Town dropped their first points of the season as they drew 1-1 with Millwall at the New Den. The home side went ahead early on through Ben May before Darren Bent hit an equaliser in the second half.

Town made a couple of changes from the side which beat Leicester 6-1 last week. Jim Magilton had been suffering with a groin problem and was replaced with Tommy Miller while up front Marcus Bent came into the side after his hamstring injury. Mark Venus missed out as Town returned to their more usual 4-4-2 formation.

Town were under pressure in the early stages and it wasn't long before Andy Marshall was called into action, parrying a Cahill shot. Millwall immediately came close again, a Ryan effort across goal causing Jamie Clapham to clear.

But a Millwall goal was not far away. Neil Harris sent in a deep cross from the right and Ben May tapped in at the far post, the Town marking very much in question.

Millwall were the better side in the opening stages with Town having only a couple of speculative efforts and a few corners to show for their attacking endeavours.

Things started to change around the 20 minute mark when Darren Ambrose hit a shot which just went wide after good work from Marcus Bent.

Tim Cahill had a header in the net four minutes later but the linesman had had his flag up for offside for a while prior to the ball beating Marshall. On the Millwall right Ifill was giving Clapham a bit of a tricky time of it and was making some powerful runs forward.

In the 28th minute Tony Warner in the Millwall goal was lucky to see a kick-out rebound to safety after it had hit Marcus Stewart. Fortunately for the ex-Celtic man the ball went straight across the area where there were no Town players lurking.

All half Town's defending had looked suspect, and no more so than in the 29th minute when Andy Marshall, Thomas Gaardsøe and Jermaine Wright all failed to stop May from getting to a ball which he headed over the bar from very close-in. The youngster ought to have done better, however, one of the three Town men should have claimed it as theirs.

As the half entered its final 15 minutes the Blues began to get on top. Darren Bent should have done better with his cross when put away by Jermaine Wright and a period of pressure ended with Matt Holland, unsurprisingly made welcome by Town's fans, hitting a shot over the bar.

In the 35th minute Neil Harris had a header well saved by Marshall while at the other end Tommy Miller hit a shot which only just went wide of the Millwall goal.

Town ended the half the stronger side with Darren Ambrose's curler deflected wide and Marcus Bent having his header excellently saved from the resultant corner.

No changes at half-time which would have surprised some fans, unimpressed with the defending up to now.

The first serious action of the half was a goalmouth scramble of epic proportions which Town were lucky to escape from without conceding a goal. The ball struck the post, then Marshall saved from Harris before Cahill had an effort stopped on the line by Clapham. Clapham's hand according to the handball-appeal-happy home crowd, although there seemed to be few appeals on the pitch.

The opening period of the second half was the best of the match with the game open, both sides attacking freely and the likes of Ifill and Ambrose playing a major role.

With action at both ends a goal came as not surprise and it was for Town. In the 55th minute Clapham played the ball to Marcus Bent on the left, he cut in and ran towards the right before passing the ball to Marcus Stewart. The Town number 11 played the ball first time into Darren Bent who reacted quickly and hit a shot beyond Warner and into the net from the right of the penalty area.

It was a fine goal with Stewart and Bent senior's role prominent. Surprisingly, both were withdrawn while the Town players celebrated, Finidi George and Pablo Couñago taking their places.

Initially this looked a good move with a more centrally positioned Finidi running things, playing neat little balls into Darren Bent and bringing Jermaine Wright, rarely as impressive as last week, into play.

On 60 Darren Ambrose came close to a third goal of the season but his shot from wide on the left was saved by Warner, although referee Steve Baines gave a goalkick.

Ambrose was heavily involved and on 67 had keeper Warner take the ball form his feet as he was in the clear. An earlier opportunity had seen Ambrose take the ball on himself when he might have played the ball inside to Couñago.

Town seemed to lose shape and ideas as the game wore on and Millwall probably had the best of it. More penalty shouts followed the ball striking Jermaine Wright and Hermann Hreidarsson cutting out a cross, the latter an appeal joined in by the Millwall players.

Both sides saw speculative efforts trouble the keepers little, Finidi for Town, Roberts for the Lions. Millwall sub Steve Claridge did put the ball in the net, however, he had knocked the ball out of Marshall's hands and the goal was ruled out.

Two minutes of injury time saw Town put the pressure on but once more fail to create anything clearcut and the game ended even.

Town were hardly as impressive as last week against Leicester, the defence looking particularly frail in the first half. Jermaine Wright looked less certain at right-back than in the two previous league game while the midfield certainly missed the ideas of Magilton, particularly late on. Similarly after the goals the Blues missed Stewart's work from deep and Marcus Bent's height.

Millwall might count themselves unlucky not to have had a penalty, however, a draw seemed, on the balance of play, to be a fair result.

Town: Marshall, Wright, Gaardsøe, Hreidarsson, Holland, Miller, Ambrose, D Bent, M Bent (George 55), Stewart (Couñago 55).

Photo: Action Images

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