to achieve more.
Harris has played 4-4-2 for the majority of games this season and it’s his natural default preference.
With Port Vale, Chesterfield and Crewe the other league fixtures in January, and with Wallace on board and the Lions will hope on form, this is the month to make a decisive move.
Playing football fantasy for a moment, it would be intriguing to see a midfield three of Shaun Williams and Jimmy Abdou at the base with Wallace just in front of them getting on the ball in the space centre-backs hate, with Shane Ferguson and Aiden O’Brien providing width and also a threat with runs in behind.
If that doesn’t happen, then it will be the month in which Millwall fans can start getting used to the idea of another season in League One.
With Steve Morison’s natural ability to keep centre-backs busy that kind of set-up could suit Wallace, whose close control makes him a natural in that habitat from where the best openings are created. In reality, though, Harris will probably start the new recruit on the flank, from where he will still exert an influence.
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Stat's that... BY JOHN KELLY
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Steve Morison has been involved in half of Millwall’s 36 league goals this season. Next best is Shaun Williams who has participated in 15.
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Millwall and Oldham have met 62 times in their history, stretching back to January 9, 1926. The Lions’ first meeting with the Latics was in the FA Cup third round, with the game ending 1-1. Millwall won the replay 1-0 three days later.
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Millwall have won 25 games of the 62, with Oldham victorious on 17 occasions.
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There have been 20 draws between the two sides in those 62 previous meetings, but there has only been one draw in the last 13 meetings.
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The last time the two sides met was on January 23, 2010 when Millwall were 1-0 winners at Boundary Park thanks to a Neil Harris penalty.
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The biggest winning margin in this fixture came on May 5, 2001 when Millwall hammered Oldham 5-0 The Den. Braces from Paul Moody and Harris plus a screamer from Steven Reid sealed the win and the 2000-01 Division Two Title.
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Oldham’s biggest margin of victory over the Lions was on May 11, 1979 when they won 4-1.
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The Latics are currency 22nd in the Sky Bet League One table on 21 points having won just three games, drawing 12 and losing eight of their 23 games. They have won just once at home in the league all season, while rookie boss David Dunn is still waiting for his first ever league win at home as a manager. Millwall are twelve places above their opponents, six points off the play-off spots on 34 points. Millwall’s official Twitter account has 55,000 followers, 24,000 more than Oldham. Morison has won more attacking challenges than any other Millwall player, while Mark Beevers is top in terms of defensive challenges won.
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Beevers has made 183 interceptions this season – 59 more than next best Williams.
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BUILDING FOR THE LONG TERM TAKES TIME By Omer Ronayne
While mistakes are proving costly, the key we are searching for is consistency, and teams which are successful are consistent throughout the season, whether that be performances or even team selection, something which Harris has made clear from pre-season.
HE topic of conversation over the Christmas period and going into the new year has been the inconsistency of our side, from winning 4-0 away to Southend United after losing to Gillingham and Walsall at The Den.
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With a small squad, or a “core of 18” as our manager is quoted as saying, Harris believes this will eventually lead us to success. We all want the glory as soon as possible, but perhaps having a year to adjust with a solid mid-table finish and then being able to push on next season might be to our advantage.
Performances have followed a similar trend also: Sometime we look unstoppable, other times we seem lost on the pitch, and after our most recent game away to Barnsley Neil Harris was critical of the mistakes he saw in defence. While I agree with that assessment, the problems we have defensively is something which can be sorted on the training field, and you’d hope going into the next game we won’t see the same mistakes again.
Last summer we got rid of some more experienced players and players who had not done enough to stay at the club. Now we have a group of players keen to play for Millwall, 17
and for their manager, the perfect combination every manager wants. Having a smaller squad has facilitated team spirit, and they clearly play for each other on the pitch. However, we’ve also seen problems arise where injuries and suspensions mean we have to make do with a patched-up XI.
sight it would be proved wrong – but Berylson still financially backed our previous manager despite the club looking like it was heading in the wrong direction. Now, with a manager who gets the club and the promise shown from the likes of Fred Onyedinma, Aiden O’Brien, Sid Nelson and Ben Thompson, Berylson has taken the step of making sure we have a plan for years to come, and not just to fix issues in the short term.
The club made a big deal about the investment in the player recruitment department last season. Andrew Mills, who we head-hunted, has a team of analysts who work on identifying players to add to the shortlist for every position.
We’re playing the long game, and Berylson shows no signs of selling up anytime soon – which is the kind of security every club hopes for.
There will be a set of requirements in place for the type of player wanted along with statistics on each player. If you look at the summer signings, all have played an important part so far this season, in contrast with some of the signings we made under Ian Holloway last season.
If we look back to our last promotion-winning side, we had lost the season before in the play-off final, but managed to bounce back and get the job done. Kenny Jackett, manager at the time, was after quoted as saying that perhaps promotion the year before would have come too soon.
With this structure in place going forward, and combined with the youngsters coming through the academy, given time we will be able to assemble a squad which Harris and the club can call their own.
