Jimmy Bullard netted a superb first goal of the season but Town fell to a deserved 4-1 defeat to Millwall at the Den. The home side were on top from the off, going two in front via Jay Simpson and Darius Henderson early on. Bullard pulled a goal back for the Blues after the break but Simpson’s second and the Lions' fourth from Liam Feeney soon after sealed a comfortable victory for Kenny Jackett’s men.

Boss Paul Jewell named the expected side with four changes from the team which lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace a week ago. Mark Kennedy came in for the suspended Aaron Cresswell at left-back, while Ibrahima Sonko was fit enough to take his place at the centre of the defence alongside Danny Collins.

Michael Chopra and Jason Scotland returned up front with Nathan Ellington and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas dropping to the bench. Damien Delaney missed out due to his foot problem with Ívar Ingimarsson included amongst the subs.

The home side were unchanged with former Blue Liam Trotter in midfield but there was no place in the 16 for Scott Barron.

Town, back in the all red away kit from two seasons ago with the Lions in a dark blue which clashes with both this year’s strips, hit the game’s first shot in the fifth minute but Jimmy Bullard’s 25-yard freekick, awarded after a foul on Keith Andrews, deflected harmlessly through to David Forde.

The home side went in front via their first serious attack less than a minute later. Feeney crossed from the right, Simpson’s free header was well-saved by David Stockdale but the ball fell to Henderson. The Town keeper again did well to stop from the ex-Sheffield United man but Simpson was there to follow-up as the Blues failed to clear their lines.

Chopra, who was serenaded with ‘you’re not betting any more’ by the home fans, hit a shot across the face of goal soon after, but in the ninth minute the Lions made it two. Ex-Blue Trotter played the ball to his left to Simpson, whose shot was blocked by Stockdale but the loose ball fell to Henderson, who slammed home from the edge of the area.

Town couldn’t have got off to a worse start, the early stages resembling the performances against Southampton and Peterborough far more than the recent decent run. Aside from Chopra and Bullard’s strikes, there was little danger to the home side, Edwards only managing to find Forde’s arms with a low cross when well-placed and then screwing high and wide a few minutes later.

The Blues lost Lee Bowyer to a hamstring injury in the 18th minute after a tackle by Feeney on halfway. Reece Wabara took over and went to right-back with Carlos Edwards moving into midfield, Keith Andrews into the centre and skipper Grant Leadbitter to the left.

Town might have pulled a goal back in the 31st minute when Forde rushed out of his goal and was left stranded when the ball fell to Jason Scotland 30 yards out. The Trinidad and Tobago international will probably feel he should have done better than send a looping effort a few yards wide of goal.

The Blues were forced into the second substitution in the 40th minute, Ibrahima Sonko succumbing to the hamstring problem which saw him miss the Palace match. Ívar Ingimarsson took over.

The home side were continuing to have the better of it with Brian Howard shooting across the face of Stockdale’s area in the 43rd minute with the Blues making little headway at the other end.

Millwall were hardly flattered by the half-time scoreline, having been on top throughout. Town had failed to impose themselves on the match with the midfield again ponderous and failing to pass with anything like the slickness of the recent better run of form.

The Lions closed them down quickly and looked sharper when in possession with Simpson and Feeney, who was giving Kennedy a torrid time, always a threat when they went forward at pace.

The two forced first half substitutions left Paul Jewell with little room to make tactical changes to try to turn things around after the break. The Town boss stuck with the same XI but swapped Edwards to the left flank with Leadbitter switching to the right.

Chopra saw an early strike deflect over with the Blues more of an attacking presence in the opening minutes of the second half. On 50 the former Cardiff striker saw an effort bundled behind off a defender with the Blues fans behind the goal appealing for a penalty. From the corner, Collins header over.

Bullard failed to find Scotland with a through ball on 52 with Town having more of the game but still all too often failing to find one another when in dangerous areas.

But Millwall soon regained the upper hand and should have gone 3-0 in front in the 57th minute. Feeney beat Collins 10 yards outside the Town area and played the ball to Simpson on his right. The earlier scorer hammered a shot which flew past Stockdale but cannoned off the far post to Howard. The former Barnsley man seemed certain to score buy dallied over his opportunity and somehow the Blues keeper got back to brilliantly block on the line.

Town had had a lucky escape and moments later had a chance to bring themselves back into the game via a freekick 25 yards out but Andrews’s shot flew harmlessly wide. At the other end, Simpson hit a similar opportunity straight at the wall. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas took over from Carlos Edwards for the final 27 minutes.

The Blues finally got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute when one-time Millwall schoolboy Jimmy Bullard picked up the ball midway inside the home side’s half, skipped past a couple of defenders and then deftly beat Forde.

Town were given a let-off a minute later when referee Graham Salisbury pulled play back for a foul by Collins with Henderson away on the left in space. Millwall were the team showing the greater threat in the period after the Town goal, Darren Ward and then Trotter seeing shots deflect over, then skipper Paul Robinson heading wide.

For the Blues, Chopra saw a decent chance deflected wide from a tight angle on the right, then Ingimarsson’s attempt from the subsequent corner was blocked.

But it was the home side who were looking the more likely to score and on 72 they made it three. Bullard and Collins got in one another’s way as they sought to intercept a pass to Simpson, who seized on the error and played the ball wide to Feeney on the right, who slipped the ball under Stockdale.

Scotland shot wide after a one-two with Andrews on the edge of the Millwall area, but only three more minutes had passed when the Lions netted their fourth. The always dangerous Simpson cut in from the left and hit a low strike past Stockdale to the keeper’s right.

Millwall might have had a fifth on 78 when Simpson shot straight at Stockdale when he might have played in Howard with Town again caught short of numbers as Millwall broke. For the by now sorry looking Blues, a Leadbitter shot deflected into Forde’s arms.

Andrews crashed a 35-yarder off the top of Forde’s bar, then Bullard hit the referee with a strike from closer in. Wabara had the ball in the net but with play having stopped for a freekick to the Blues after Chopra was fouled. Bullard hit the wall with the freekick.

As the game moved into its final three minutes, Forde saved Emmanuel-Thomas’s shot from the right, then from the corner Collins headed wide.

But there was no unlikely fightback from a Blues side which was well-beaten by a Millwall team which looked far more impressive than their current position.

Town were much as they had been in the previous two matches — sluggish and lacking in attacking threat, while defensively the performance was a return to the dismal displays of earlier in the campaign with the personnel changes hardly helping matters.

After the impressive run which saw Town into the top six, the Blues have put in three performances during which they have looked little a side which will be fighting for the play-offs come the end of the season.

Town: Stockdale, Edwards (Emmanuel-Thomas 63), Kennedy, Sonko (Ingimarsson 40), Collins, Bullard, Andrews, Leadbitter, Bowyer (Wabara 18), Scotland, Chopra. Unused: Lee-Barrett, Ellington.

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Smith, Robinson, Ward, Howard (Henry 89), Abdou, Trotter, Feeney (N’Guessan 90), Henderson, Simpson (Mkandawire 86). Unused: Mildenhall, Agyemang. Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire). Att: 12,464 (Town: 1608).

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls