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Millwall 3-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Saturday, 27th Oct 2018 17:11

Lee Gregory netted twice and Ryan Leonard once as Millwall comfortably beat the Blues 3-0 at the Den, highlighting the extent of the job now facing new manager Paul Lambert who was watching from the stands along with his staff. Gregory profited from Town’s set-piece frailties on 26 and 51 before Leonard made the most of a mix-up between skipper Luke Chambers and keeper Bartosz Bialkowski with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Andre Dozzell, Grant Ward and Trevoh Chalobah came back into the team for caretaker-manager Bryan Klug’s one game back in charge in a 3-5-2 system.

Ward returned to the right wing-back role he occupied in the first two games of Klug’s stint as caretaker-boss last season, having previously played there during the academy head of coaching and development’s time working at Spurs.

Chalobah lined up on the right of the centre of the defence with Matt Pennington on the left and skipper Luke Chambers in the centre with Jonas Knudsen the left wing-back.

In midfield, Dozzell joined Cole Skuse and Flynn Downes while Freddie Sears and Kayden Jackson were up front.

For Millwall, skipper Shaun Hutchinson returned from two months out for James Meredith, who dropped to sub, while Jiri Skalak came in for the injured Jed Wallace. Ex-Blues loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe was on the bench.

After a rather confused minute’s silence with the game Millwall’s Remembrance Day fixture, the Lions started the more positively and went close on six when Hutchinson nodded over from a corner having been given a free header after Knudsen had slipped.

Following a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Gregory the Blues, wearing their all orange away strip, began to make an impression in the Millwall half, Downes turning his man on the right but his cross deflected behind the Town players in the area.

On 15 Knudsen whipped over a low ball from the left which was cleared just ahead of Sears at the near post.

But Millwall continued to see most of the ball, although without seriously threatening. On 22 they claimed a penalty when Shaun Williams went to ground as he exchanged passes with Gregory in the area but referee Robert Jones wasn’t interested.

A minute later, Ryan Leonard chested down a loose ball and shot not too far wide and in the 27th minute the Lions went in front.

Jake Cooper nodded Williams's corner from the right back into the six-yard box from the far post having risne above Chalobah and Gregory turned home from four feet. Town claimed a foul - probably a push on Cole Skuse as the ball came back in - but referee Jones wasn’t interested.


Set-piece goals have been Town’s Achilles’ heel all season and in the 31st minute they almost conceded another. Hutchinson knocked Shane Ferguson's freekick from the left back across goal and Cooper was just unable to add the final touch at the post.

Aside from the two crosses around the 15-minute mark the Blues had been largely been pressed back in their half with Millwall well in control.

The home side again went close to their second of the game from another set piece in the 39th minute. Ferguson’s freekick whipped in from the right and Elliott’s header rather fortuitously flew straight to Bartosz Bialkowski.

Dozzell had seen little of the ball but on 42 he was twice involved in a move which saw Ward break down the right and cross but far too deeply.

As the half moved into two minutes of injury time Pennington nodded a ball over the top back to the advancing Bialkowski.

The Lions were well worth their lead at the break having been much the better side with the Blues fortunate that they had conceded only the one set-piece goal.

Millwall had been in charge from virtually the start with Town struggling to keep possession and only fleetingly able to get Dozzell on the ball.

Millwall keeper Ben Amos will rarely have had a quieter 45 minutes with the Blues not registering a shot on or off target. If he hadn’t prior to the half, incoming manager Lambert - pictured top with, from left to right, first-team coach Matt Gill, assistant manager Stuart Taylor and fitness coach Jim Henry - will have had a good idea idea of what his new job will entail by its end.

The Blues were put through their paces by academy physio Jimmy Reynolds on the pitch prior to the second half with Klug, who as last season was again being assisted by Chris Hogg and Gerard Nash, switching Skuse, who had gone into the game carrying an ankle knock, making way for Jordan Spence with Ward moving into midfield.

Six minutes after the restart Millwall doubled their lead and again the goal came from a set piece. Leonard’s long throw on the left was flicked on by Cooper and Gregory turned home his second of the afternoon from close range.

Given Town’s history this season a comeback looked hugely unlikely but on 54 they at least managed their first shot of the afternoon, however Downes scuffed his 20-yard effort well wide.

Jackson, who had hardly been involved, was replaced by Lankester two minutes later before Millwall swapped Elliott for Steve Morison, moments after Pennington had been yellow-carded for a foul on Williams. On 63 Aiden O’Brien came on for Skalak.

Skipper Chambers scraped a shot well wide from the left of the area in the 67th minute after Millwall had made heavy weather of clearing Town’s first corner of the afternoon and the Blues had worked an opening on the left.

But on 70 Millwall made it 3-0 with Town again the architects of their own downfall. Ferguson pumped a long ball from deep into the area from deep and Chambers got in Bialkowski’s way as the keeper punched. With the Polish international grounded, the ball fell to Leonard 30 yards out from where he looped it into the corner of the net. For once not a set piece but a goal equally as poor as the earlier two.