The next season we were ready, and sustained our success going into The Championship with a top-10 finish in our first campaign - a level we unfortunately failed to achieve in the following seasons.
The chairman, John Berylson, has thankfully stuck with us despite the terrible past few years we’ve had on the pitch, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. Football is a costly business – and with hind-
Having come close to promotion the season before, Jackett was able to bring in one or two more players who he believed would get us over the line, and with time 18
on his side he achieved what was asked of him. What would be deemed a success this season? I’ll stick with my pre-season prediction of top 10 and an outside chance of promotion, with glory in the JPT more than welcome. To win a trophy, and give the fans and players a day at Wembley can only help breed confidence for our young squad.
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YOUNG STRIKER PAVEY MOVES ON LOAN TO NATIONAL LEAGUE ALDERSHOT By John Kelly
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LFIE Pavey has joined Aldershot Town on a 28-day youth loan.
The striker has made six appearances off the bench for the Lions this season but his boss Neil Harris said this week that with Jamie Philpot returning to full fitness Pavey (above) could be given the chance to get first-team experience elsewhere. That could start this weekend when the National League side play Chester at home.
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HARRIS EXPECTS MILLWALL FRINGE PLAYERS TO ASK FOR MOVES By John Kelly
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ILLWALL boss Neil Harris says he will not stand in the way of any player who wants to leave the club in January.
John Marquis, Paris Cowan-Hall, Jack Powell and Lee Martin could all be on the move this month, either on loan or permanently, after featuring only sporadically in the first team this season.
“Things have been up in the air, players have been out on loan,” Harris said. “A few of the players who haven’t had that many first-team opportunities this season with us are at the stage now where they’re coming out of contract and I think they’re going to want to play regular football.
Kris Twardek, the 18-year-old Czech Republic underage international who featured for Millwall in pre-season before breaking his toe, may also be given the opportunity to build up some experience with a view to eventually challenging for a place in the Lions first team.
“So I do expect agents to be calling me and players knocking on my door to say, ‘If I’m not playing regularly then I might need to look for another opportunity somewhere else’. “As ever, I’m really cool with that because it’s a short career and you work really hard Monday to Friday to go to bed with butterflies on Friday night looking forward to Saturday afternoon at three o’clock.
Harris has relied on a core group of 18 players so far this season, and he said he understands the positions of those players on the periphery of the first team who may be feeling frustrated with the lack of competitive game time.
“If you’re not getting an opportunity you should naturally fight for your place or want that opportunity somewhere else. I certainly expect a couple of my players who haven’t been involved to do that.”
Cowan-Hall, Powell and Marquis have already spent time out on loan and there is expected to be interest this month in 28-year-old winger Martin, who has started just four games this season. 23
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HARRIS SEES YOUNG STRIKER PLAYING IMPORTANT MILLWALL ROLE By John Kelly
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Harris admitted Philpot was rushed back sooner than was preferred with Lee Gregory out with a hamstring strain recently, but the Lions boss expects the young forward to make an impact in the coming weeks.
AMIE Philpot could make a big impact for Millwall this season, according to his manager Neil Harris.
Philpot, who only turned 19 last October, has been named on the bench for the last two league games but is not yet ready to challenge for a starting spot as he builds up his fitness and match sharpness after injury.
“We put him on the bench probably a good three or four weeks before we should have because numbers dictated,” Harris said. “Jamie’s not played a game for the U21s yet. He’s been out for a few months, hasn’t played any football and then I’ve put him on the bench for the first team.
The striker is ahead of Alfie Pavey in the Millwall pecking order, and the latter could be loaned to a National League club this week. Philpot managed to get on the scoresheet against Wolves in the last game of last season – during the only eight minutes he has played for the senior side so far in his career.
“So I think that goes to show that we are light in the attacking areas. Jamie won’t be ready to start for the first team for at least three to four weeks, so the start of February.
He suffered knee damage in that game that required surgery and a period of rehabilitation over the summer, and he was injured again in an U21 league game against Leeds earlier this season.
“He needs to play two 21s games, if not three, before being considered to be fit enough to start. “Jamie’s a player I really like and when he’s fully fit certainly comes into the reckoning to play.”
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MILLWA LL'S MORI S ON: W E NEED OLDHAM W I N BEFORE C U P F I NAL By John Kelly
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ILLWALL captain Steve Morison is refusing to use tiredness as an excuse for the side’s poor recent run of results. But Morison believes footballers should be physically and mentally ready for the demands of a relentless season.
Having lost just once in 11 games before a busy December and festive schedule, the Lions’ 2-1 defeat at Barnsley last Saturday was their fifth in seven games in all competitions.
“Your life fits around football. If you’re doing it the opposite way around you’re not doing it right,” Morison said. “It’s what we live for. It is a tough period, don’t get me wrong, but I bet the teams at the top of the table don’t feel tired now.
A sustained run in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and 12 Tuesday night games – seven of them away from home – in the first half of the season has left Neil Harris’ small squad looking off the pace recently.
