Millwall let slip a 2-1 lead against Hull City at The Den to stretch their winless run to six Championship games. Lee Gregory and Aiden O’Brien had given Millwall a 2-1 lead after Kamil Grosicki had given the visitors the lead. However, Markus Henrisken equalised in the final 20 minutes.
Neil Harris’s side came into the game on a run of five games without a win since the 3-0 victory over Ipswich on the 27thOctober. The Lions started the day inside the Championship’s bottom three on goal difference. They knew a win would take them above their opponents.
There was surprise when the teams were announced. Aiden O’Brien, Lee Gregory and Steve Morison all made Millwall’s starting 11 after doubts about all of them during the week. Neil Harris made two changes from the side that started at Bristol City. Lee Gregory and Ryan Leonard coming in with Shane Ferguson and Shaun Williams missing out. Shaun Williams missed out due to injury.
The first event of the game came through Millwall keeper Jordan Archer. He completely mis-judged his pass straight to Frazier Campbell but recovered well.
Five minutes into the game and Hull broke the deadlock. Some questionable Millwall defending saw Kamil Grosicki have enough time and space to slot past Jordan Archer at the near post.
Millwall levelled in the 21stminute. Some neat play from Aiden O’Brien and James Meredith. The latter played a good a great one –two with O’Brien before crossing to find Lee Gregory at the back post who headed past Marshall. That is Gregory’s eighth of the season and first since the 3-0 win over Ipswich in October.
Millwall went close five minutes later. Jed Wallace and Steve Morison combined to allow Mahlon Romeo to cut inside but his shot was straight at David Marshall.
After 35 minutes Millwall broke down the left with Aiden O’Brien, his attempted cross was blocked and led to a Millwall corner which Jake Cooper headed wide.
Hull should have made it 2-1 on 39 minutes. Grosicki was getting a lot of joy out of Meredith and fizzed a great ball across but Jackson Irvine was unable to make the contact needed.
In the second half, Millwall started brightly. Jed Wallace had his shot cleared off the line by Jordy De Wijs. From the resulting corner Shuan Hutchinson also saw his header cleared off the line.
Wallace was on fire, he then ran from inside his own half towards the Hull box he had Mahlon Romeo on the overlap but chose not to use him. This led to him running into traffic inside the box.
Millwall’s second half pressure paid off after 53 minutes. Steve Morison charged into the Hull half and passed to Aiden O’Brien who then drilled home from outside the box to give Millwall the lead.
Just before the hour mark. Millwall came forward again. This time the ball broke to Ryan Tunnicliffe who’s shot was blocked for a corner. From that corner Jake Cooper beat David Marshall to first contact with the ball but did not get strong enough contact. Moments later Ryan Leonard broke free from his marker but his header was wide.
Millwall’s failure to convert their chances came back to bite them. In the 73rdminute, Jarrod Bowen’s corner was headed on by De Wijs and turned in by Markus Henrisken at the back post to level the game once again.
Conclusion
It was a surprise when Neil Harris named Lee Gregory, Steve Morison and Aiden O’Brien in his starting line up after appearing to rule all three out during the week. In the opening stages the front two of Morison and Gregory looked unfit and not in the game. Enter the goal. It was as if something had clicked in them. They became more in the game and put themselves about a lot more. Morison won nearly every header in the second half and grabbed another assist, this time for Aiden O’Brien.
Failing to kill off the game
Millwall had a number of chances at the start of the second half and after they took the lead. Steve Morison, Ryan Leonard, Jed Wallace and Jake Cooper all had chances to score. If Millwall are to work their way up the table they need to take their chances. As seen in this league some teams only need three chances to score three goals.
Attendance: 12,004 (527 Away)
