Coventry City 2 Millwall 1, League One, Game 42, 16/4/16, att: 11,632 (1,862)

There's always drama

PEAR SHAPED

We seem not to be able to beat a team that is playing with ten men and we seem not to be able to beat a team when we are playing with ten men. We must have been able to do both at some time in the past but no game of that kind springs to mind at the moment.

Lee Gregory on the bench

Was the large Millwall away crowd let down? I suppose we need to ask Shaun Williams and the referee. We took the lead in the 19th minute when Bryon Webster powered in a header from a corner and things were looking good. It didn't look good for long due to Shaun Williams hand bagging with the Coventry drama queen Lameiras and the ref fell for it hook line and sinker and Williams walked.
We made changes. Jimmy Abdou replaced Shane Ferguson and Aiden O'Brien moved to the left midfield. I was gutted that Shane Ferguson was sacrificed in the re-structure after the sending off and it seemed a odd thing to do. Coventry sensed that the advantage that they now had was a golden chance to beat a top side and they were putting the effort in but we kept them at bay and went in at half time still a goal to the good.

Can we keep them at bay second half

We all know now we couldn't and a couple of goals from Coventry eight minutes apart made sure we missed out on the points. We had some good chances after the home sides brace and Joe Martin and Steve Morison both come close. A rare away defeat but we were unlucky and we gave it a go right to the end. We had Tony Craig on the bench making his return to the team and Neil Harris did not go down the route of stiffening up by having a extra man at the back.  Fleetwood at home Tuesday night and off we go again.

As it stands with four games to go  (Walsall have five)

1 Wigan 80pts---2 Burton 77pts---3 Walsall 74pts---4 Bradford 71pts---5 Millwall 69pts---6 Gillingham 68pts-----7 Barnsley 66pts

Millwall: Archer, Romeo, Martin, Beevers, Webster, Williams, Thompson, Ferguson (Abdou 33m), O'Brien (Upson 58m), Morison, Taylor (Gregory 79),

subs not used, Forde, Craig, Philpot, Onyedinma

Goal: Webster 19m

Coventry: Charles-Cook, Vincelot (Maddison 36m), Fleck, Lamerias (Lorentzson 84m), Armstrong, Cole, Stephens, Rose, Philips, Ricketts (Tudgay 54m), Martin

subs not used. Addai, Birgiriman, Murphy, Fortune

Goals: Fleck 61m,  Tudgay (69)

Barnsley 2 Millwall 1, League One, Game 24, 2/1/16 att: 8,700 (385)

2016

It's up north again and another iffy performance.

The last six league games WLLLWL "JUST TREADING WATER"

We managed to secure a couple of corners in the first few minutes but it didn't take long before Barnsley scored. Mark Beever's with a last ditch tackle gave Barnsley a corner who played it short before crossing it in to the penalty box and it was headed in near the back stick. It was nearly half time before we caused a scare in the Barnsley box when Mark Beever's leapt like a salmon and the keeper gathered at the second attempt. This little bit of Millwall excitement was not enough to hold off the "groans" from the travelling Wall support when the half-time whistle blew.

The new year and it's the same old......

We changed a couple of players at half time with Lee Gregory and Shane Ferguson coming on and Fred Onyedinma and Ed Upson going off. This change did not stop Barnsley from still threatening the Lions goal and they were enjoying possession but Millwall now played with a bit of back bone and Steve Morison nearly scored but his effort was stopped on the goal line.  With David Forde still keeping  his place in goal he was keeping Barnsley from scoring again and it may have been the case that it inspired the team to produce a equaliser on 61 minutes when Steve Morison picked up the ball when a Joe Martin effort bounced to him after hitting the post and he banged the ball in. It only lasted six minutes before Barnsley scored again and once again we go home with nought. On this showing we haven't improved and we need to to do a lot more if we want something from this season apart from just getting by.

Millwall: Forde, Edwards(Abdou 68m), Martin, Beevers, Webster, Upson (Ferguson 46m), Williams, Saville, Onyedinma (Gregory 46m), O.'Brien, Morison
subs not used, Archer, Nelson, Thompson, Philpot

Goal: Morison 61m

_____

Barnsley: Davies, Wabara, Long, Mawson, White (Bree 87m), Watkins (Smith 87m), Pearson, Isgrove, Hurihane, Hammill, Winnall
subs not used, Townsend, Williams, White, Roberts, Templeton

Goals: Winnall 12m, Hammill 67m