“They’re winning, and when you’re losing you can start using (tiredness) as a bit of an excuse. It’s a fun time of year. You can pick up points, you can drop points and we’ve come through the Christmas period and not a
Barring any more postponements, Millwall are not scheduled to play another Tuesday league fixture away from The Den for the rest of the season.
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lot has changed in the league. “The teams at the top have got a little bit further away, but nothing’s changed massively, you’re still one or two wins away from being in the play-off places. It’s not the end of the world and we’ll just keep going.” Millwall travel to Oldham on Saturday for their rescheduled League One clash, and Morison recognises the importance of getting a positive result against David Dunn’s struggling side before the first leg of the JPT area final against Oxford the following Thursday. “We want to go into that game next week on the back of a win,” he said. “It was frustrating that we went up to Oldham and it got called off. It’s another team that’s below us but we need to go there with the right attitude to get a result. “I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win game but it would be nice to go into the Oxford game with a win rather than a game where you’re thinking, ‘We need to win a game soon to get our form back’.”
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WOLVES' JACKETT TO DECIDE ON FUTURE OF MILLWALL TARGET SAVILLE By John Kelly
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of three players including Lee Evans who was at Bradford and Tommy Rowe who spent time at Scunthorpe to have returned to the club this week whose futures manager Kenny Jackett has yet to make a decision on.
OLVES boss Kenny Jackett has confirmed that midfielder George Saville could leave the club during the January transfer window. Saville returned to Wolves on Monday after his loan spell with Millwall ended last weekend, and Neil Harris told NewsAtDen this week he is interested in bringing the player back to south London.
“Bradford for Lee Evans and Millwall for George Saville are both interested in taking it further, as Scunthorpe are with Tommy Rowe,” the former Millwall boss said. “At present it looks like they’ll be coming back with us and we’ll be looking to see what the next stage is with them.”
The Express & Star report that the 22-year-old former Chelsea midfielder is one
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INJURY TO EDWARDS WON'T AFFECT MILLWALL'S TRANSFER PLANS By John Kelly
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Mahlon Romeo, 20, signed from Gillingham in the summer, is the only other right-back available and has been named in the matchday squad this season, but he has yet to make his senior competitive debut.
ARLOS Edwards has suffered a fresh injury setback and could miss both legs of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy area final against Oxford. The 37-year-old defender left the pitch in the 68th minute in the 2-1 defeat to Barnsley last Saturday with a hamstring injury, with midfielder Jimmy Abdou pressed into action at right-back.
However, Harris says the problems at right-back won’t alter his January transfer plans. “Carlos is definitely going to be out for a period of time, he’s pulled his hamstring. He’s going to be out for a number of weeks,” Harris said.
Shaun Cummings is also a doubt for the League One clash with Oldham next Saturday, leaving manager Neil Harris short of options on the right side of his defence.
“Shaun has recovered well in the last few days so we’ll monitor him in the next couple of days to see if he can make the weekend or not.
Abdou it likely to fill the position if Cummings doesn’t recover on time, and Harris also has the option of Sid Nelson, who played there when Edwards was forced off in the JPT win over Plymouth in November.
“But we won’t be looking to bring anybody in.”
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BOSS TELLS MILLWALL PLAYERS: CUT OUT SLOPPINESS IN TRAINING By John Kelly
pitch that concerned Harris.
EIL Harris has warned his players to up their performance levels in training to avoid making the types of errors that cost them two goals at Barnsley.
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He explained: “We coach the players on the training pitch, we show them videos. But you can only coach them to a certain degree. The players have to take responsibility themselves.
Sam Winnall punished some slack marking to head his side in front, before the striker set up Adam Hammill for the second after Millwall had lost possession in midfield.
“Unfortunately for us other players on the other teams tend to move on the football pitch, so we can’t physically put the players in the positions that we want. “The players were fantastic at Southend, we were solid and we scored four goals. We were buoyant all week and really positive. I think it’s just a realisation about where we are.
The Lions had a number of chances to find an equaliser, the best of them in added time at the end of the game when Steve Morison hit the crossbar with a header and Lee Gregory’s follow-up was cleared off the line, the fourth time Barnsley executed a last-ditch escape in the second half.
“We need to stop the errors. If you’re sloppy during the week in training then you’re going to be sloppy on matchdays.
But it was the manner of the defending at the other end of the
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“We made some bad decisions. Some players wanted to play their own style of football rather than play to the strengths of the team.” Harris did, however, draw some positives from the performance of David Forde at Oakwell. Forde started his first league game since August in the 1-0 defeat to Walsall on Boxing Day after Jordan Archer’s sending-off against Gillingham the previous Saturday. He held onto the number jersey after Archer had served his ban, keeping a clean sheet against Southend before pulling off a couple of excellent saves in the second half against Barnsley. “I thought Forde was outstanding,” Harris said. “That’s his third game in there. Obviously Jordan was unfortunate with the red card but Fordey’s taken his opportunity to come back in and he’s performed outstandingly well. “He gives us real leadership. It’s strange to be talking about the goalkeeper when you feel you should have got plenty out of the game. But I thought he made some very good saves and was really assured.”
