Millwall v Nottingham Forest
Millwall took no points from their two away trips earlier in the week and it does not get any easier for the Lions as they face league leaders Nottingham Forest.
After taking seven points from their opening three games, Millwall have found it difficult to cope with the fast start to the season and they are set to conclude one of the toughest weeks of fixtures imaginable in the current Championship season. It began at Portman Road where in game that saw the Lions have the majority of the chances they had to travel back to South London empty ended. Then on Tuesday evening they travelled west to Reading and were denied at least a point by a goal in the final ten minutes. Ian Holloway’s side showed good character to get back on level terms after trailing 2-0 after just fifteen minutes. However, Simon Cox found the net to score his second of the game and make it two defeats in four days for the Lions. The main problem facing Holloway is a finding a way to keep the Nottingham Forest attack quiet and it is likely to be a busy day for keeper David Forde. The Irish shot-stopper is one of the experienced members of the Millwall squad and a big voice in the dressing room. Forde will be in the minority if he can keep a clean sheet against Forest and he is this game’s key man.
Following the physical demands of a feisty East Midlands derby last weekend Stuart Pearce may have thought a game against bottom of the table Fulham would be a comfortable win and a chance to rest some key players. After leading by two goals within twenty-one minutes it certainly appeared that way, but this is the Championship. Fulham revived the game out of nothing to lead 3-2 only for Forest to score two goals in three minutes to regain the lead and sink Fulham hearts. Britt Assombalonga scored his first ever Championship hat-trick on Wednesday evening and now has eight goals for the season. Incredibly the striker has taken just nine shots that have been on target. That is a conversion rate of efforts on target to goals of 89%. Nothing short of ruthless in-front of goal from the multi-million pound signing from Peterborough. With Forest in full flow and goals all over the team, an away win seems the likely result here, but do not expect Millwall to let the Reds have everything their own way.
Score prediction: 2-1 Forest win
