28 MILLWALL www.newsatden.co.uk/ SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP Reading - 0 Millwall - 1 Voglsammer 11’ (P) Date: Saturday March 11th 2023 Referee: Michael Salisbury Attendance: 13,265 Man of the Match: Charlie Cresswell
By Alex Jones at the Select Car Leasing Stadium alexj@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL’S 1-0 win against Reading was certainly not an advert for Championship football.
The match was cagey and uncomfortable. There was no rhythm, no intensity and few concrete chances, but once again, the Lions came out on top. Reading manager Paul Ince said after the game that Millwall were no better than his side, but that Gary Rowett’s men “do the basics well”. They certainly did that at the Select Car Leasing Stadium over the weekend, especially given the way that the Royals set up to play the game from the very first minute. As soon as the referee blew his whistle, centre-back Jake Cooper rushed from the halfway line towards the penalty box. Millwall played the ball to the back line before launching it forwards to the 28-year-old. He was hurled to the ground, but no foul was awarded, allowing George Saville to fire an audacious long-range effort past the post. This was just the start of the physicality. In the fourth minute, Danny McNamara clattered former West Ham striker Andy Carroll in the box, causing a huge uproar from the home supporters. The referee waved for play to continue, and seven minutes later, the visitors took the lead. Zian Flemming rushed in to intercept a misplaced pass from Naby Sarr, immediately playing the ball through to Tom Bradshaw. The striker was cornered, so had to turn back on himself before spinning back around to play Flemming through on goal. The Dutchman rushed towards the box, showcasing his incredible strength by shrugging off Nesta Guinness-Walker. Joe Lumley was forced to rush out of his area, allowing Flemming to work the ball around him before being brought down by the goalkeeper for a penalty. With both Bradshaw and Flemming on 13 goals, it was expected that one of the two would step up to take the spotkick. Instead, Andreas Voglsammer was chosen, rifling the ball into the roof of the net for an eleventh-minute lead. Manager Gary Rowett went on to
Southwark News, Thursday March 16 2023
Millwall deliver one-punch knockout to Reading
The Lions had the eighth best away record in the Championship after downing the Royals
Voglsammer’s spot-kick helps Lions win physical battle in Berkshire explain that the German is the club’s first-choice penalty taker, revealing that after the game, he said “‘I’m German, what do you expect? Of course I’m going to score!”. The visiting fans were happy that he did, as the opportunities dried up immediately. The game was broken up by needless fouls while the battle between Carroll and Millwall defender Charlie Cresswell dictated the flow of the game. The Reading striker clattered both him and Saville in the buildup to half-time as he miraculously avoided a booking, but the Leeds United loanee got some revenge by wiping him out inside the box as referee Michael Salisbury opted against awarding a penalty. Chances were sparse immediately after the break. Millwall’s best opportunity
came from almost forcing an own-goal, when Voglsammer’s cross was almost turned into the back of the net by Sarr as Lumley came rushing out to try and claim the ball in the 50th minute. Ultimately, they both hesitated allowing the ball to bounce out for a goal kick. Reading did improve as the clock ticked towards the hour-mark, but the next chance went the way of the Lions. Voglsammer was once again afforded a huge amount of space down the left flank, allowing him to fizz an effort into the box. It looked like Bradshaw would get a touch on it, but he was beaten to the ball by Naby Sarr, who turned it out of the penalty area towards Danny McNamara. The defender had a chance to recycle the ball, but his pass towards Flemming was poor and the Royals were able to regain
possession. The hosts’ only real chance came in the 74th minute, when Millwall’s back line seemed to spread out in order to allow Tom Ince to run towards the edge of the box. He shifted the ball onto his right foot before curling his shot well over the bar. Ince’s men pushed forward in search of a stoppage-time equaliser, but they almost ended up going 2-0 down when Bradshaw combined with substitute Oliver Burke to win back possession. The Scottish international raced through on goal, creating a three-on-two situation with Flemming and Bradshaw and picking out the latter, but his touch was too heavy and Lumley was able to gather. Nonetheless, Millwall got the win, which felt crucial in the context of the
promotion battle. It lifted them back into the top six over Norwich City, who lost at home to Sunderland, and showed the rest of the division that the Lions know how to win ugly games of football. With their comparatively easy run-in, they will certainly need to do that again if they are to secure a place in the play-offs. Reading: 5-3-2: Lumley; Yiadom (Mbengue 46’), Holmes, Dann (Moore 46’), Sarr, Guinness-Walker (Casadei 60’); Ince, Hendrick, McIntyre (Azeez 78’); Long (Joao 60’), Carroll Millwall: 4-2-3-1: Long; McNamara, Cresswell, Cooper, Wallace; Leonard, Saville; Honeyman (Burke 78’), Flemming, Voglsammer (Hutchinson 78’); Bradshaw
Dockers Day at The Den for Huddersfield clash Lions’ legends return to SE16 to celebrate former glory By Alex Jones alexj@southwarknews.co.uk MILLWALL WILL be holding their annual Dockers Day celebrations during Saturday’s home match against Huddersfield Town.
The event is scheduled to recognise the club’s historical links with the dock workers who formed such a large part of their support in days gone by. A number of ex-dockers will be invited to the match, and there will be a focus on the successful members of the Millwall team which won
the FA Youth Cup in 1978/79. Former midfielder Terry Brisley, who played for the club between 1975 and 1978, will also be in attendance to hand out medals. Millwall’s FA Youth Cup Winning Class of 1979 was largely made up of young players from local estates. Their success came during a tumultuous time at the club where they faced significant financial hardship and the threat of liquidation, making the achievement all the more impressive. They comfortably defeated a number of top sides on their way to the final, including
Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. They then beat Manchester City in the final, winning 2-0 after a goalless first leg. Unfortunately, their victory came in the same season that the first team were relegated to the third tier, and while there was hope that the success of the youth team could help them secure an immediate promotion, it never worked out. Nonetheless, it was a momentous moment in the history at the football club, and Saturday’s clash with the Terriers will be used to celebrate what they accomplished 44 years ago.
The club will recognise their FA Youth Cup Winning Class of 1979