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didn’t more significantly add to his goal tally. He saw two headers cleared off the line in the second half before hitting the crossbar in added time and watching as Alfie Mawson – a target for Millwall last summer – cleared Lee Gregory’s follow-up off the line.
HE DRAB backdrop was an appropriate one as Millwall lost their first game of 2016, and their second against Barnsley this season.
The rain came steadily down from a prematurely darkening sky over Oakwell on Saturday afternoon as Neil Harris’ side experienced an unwanted sense of déjà vu.
“It’s a frustrating result,” Morison said. “But all we can do is get ready and go again, we can’t dwell on it and we can’t change it.
This was the sixth time in the last nine games that Millwall had fallen behind and they haven’t rescued a win or even a draw from any of them.
“It was one of those games – you do everything right, get the ball on target but they died for the cause, didn’t they? Clearing the ball off the line and then again after I hit the bar at the end.
Barnsley probably just about deserved to hang on in the end after goals from Sam Winnall in the first half and Adam Hammill after the break had them 2-1 up in the closing stages.
“You just think it’s in as soon as it leaves your head, but we conceded two goals we could have done better with. We’ve worked very hard to try and get back on terms, and we did that but then we give another soft goal away six minutes later.
Not for the first time this season Lions captain Steve Morison will have wondered how on earth he
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“We threw everything at them but it just wasn’t enough on the day. It’s frustrating but we can’t change it now.”
ing towards Millwall’s box and he evaded a couple of weak tackles to shoot past Forde. The result leaves Millwall in danger of slipping away from contention for a play-off place, while automatic promotion looks like it is well out of reach with Burton and Gillingham showing few signs that they are going to suffer dips in form.
Lee Johnson’s side started much more urgently against the visitors, swarming all over Millwall in midfield and then breaking rapidly to put the back four under intense pressure. The Lions only had themselves to blame with their carelessness in possession. At one point in the first half Ed Upson gave the ball away and when Hammill sent a cross to the back post Millwall were lucky the referee’s whistle sounded for Marley Watkins’ push on Mark Beevers moments before winger Lloyd Isgrove nodded past David Forde.
Millwall are now 16 points off second place and face Oldham next Saturday before the first leg of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy area final against Oxford the following Thursday. Failure to win that rescheduled fixture at Boundary Park will surely mean a potential JPT decider at Wembley will be a consolation prize rather than a dress rehearsal for a play-off final in May.
Barnsley were already a goal up by then, Millwall failing to anticipate an exchange of passes after a short corner before Hammill’s cross was headed home by an unmarked Winnall.
But Morison insists heads will not drop after a fifth defeat in seven games.
Forde produced a couple of excellent saves to prevent Barnsley from doubling their lead after the break, turning Hammill’s free-kick away for a corner and then stretching out a right boot to block Winnall’s close-range shot.
“We just keep going,” he said. “We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing. There hasn’t been much in the games, it’s just that we’ve been getting punished for little errors. “We’ve just got to cut out the errors as a team and we’ll get more positive results than negative. There’s still a long way to go, we’re in a nice position in the league with a game in hand and a big cup game coming up.
It wouldn’t be the last time those two would haunt their opponents. Millwall equalised against the run of play in the 61st minute when Morison reacted quickest in the box to prod home after Joe Martin’s shot had come back off the post.
“We’ll stay positive and we’ll go again on Saturday against Oldham. There’s no point having any negativity about the place. I think negativity breeds negativity so it’s important to crack on and remember what’s got us into the position we’re in so far.”
But Barnsley scored what proved to be the winner when Winnall’s superb backheel sent Hammill rac-
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2015 YEAR REVIEW JANUARY Millwall’s wretched run of form shows no sign of improving as 2014 turns into 2015. There is a potential silver lining on an ever-darkening cloud as the Lions draw with Bradford and the winners are drawn against Chelsea. However, Ian Holloway’s side absolutely blow it – Mark Beevers is sent off early doors and the Bantams spank their Championship opponents 4-0. To make matters worse the FA levels charges against both clubs for failing to control their players. League form provides no comfort blanket. Fellow strugglers Blackpool win 1-0 at Bloomfield Road before Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich hand out a 3-1 sacking at The Den. Sid Nelson is sent off in a 0-0 draw with Reading before a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest through Ricardo Fuller’s late goal still leaves them two points adrift of safety. Holloway is upbeat, saying: “The boys have to be together and I am proud of their efforts. Let’s get back on the bus and look forward to the next game.” FEBRUARY Paris Cowan-Hall, Shaun Cummings and former Bayern Munich striker Stefan Maierhofer have arrived on permanent deals as Holloway tries desperately to save his job. But they lose 3-1 at home to Huddersfield despite Maierhofer’s first-half equaliser. It’s Millwall’s ninth game without a win at The Den. Dan Harding, Diego Fabbrini, Michael Tonge, Jos Hooiveld, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Jordan Archer are also brought in on loan in January and February. Alan Dune’s goal for a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at St Andrew’s is a second away win in a row – but it doesn’t signify a turnaround in fortunes. They lose three of the next four including a damaging 2-1 defeat to relegation rivals Rotherham United. A 3-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday stretches their winless run at home to 12 games. MARCH The axe hovers ever more ominously over Holloway’s head after Middlesbrough dismantle Millwall 3-0 at the Riverside. Still, chairman John Berylson gives his manager his backing, telling NewsAtDen: “Results have been disappointing but we do have one of the most experienced managers in the game and we have just rebuilt the team. “I don’t believe that a change of manager would lead to different results. The players are working with him so we’ve got to hope that he can pull it off like last year.” Six days later, however, those words ring hollow. After Norwich win 4-1 at The Den in the next game Holloway is sacked. Berylson later admits that the club wanted to wait until after the fixtures against Boro and Norwich when a new man would have a relatively easier introduction to the top job.