Millwall denied Gregory a chance of a hat-trick by replacing him with Tom Bradshaw in the 75th minute. The striker was clearly not overly impressed to have been withdrawn. Gwion Edwards took over from Dozzell with nine minutes of the game remaining.

With the match over from a competitive perspective, the Blues saw more of the ball in the latter stages and on 88 Chalobah smashed a shot from a tight angle on the right which slammed against Amos’s left post and behind.

Another miserable afternoon for the 2,000-plus strong Town support was brought to a close with Millwall having settled for their three goals.

If new boss Lambert was unaware of the situation he is inheriting at Town he will now be well aware from watching another thoroughly lacklustre display.

Very much second best throughout, if anything the 3-0 scoreline flattered the Blues who looked like conceding from every set piece.

Town, now three points behind second-bottom Hull and five off safety, have shipped at least two goals in each of their away games this season barring the first two at Rotherham and Exeter.

The Lions, hardly one of the division’s top sides, although now up to 18th, were well in control throughout and cantered to what will be their easiest three points of the season.

"Chalobah’s late strike against the post, at a time when the match was already over as a contest and Millwall had essentially declared, was the only time the Blues, who now haven’t scored for three matches, came close to getting on the scoresheet.

Lambert is set to meet the players and staff tomorrow when he will begin what on today’s evidence looks the very tough job of rescuing Town’s season and preventing the Blues from dropping into the third tier for the first time in 62 years next May.

Millwall: Amos, Hutchinson (c), Cooper, Williams, Gregory (Bradshaw 75), Ferguson, Romeo, Elliott (Morison 57), M Wallace, Skalak (O’Brien 63), Leonard. Unused: Archer, McLaughlin, Meredith, Tunnicliffe.

Town: Bialkowski, Ward, Pennington, Chambers (c), Chalobah, Knudsen, Skuse (Spence 46), Downes, Dozzell (Edwards 81), Sears, Jackson (Lankester 56). Unused: Gerken, Nolan, Rowe, Nsiala. Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside). Att: 15,386 (Town: 2,195).


Photo: Pagepix



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DJ27 added 17:14 - Oct 27
Good luck Paul. You are you going to need it. We are woeful. If you save us from League 1, you will be a genius! COYB!
19

Jesney_Havoc added 17:14 - Oct 27
What a mess we're in.
13

BlueBlood90 added 17:15 - Oct 27
Where do you even start with that? What an absolute disgrace. I hope Paul Lambert is a miracle worker and even if he was I think he'd struggle to achieve anything with this lot. I can't see any hope whatsoever of surviving with this squad unless he can make huge changes in January with probably no money to spend. At present, we have no quality, no skill, no pride or passion. Worst team in our history and doomed.
10

HackneyBlue added 17:16 - Oct 27
Lets hope a new manager at last realises what a huge liability Chambers is-how many goals this season have involved errors from this guy,its 3 just this week.
10

Karlosfandangal added 17:16 - Oct 27
Lambert has no chance as the Mick haters will hate him as he managed Norwich.

The main problem is he has a poor team he has to try and pick up points to give us a chance before he buys in Jan.

A good manager with a good track record who needs the support of the fans as he is here for at least 2 years......Evans can't afford to sack him as he got a big old Hurst compensation bill to pay.
-16

elcdman added 17:18 - Oct 27
Paul Lambert last see running from the Den shouting what have I done
11

TimmyH added 17:19 - Oct 27
Well just when you thought the season couldn't get any worse!...3-0 away to Millwall ( a fellow struggling side that has a very small budget) is a dire result.

I point the finger at Hurst and Evans in equal measure as our beloved owner must of known of the transfer policy and his cohort Hurst reckless with it, added to this the so called spine of the team (Knudsen, Chambers and Skuse) playing poorly and it's a recipe for disaster. This might have although early days taken the club back a couple of seasons!

All the best Mr Lambert, your going to need it and I fancy with the help of Evans wallet (don't hold your breath).
10

Ippy0207 added 17:20 - Oct 27
Oh no...
1

BlueandTruesince82 added 17:20 - Oct 27
We are crap.

All hope is gone. Nothing to do but prey for Miracles
3

blueboy1981 added 17:22 - Oct 27
Incompetent ownership, and management recruitment, over the past ten years - equals - where we are now.

Absolute fact.
20

Bluearmy_81 added 17:22 - Oct 27
"can't see any hope whatsoever of surviving with this squad unless he can make huge changes in January with probably no money to spend."

No, just no. Evans has to back Lambert significantly in January, his austerity football ways have led us to the mess we're in now. If he doesn't it will be plain for all to see he doesn't give a toss about this geat football club
4

Carl2588 added 17:24 - Oct 27
I don't think their should be room for haters I get that PL has connections to Norwich but maybe we should all just appreciate the man's experience in all honesty it's quite a coup really given he has at least 4 years prem experience not to mention league 1 and championship so if we do go down he think he would be the man to rebuild and potentially be a combined east anglia legend
8

bluearmy81 added 17:24 - Oct 27
A manager of a football club is under absolutely no pressure if things fail. In what other industry do people get paid handsome six figure pay offs for being useless at their job. I don't think Mr Hurst and the second rate players need to worry if they have enough money to pay their bills etc. What a charmed life they lead. Pressure my arse
10

Elizabeth added 17:25 - Oct 27
How ever low can we get .. another dire performance by these so called footballers ! Whatever must Paul Lambert be thinking ? In all his time in football I can't imagine him ever having such a huge challenge ahead of him !
Just hoping that November will bring us some better results ! And to make matters worse I hope the mindless idiots that interrupted the pre match proceedings in commemoration of those that fought for our freedom are proud of themselves !
16

tomitfc added 17:26 - Oct 27
Please please please every true Ipswich fan get down to Portman Road next Saturday! Our club needs us now more than ever! Get behind the new manager and the players.
COYB
20

blueboy1981 added 17:26 - Oct 27
....... Lambert has a three year contract .... !! - financially he cannot fail, therefore he will do what he can, maybe no more.

Whatever happens, no way will he resign whatever transpires with his management.

Mr Evans - you have to decide what this Club means to you - post haste.
3

BraveDave added 17:26 - Oct 27
Forget passion and desire. This is simply a case of very very poor players, which is why I can't see Lambert keeping us up. If he could start bringing in replacements now, we might have some hope, but we will be almost as good as down before he can do any transfer dealing. No point getting angry at the players - they're just not good enough, across all areas of the pitch.

Lambert's first press conference will be interesting.
9

martin587 added 17:28 - Oct 27
Well I did expect something from this game.I was full of anticipation when I arrived but when I left I felt totally demoralised.
There was very little effort from the whole team.They look drained of confidence,lack any urgency and to be very blunt,clueless.
I like chambers as a motivator but he was absolutely terrible.He has given so many goals away and in my opinion should be dropped.
The back four have know belief and look very brittle.Midfield,well where do you start.Clueless and visionless.
Cannot blame the strikers as they are only as good as the service they get.
Paul,you have a massive problem ahead.I just hope your experience shines through and you still have your magic wand.!
I feel very sad for our club and the position PH has left us in.
10

jas0999 added 17:30 - Oct 27
We are in serious trouble. Although the playing squad quite clearly isn't good enough, there is no excuse for these poor performances. Even experienced pros like Bart and Chambers are performing poorly. They should all be very disappointed with themselves. Bordering on ashamed.

Paul Hurst has left the club in a sorry mess. He was simply out of his depth and what remains of a squad is a result of that. Yet, make no mistake, Evans is far from blameless. His spending policy will need to improve dramatically in January - providing its not already too late. Some will say Hurst spent £5M in fees. Certainly a lot more than MM. He wasted it - no doubt. Yet, Evans raked in around £10M. Not for the first time in recent years, An excellent transfer profit. Evans also sanctioned the sales ... particularly Webster, who PH admits was only with him for two days, so not his decision. Evans needs to take a lot of the blame here.

Lambert has inherited a mess. He has little to work with. It's a tough tough job. I wish him luck, but tonight fear it could already be too little too late.
26

speccybaz added 17:30 - Oct 27
No surprise at this result. The lack of quality in the squad is alarming and when allied with zero confidence it makes defeats almost inevitable. Hopefully Lambert can make a difference but best not hold your breath. The only heroes today are the 2100+ that made the trip to support the team. It's not a million miles away but still amazing commitment, given the dross they have to witness.
5

blueboy1981 added 17:31 - Oct 27
Elizabeth --- absolutely spot on - 'mindless idiots' are an apt description of such disrespectful people - SHAMEFUL. And anyone who condones such - is just as shameful.
10

blueboy1981 added 17:33 - Oct 27
I think volunteering to climb Everest (not being a Climber) would have been a far easier option for Lambert.

I wonder how long it will take him to realise it ? - possibly done so already.
0

blockb_steward added 17:35 - Oct 27
Amazing support here today, outsinging the home fans for long periods of the game.

Players looked embarrassed when the left the pitch...we could have played all day and not scored.

We are lacking in all departments and desperately need some installed who knows what they are doing - January window cannot come soon enough.

5

Trac70 added 17:41 - Oct 27
This whole situation pains me having been a Town fan for 40 years!!! We are NOW a complete embarrassment and a joke!!! Stop Chambers and others giving interviews saying "we must do better blah blah blah". Talk is cheap. Evans is a snake and can't believe ANY manager would work for him. Hurst was naive and bought sh#te. Good luck PL. That's if you haven't changed your mind already.
10

blueboy1981 added 17:41 - Oct 27
Gives me no pleasure to apportion individual blame - but for all his dedication to the Club - Chambers is doubtfully League 1 standard - far be it Championship level.

No where near positive enough, or reliable enough in his play. Slow, sluggish, and turned so easily.
Much more resolution needed in that position, although in mitigation, what has he around him ??
4


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