Tommy Smith’s first of the season was sandwiched by two own goals as the Blues beat Millwall 3-0 in their first home game of the campaign. After a goalless first hour, Shane Lowry diverted an Aaron Cresswell ball past Lions’ keeper Stephen Bywater in the 63rd minute before Smith powered home a trademark header on 70 and Mark Beevers inadvertently converted an Elliott Hewitt cross with seven minutes left on the clock.
Left-back Cresswell’s return at left-back in place of Tyrone Mings is the only change from the side which faced Reading in last week’s Championship opener at the Madejski Stadium.
Jay Tabb was fine to start despite suffering a shoulder injury in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup defeat at Stevenage.
Millwall included ex-Town loan keeper Bywater from the beginning, while Andy Marshall was on the bench. There was no place in the 18 for Lee Martin, and Liam Trotter missed out having undergone knee surgery earlier in the summer.
Prior to kick-off, as it was the FA’s Sir Bobby Robson Day, there was a minute’s applause to pay tribute to the legendary former Blues boss. A number of Robson’s players had also spoken about Robson on the PA.
Town dominated the early stages and should have gone in front in the fifth minute when David McGoldrick escaped behind the Lions’ backline from Cole Skuse’s pass but took the ball too wide as he tried to take it past Bywater, who stuck out a hand and claimed. The Blues frontman will feel he probably should have scored.
Millwall had more of the game as it moved towards the quarter of an hour mark but without threatening Scott Loach’s goal.
On 17 the Blues went close again, Cresswell sending in a freekick from deep on the right and McGoldrick headed down and just wide at the far post.
The Blues continued to have most of the ball but without really threatening until the 28th minute when Luke Chambers headed a Carlos Edwards corner from the left over from inside the six-yard box when he seemed certain to score.
McGoldrick again went close in the 34th minute when he twisted and turned his way past two Millwall defenders on the Town right before hitting a shot which deflected past the post and beyond Daryl Murphy.
A minute later, James Henry, the subject of a rebuffed Town offer in the summer of 2012, shot wide of Loach’s right post with the Lions still to test the Blues keeper.
Edwards required treatment for what looked like a two-footed Lowry tackle in the 38th minute, although referee Graham Salisbury disagreed, then a minute later Shaun Derry got his name in Salisbury’s book for a foul on Tabb, having previously been spoken to by the official after a clash with Skuse.
The Lions were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men in the 45th minute when Chambers was clearly caught in the face by a flailing Steve Morison arm as the pair prepared to challenge for a ball from deep. Referee Salisbury was evidently in a very lenient mood and showed only a yellow card.
Just before half-time, Edwards fed Hewitt on the right but his cross was cut out just ahead of Murphy.
Town had had more than enough chances to be ahead at the break with McGoldrick and Chambers both likely to have been thinking that they should have been on the scoresheet as they made their way down the tunnel.
Overall it had been a very scrappy half with Millwall showing little attacking endeavour and appearing there for the taking.
There was danger in the Blues penalty area two minutes into the second period when Richard Chaplow crossed from the left and the ball deflected across the six-yard box, fortunately ahead of Morison. At the other end, Murphy cut in from the left but his low cross was put behind.
After Hewitt had crossed onto the roof of the Millwall net, McGoldrick played a ball in behind Dan Shittu for Murphy but the Nigerian defender did well to get back to tackle, referee Salisbury surprisingly awarding a goalkick.
Millwall, who had shown rather more attacking ambition since the break, came close to going in front in the 57th minute when Derry crossed from the right and Chaplow headed wide at the near post.
The Lions threatened to go ahead a minute later when Henry beat Cresswell and crossed to the far post, but fortunately for Town just beyond Chaplow.
Hyam shot over after a Hewitt long throw was cleared to the edge of the box as game moved towards the hour mark with the Blues starting to get back on top.
And a minute later, they went in front. Cresswell beat Jack Smith down the Town left and sent over a low ball, which a diving Bywater palmed on to Lowry, who was unable to avoid bundling the ball over his own goal-line.
Soon after, Town switched Tabb and Edwards for Paul Anderson and debutant Ryan Tunnicliffe.
Loach saved from Chaplow in the 66th minute but with the flag already raised, then Millwall sub Jermaine Easter left Cresswell in a heap in the centre circle well after the ball had gone. Referee Salisbury and his linesman both missed the incident much to the annoyance of the Town players and management with assistant boss Terry Connor remonstrating with the Lions’ bench.
Moments later Easter claimed a penalty after going to ground inside the box but after little if any contact from Cresswell.
Town made it 2-0 in the 70th minute. Anderson sent over a freekick from the right and Tommy Smith rose above Shittu to power a header into the roof of the net from six yards out.
Tunnicliffe wasn’t far from a debut goal in the 78th minute when played in on the left by a McGoldrick flick. The on-loan Manchester United man’s strike was deflected wide off Shittu. The midfielder hit another effort after the resultant corner but failed to significantly test Bywater.
In the 83rd minute it was 3-0. Hewitt crossed from the right, Anderson stooped to head goalwards and may have got a touch but Millwall defender Mark Beevers behind him inadvertently added the final touch.
Christophe Berra replaced Cresswell for the final five minutes, Tommy Smith moving to left-back, before Lions sub Scott McDonald forced Loach to save down to his left after doing well to latch on to a ball over the top. Henry lashed the loose ball over.
Town should have made it 4-0 in the 87th minute when Murphy played in Tunnicliffe but the loanee was thwarted by Bywater. Moments later, Hewitt was booked.
Overall, there was little doubt that Town were the better side. There was only one team which seemed interested in winning the match in the first half, although the visitors showed more intent in the early stages after the break.
The Blues may have had some good fortune with two of their goals, but over the 90 minutes they created — but failed to take — plenty of chances.
After two defeats in the opening two games manager Mick McCarthy will be delighted to win so comfortably and get some points on the board.
Town: Loach, Hewitt, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell (Berra 85), Edwards (Anderson 63), Skuse, Hyam (Tunnicliffe 63), Tabb, Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Gerken, Veseli, Berra, Taylor, Nouble.
Millwall: Bywater, Smith, Lowry, Shittu, Beevers, Derry, Bailey, Chaplow (Feeney 66), Henry, Keogh (Easter 53), Morison (McDonald 72). Unused: Marshall, Dunne, Robinson, Abdou. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Att: 17,183 (Millwall: 935).