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That new man turns out to be an old favourite as Millwall’s record goalscorer steps up from his role coaching the U21s to take over the first team. Neil Harris’ first game in charge ends in a 2-0 defeat to Bolton, but his side secure a clean sheet and a point in the next game against Brighton. Millwall then blow a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw away to Brentford but Harris has already made an impact. APRIL The feelgood factor continues as Millwall win at home at the 15th time of asking. After Alou Diarra gives rivals Charlton the lead, Magaye Gueye levels before Jos Hooiveld scores the winner three minutes from time in front of almost 15,000 fans. A win over Wigan lifts hopes that the club can avoid relegation but a defeat to Blackburn and draw against Derby looks like it has sealed their fate. However, they are handed a lifeline when Rotherham are docked three points for fielding an ineligible player. That leaves a point between the clubs but, crucially, Rotherham have a game in hand. And the Lions’ relegation to League One is confirmed when Steve Evans’ side beat Reading 2-1. Harris and Dave Livermore, meanwhile, are confirmed as the club’s permanent manager and assistant manager. MAY Millwall sign off their season with a 4-2 defeat to Wolves. Harris makes a strong statement about his future vision for the club by including seven players who came through the academy in the matchday squad. One of them, Jamie Philpot, scores with his first touch in a senior Millwall shirt but then goes off injured. Harris begins his squad rebuilding work by releasing 18 players, including long-serving captain Alan Dunne, who joins Leyton Orient later in the summer. JUNE Joe Martin and Archer join the club on one- and two-year deals. The Lions want to sign Bradford City striker James Hanson and the striker initially seems open to a move south. However, his boss Phil Parkinson cuts short his holiday and convinces Hanson to stay with the Bantams. Millwall are also frustrated in their efforts to buy Alfie Mawson from Wycombe, and the young centre-back eventually chooses to join Barnsley. In a shake-up of the underage set-up, Justin Skinner is named U21 manager, while former Ireland striker David Connolly joins Larry McAvoy as joint U18 boss. Former Tottenham defender Chris Perry is named U16 coach. 41
2015 YEAR REVIEW JULY Millwall secure the signing of number one defensive target Tony Craig. He joins the Lions for a fourth time on a two-year deal from Brentford. He joins his new – and some old – teammates as they jet off to Portugal to ramp up pre-season preparations. The first pre-season friendly before the new season is at Bromley. Harris includes new signings Martin and Archer as goals from John Marquis and Ben Thompson give Millwall a 2-1 lead before Craig’s own goal. The Lions then draw 1-1 at AFC Wimbledon before Beevers’ goal gives them a 1-0 win at Teddy Sheringham’s Stevenage. AUGUST Harris gets his top striker target when another old favourite, Steve Morison, pens a oneyear deal for his third spell with the club. Shane Ferguson also joins on loan from Newcastle United. Morison is straight into the starting line-up and scores as Millwall begin their bid to get back into the Championship with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Shrewsbury. Lee Gregory is also on target and Ferguson makes his debut. But that’s as good as August gets. Barnet knock them out of the League Cup before Coventry, Barnsley and Chesterfield all win at The Den. David Forde is dropped after the Barnsley defeat and Jordan Archer is handed his competitive debut as Paddy Madden lets Millwall off the hook with a late penalty miss in the 0-0 draw at Scunthorpe. Millwall sit in 19th place in the table at the end of the month. SEPTEMBER It’s a much better month for Millwall as they kick it off with a last-gasp win over Peterborough in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy thanks to Shaun Williams’ last-minute goal. Aiden O’Brien then scores a brilliant hat-trick in the 3-1 win at Crewe before the first of a sequence of long trips away on Tuesday nights in the first part of the season ends in success as goals from Beevers and a last-minute Gregory penalty seal a 2-0 win at Port Vale. Southend score from their only two shots on target in a 2-0 win at The Den but it’s back to winning ways as Jimmy Abdou gets his first of the season as Rochdale are swatted aside 3-1. A 2-2 draw at Wigan leaves Harris’ side 12th in the table with 14 points from 10 games.
