Match Report | Millwall 4-0 Wanderers

Wanderers were defeated 4-0 away to Millwall on Saturday afternoon at The Den in the Sky Bet Championship. 

Caleb Taylor’s first-half header sent Millwall in front, followed by late second-half goals from Lyndon Dykes (x2) and Camiel Neghli, with Wanderers seeing captain Josh Sheehan sent off. 

Head Coach Steven Schumacher made one change from Tuesday night’s game at Sheffield United, with Lewis Brunt replacing Gaizka Larrazabal in the starting line-up. 

Millwall went close inside the opening five minutes in South-East London when Romain Esse’s dangerous cross from the right was met by Zak Sturge at the back post, but the ball flashed narrowly wide of Jack Bonham’s goal. 

At the other end, a well-worked move from Sheehan and Sam Dalby saw the two combine for Dalby to strike a left-footed shot in the box which went wide of goalkeeper Max Crocombe’s right-post. 

Former Wanderers man Jordi Osei-Tutu then delivered an enticing cross from the byline, with Bonham positioned to gather. Minutes later, Taïryk Arconte’s right-footed strike was blocked by Chris Forino following Neghli’s pass. 

Arconte posed a threat for the hosts, latching onto a long pass, however his touch was heavy and Bonham was able to dive on the ball.  

Lewis Brunt’s ball found the feet of Sheehan in the box, with the Welsh midfielder seeing his right-footed effort blocked by Jake Cooper and behind for a corner. Sheehan’s resulting set-piece was cleared to safety up field.  

Midway through the half, Cooper could not guide his header on target after meeting Jenson Metcalfe’s corner. 

Towards the half hour mark, Thierry Gale drove down the left, cut inside and curled his right-footed effort across goal a yard wide of Crocombe’s bottom right-post.  Wanderers were having a positive spell of play, and Sheehan called Crocombe into action with a right-footed shot from the edge of the box through a crowd, a strike which was held by Millwall’s New Zealand international. 

Alex Neil’s Lions led on 38 minutes when Taylor headed beyond Bonham from Metcalfe’s floated corner from inside the six-yard box.  

Searching for an equaliser late in the half, Samuel Iling-Junior's free-kick from the left was headed goalwards by Forino, with Crocombe saved comfortably. 

Ahead of the second-half, Ruben Rodrigues was introduced for Jon McAtee off the bench for the Whites. 

Millwall forward Dykes’ audacious right-footed attempt from the halfway, landing over Bonham’s crossbar. 

On the hour, Theo Bair replaced Dalby for his Wanderers debut whilst Dong replaced Iling-Junior in a double change. 

Wanderers went close twice in quick succession. Firstly, Rodrigues’ left-footed shot was turned behind by a low save by Crocombe from Brunt’s cross. Rodrigues’ corner was met by Xavier Simons on the edge of the box, with the midfielder’s left-footed shot striking Crocombe’s crossbar. 

In the closing 20 minutes, Bonham made an important save to thwart Osei-Tutu's rising shot inside the box after Yanis Issoufou’s ball. 

Max Conway and Ryan Hardie came on as Wanderers searched for an equaliser on their travels late on. 

Pushing to level, Brunt’s ball set Gale free, with his right-footed drive from the right-side of the box tipped around the post by Crocombe. 

Millwall’s second was scored by Dykes, who beat Bonham from close-range with a right-footed finish after a fast breakaway. 

Wanderers then had Sheehan sent off by referee Ben Speedie on 86 minutes, who also dismissed Millwall’s Metcalfe after a coming together 

Dykes scored his second of the game two minutes later, pouncing on Sturge’s cross to arrow a right-footed shot into Bonham’s right-corner. Millwall’s fourth came in added time when Neghli was played through by Issoufou to score. 

Wanderers return to the Toughsheet Community Stadium against West Ham United on Tuesday night, kick-off 8pm. Purchase your tickets by clicking here.

Wanderers: Bonham, Brunt, Forino, Davies, Famewo (Conway 75), Simons (Hardie 76), Sheehan (c), Iling-Junior (Dong 60), McAtee (Rodrigues), Gale, Dalby (Bair 60) 

Subs not used: Bazunu, Toal, Erhahon, Nelson