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OCTOBER Midfielder George Saville joins the Lions for a second time, on loan from Wolves. Harris is dealt a blow when Ed Upson and Abdou suffer serious injuries in the 5-3 defeat to Peterborough. But there are signs of big improvement as Saville makes his debut in the 2-0 JPT win over Northampton that kicks off a nine-game unbeaten run. Millwall beat Swindon, Sheffield United and Doncaster in the league before a hardfought 0-0 draw with Bradford moves them to within one place and two points of the top six. However, in bravely blocking a shot from Hanson, club captain Tony Craig seriously damages his knee and he is ruled out for most of the season. It’s a massive blow for Harris who had seen the partnership of Craig and Beevers start to blossom. NOVEMBER Forde makes his first appearance since August as Millwall initially struggle against AFC Fylde in the first round of the FA Cup before O’Brien’s introduction is the spark for a 3-1 win. There is also progress in the JPT when Gregory scores four goals in a 5-3 win over Plymouth at Home Park. Millwall extend their unbeaten run with a 4-1 hammering of a very poor Colchester side. Next up is another long journey north to face struggling Fleetwood. The away side are sluggish from the start and Fleet tear into their opponents to win 2-1 despite Byron Webster’s late consolation. Williams scores his third of the season in a 1-0 win over Bury that leaves them seventh in the table, two points behind Peterborough. DECEMBER The most difficult month of the season with six games in 27 days starts off with a controversial defeat to Burton when O’Brien has what looks like a legitimate goal ruled out for handball. Beevers is then sent off in injury time for a harmless tackle on the goalkeeper. Millwall are awful in the second round of the FA Cup against Wycombe, losing 2-1, but they progress to the area final of the JPT and just one round from Wembley after a 2-0 win over Southend. League woes continue, however, as successive home defeats to Gillingham and Walsall drift them further away from the top six. It doesn’t look like it’s getting any easier with a trip to in-form Southend, but the Lions save the best for last with a 4-0 win to end the year three points off the play-off spots and with a real chance to push for promotion. 43
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CLASSIC NEWSATDEN
MATCH REPORTS THREE YEARS AGO 5TH JANUARY 2013
MILLWALL F EENE Y 3 1 ’
FORDE LOWRY BEEVERS SMITH OSBORNE WRIGHT HENRY FEENEY ABDOU HENDERSON N'GUESSAN
L
1-0 23 4 5 6 14 16 8 19 21 22 29
1 12 16 25 27 4 14 15 26 7 22
PRESTON SIMONSEN HUNTINGTON ROBERTSON CANSDELL-SHERRIFF KANE) BUCHANAN WROE WELSH MOUSINHO KING BEAVON
was named in the first-team squad for the first time and took up his place on the substitutes’ bench.
IAM Feeney fired Millwall into the fourth round of the FA Cup with the only goal of the game against League One side Preston North End.
Millwall had a chance to take the lead in the fourth minute when, after James Henry’s freekick had only been cleared to the edge of the area, Shane Lowry fired the loose ball goalwards but ‘keeper Steve Simonsen tipped his shot around the post.
Feeney’s first-half strike was enough to see off the Lillywhites, who battled bravely after the break and could have equalised through Graham Cummins. Kenny Jackett made two changes to his starting line-up after deciding to rest Danny Shittu and Liam Trotter, with Josh Wright and Karleigh Osborne coming into midfield and defence respectively.
Darius Henderson went close to opening the scoring twice in quick succession in the 20th minute when his header was held by Simonsen before his ferocious shot rattled the bar. Preston could have gone ahead soon after
Meanwhile, 17-year-old striker Conor Wilkinson
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©Newsshopper
Henderson spurned another clear-cut opportunity to double Millwall’s advantage early in the second-half when he raced onto Lowry’s through ball, but David Buchanan made a crucial tackle as he went to pull the trigger.
when a long free-kick was flicked into the path of defender Paul Huntington, but he could not keep his first-time volley down and blazed over. But the deadlock was broken in the 31st minute when Adam Smith cut the ball back to Feeney, whose shot from inside the area took a wicked deflection and went in.
The striker got his shot away on the Lions’ next attack but Simonsen got down well again to make the save. Mark Beevers could have scored his second goal for the club when he met Josh Wright’s cross, but his header flew well over.
Jimmy Abdou, who was made captain for the day in Shittu’s absence, took aim from the edge of the area but his looping shot drifted harmlessly into the side netting.
Preston began to grow into the game and former Millwall trainee David Amoo headed over unmarked from a corner in the 74th minute.
There was a moment of danger at the other end when Todd Kane beat David Forde to Stuart Beavon’s cross, but the midfielder’s header went wide.
Beavon went even closer to finding a leveller when he dug out a shot inside a crowded area, but the ball drifted inches wide with Forde rooted to the spot.
It should have been 2-0 to the Lions in the 41st minute but Dany N’Guessan somehow failed to turn in Henry’s cross-shot, before Nicky Wroe nearly equalised for the visitors with a shot from close range.
In the 86th minute, Forde ensured the Lions’ passage into the next round with a crucial block to deny sub Cummins, who had riggled his way past Smith at the back post.
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LEAGUE ONE TABLE P W D L F A G D PT 1 B ur t o n A l bi on
24 1 6 3 5 32 1 9 1 3 51
2 Gillin g h a m
2 6 1 5 5 6 51 32 1 9 50
3 Wa ls a l l 24 14 6 4 40 22 18 48 4 C o v e n t r y C i t y 2 5 13 8 4 4 6 24 2 2 47 5 W iga n A t h l e t i c 2 5 1 2 8 5 38 24 1 4 44 6 P e t e r borou g h U n i t e d 2 5 1 2 4 9 52 38 1 4 40 7 So ut he n d U n i t e d 24 1 0 7 7 31 30 1 37 8 Sh e f f i e l d U n i t e d
24 1 0 6 8 39 34 5 36
9 Ro c h da l e 24 9 7 8 32 2 7 5 34 10 Millw a l l
24 1 0 4 1 0 36 34 2 34
1 1 D o n c a s t e r R ove r s 2 5 9 7 9 31 33 -2 34 1 2 B r a d for d C i t y 2 3 9 7 7 24 2 6 -2 34 13 P o r t Va l e 24 9 6 9 2 8 2 7 1 33
14 B ur y 24 9 6 9 33 37 -4 33 15
Sc unt h or p e U n i t e d
16 Swindon Tow n
2 5
9
5
11
28
31
-3
32
24 8 4 1 2 33 39 -6 28
17 B a r n s l e y 24 8 3 1 3 34 41 -7 27 18 C h e s t e r fi e l d
2 5 8 3 1 4 33 4 1 -8 27
19
F le e t w ood Tow n
24
7
5
12
32
34
-2
26
20
Sh re w s bu r y Tow n
2 5
7
5
1 3
31
42
-1 1
26
2 1 B lack p ool
24 7 4 1 3 2 1 33 -1 2 25
22
O ld h a m A t h l e t i c
2 3
3
12
8
2 5
36
-1 1
23
C o lche s t e r U n i t e d
2 5
5
6
14
34
59
-2 5 21
24 C re w e A l exa n dr a
21
24 5 5 1 4 2 3 4 4 -2 1 20 48
FIXTURES OLDHAM ATHLETIC B OUNDARY PA R K S ATU RDAY 9TH JA N UA RY
OXFORD UNITED T HE DEN THU RSD AY 1 4 T H JA N UA RY
PORT VALE T HE DEN S UNDAY 1 7T H JA N UA RY
CHESTERFIELD PROACT STAD I UM S ATU RDAY 23 R D JA N UA RY
CREW E ALEXANDRA T HE DEN S ATU RDAY 3 0 T H JA N UA RY 49
PLAYER STATS LEAGUE ONE
Ap p
Sta r ts
Assi sts
Go als
D. F or de 7 6 0 0 J. Ar c h e r 1 8 1 8 0 0 S. Cu mmi n g s 1 2 1 1 1 1 T. Cr a i g 1 6 1 6 0 1 S. Ne l s on 6 6 0 0 M. B e e ve r s 2 3 2 3 1 4 B. We bs t e r 1 8 1 3 0 3 S. Fe r g u s on 2 2 1 2 4 2 M. R ome o 0 0 0 0 C . Pa r r 0 0 0 0 C . Edw a r ds 1 3 1 3 1 0 J. M a r t i n 1 2 1 2 0 2 S. Wi l l i a ms 2 1 2 1 2 2 E . U p s on 1 7 1 2 1 0 L . M a r t i n 8 2 1 0 J. P o w e l l 1 1 0 0 B. T homp s on 1 2 4 1 0 N. A bdou 1 1 1 0 0 1 J. P hi l p ot 0 0 0 0 K . Tw a r de k 0 0 0 0 G. S a vi l l e 1 2 1 2 0 0 P. Cow a n H a l l 3 0 0 0 L . G re g or y 2 1 1 5 1 4 F. O ny e di n ma 24 1 6 1 4 J. M a r q u i s 4 0 0 0 S. M or i s on 24 2 2 3 5 A. O ’ B r i e n 2 2 1 9 4 6 A. P a ve y 4 0 0 0 50
ACADEMY ROUND-UP
UNDER 21S
LAST GAME
WOLVES 1-3 MILLWALL
AUGUST
MFC GOALSCORERS:
Nottingham Forest (A) 3-1 (Pavey)
ONYEDINMA, ROMEO, COWAN-HALL
Crewe Alexandra (H) 1-0 (Philpot) Charlton Athletic (A) 0-1 (Abandoned) (Romeo) Ipswich Town (H) 3-0 (Philpot, Pavey, Okenabirhie)
MILLWALL LINE UP:
SEPTEMBER
King
Leeds United H 3-1 (Pavey 2, Wood)
Romeo
Bolton Wanderers (A) 0-2 Coventry City (H) 4-1 (Wood, Pavey 3)
Chesmain
Hull City (A) 0-0
Thompson
OCTOBER
Mbulu
Plymouth Argyle (H) 1-0 (Wood)
Wood
Huddersfield Town (H) 0-2
Cowan-Hall
QPR (A) 0-4 (Eze 3, Ndjoli)
Farrell
Colchester United (H) 1-0 (Wood)
Pavey NOVEMBER
Onyedinma
Palace (H) 5-1 (Martin 2, Upson, Thompson, Powell)
Twardek
Swansea (A) 1-2 (Ndjoli 2)
Subs not used:
DECEMBER Brentford (H) 1-0 (Martin)
Girling
Watford (A) 0-1 (Ndjoli)
Parr
Wolves (A) 1-3 (Onyedinma, Romeo, Cowan-Hall)
TOP SCORERS: Alfie Pavey - 7 Keaton Wood / Mikael Ndjoli - 4 Lee Martin / Ebere Eze - 3
Donovan Ndjoli Eze 51
LAST SEVEN GAMES DAT E
1- D e c -15
5-Dec-1 5
8 -Dec-1 5
CO MP E T IT IO N
L e a g u e On e
FA Cu p
J PT
OPPO N E N T
B u r t on A l bi on ( A)
Wycomb e ( H )
Sou thend (A )
RESU LT
2 -1 L
1 -2 L
0-2 W
G O AL K E E P E R
Archer
Archer
Archer
DEFEN DE R S
C u mmi n g s (8 9)
Ed w a r d s
Ed w a r d s
N e l s on
Web ster
Web ster
B e e ve r s
Nel son
B eever s
J Martin
J M a r ti n
J M a r ti n
Ony e di n ma
Up son ( 69)
Up son
S a vi l l e ( 4 6 )
Thomp son
Sa vi l l e
W i l l i a ms
Wi l l i a ms
Wi l l i a ms
Fe r g u s on ( 46)
O’ B r i en ( 8 3)
O’ B r i en (92)
M or i s on
M ori son
M ori son (7 1)
O’ B r i e n
G reg or y
G reg or y
S UB
For de
Ford e
Ford e
S UB
Wood
Wood
Nel son (92)
S UB
E dw a r ds
Cu mmi ng s
Ferg u so n (7 1)
S UB
L Martin
Ab d ou
Thomp s o n
S UB
T h omp s on (4 6)
L M a r ti n ( 8 3)
Pa vey
S UB
U p s on ( 8 9 )
Onyed i nma ( 69) ( 95)
S UB
G re g or y ( 4 6)
M IDFIE L DE R S
AT TAC K E R S
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Pa vey ( 95)
1 9- Dec-1 5
2 6 - D e c -15
2 8 -Dec-1 5
2 -J a n-1 6
Le ag ue O n e
L e a g u e On e
Lea g u e One
Lea g u e O ne
G i ll in gh a m (H )
Wa l s a l l ( H )
Sou thend ( A)
B a r nsl ey (A )
0- 3 L
0 -1 L
0 -4 W
2 -1 L
A rcher
For de
For d e
Ford e
Ed wards
E dw a r ds
Cu mmi ng s
Ed w a r d s (68)
Webste r
N e l s on
Web ster
Web ster
Be e v e rs ( 82 )
Be e ve r s
B eevers
B eever s
J Mar tin (46)
J Martin (76)
J M a r ti n
J M a r ti n
O ’Bri e n
Ony e di n ma ( 6 7)
Onyed i nma ( 8 7)
Onyed i nm a (46)
S avi lle
A bdou
Sa vi l l e
Sa vi l l e
W i lliams
W i l l i a ms
Wi l l i a ms
Wi l l i a ms
Upso n ( 27 )
Fe r g u s on
Upson
Up son ( 46)
M oriso n
M or i s on
M or i son ( 8 9)
M ori son
G reg o r y
O’ Br i e n
O’ B ri en ( 8 1 )
O’ B r i en
F o rd e (2 7 )
King
Ar cher
Archer
N e l so n
C u mmi n g s
Nel son
Nel son
Fe rguson (46)
We bs t e r
Fer g u son ( 8 7)
Ferg u son (46)
T h omps o n
U p s on ( 6 7 )
Ab d ou
Ab d ou ( 68)
A b dou
S a vi l l e
Thompson ( 8 1 )
Thomp son
L Mar tin
T h omp s on
Phi l p ot
Phi l pot
O nye d in m a ( 82 )
P a ve y ( 7 6 )
Pa vey ( 8 9)
G reg or y (46)
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EDITORIAL NewsAtDen is the exclusive home of latest Millwall Football Club news, with the latest interviews, expert opinions, stats, graphics and much more. For more information about NewsAtDen or to speak to us about this magazine, advertising opportunities and more, please contact josh@newsatden.co.uk
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John Kelly
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Jay Taylor
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