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Millwall 1-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time
Saturday, 23rd Jul 2022 16:01

Benik Afobe’s 16th minute goal sees Millwall lead the Blues 1-0 at half-time at the Den.

Marcus Harness was handed his first appearance for the Blues as one of the number 10s behind striker Freddie Ladapo to the left of Conor Chaplin in a team probably not far off the XI which will start against Bolton Wanderers in next Saturday’s opening League One match at Portman Road.

Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson were the back three with Wes Burns and Matt Penney the wing-backs. Greg Leigh was not in the squad, suggesting the former Morecambe man may have picked up a knock.

Skipper Sam Morsy and Lee Evans were the central midfield pairing with Dominic Ball also absent, while Kyle Edwards is back in the squad having missed the last couple of friendlies with a niggle.

Christian Walton was in goal for the Blues with former Town goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski between the sticks for Millwall.

The game got off to an evenly-balanced start with both sides giving the ball away more than they would have wanted, but as the 10-minute mark approached the home side began to threaten, Zian Flemming shooting over on nine.

And in the 16th minute the Lions took the lead. Woolfenden was caught in possession playing it out from the back on the edge of the box to the right Afobe brought the ball in on goal before shooting confidently past Walton.

It was a poor goal for Town to concede and not the first during pre-season to come as a result of the Blues being dispossessed as they played it out from the back.

Town, wearing their black and red away kit for the first time, threatened for the first time in the 24th minute, Donacien whipping a cross in from deep on the right and Ladapo flicking a header well wide of Bialkowski’s right post.

Three minutes later, following a drinks break, Town broke forward having picked up a loose pass on halfway and the former Rotherham man hit a low shot to Bialkowski’s right which the Polish keeper claimed with little fanfare.

As the half hour approached, the Blues began to see most of the ball but without creating any opportunities or testing Bialkowski.

On 38 Burns shot against a defender after a looping Evans cross from the right had fallen to him in the area, then Penney screwed the loose ball well into the empty stand behind the goal.

A minute later, Woolfenden got a toe in ahead of George Honeyman as a cross came in from the left after Millwall’s pressing had led to the Blues lose possession not far outside their own area.

In the 44th minute, the Blues worked the ball well on the left and Chaplin hit a low shot across the face of goal from a tight angle.

That was the last action of a half in which the Blues had seen a lot of the ball and had played some neat and tidy football at times but without being able carve out any serious opportunities.

At the other end, the goal came from perhaps a little over-confidence from Woolfenden and other than that Walton had had as quiet an afternoon as Bialkowski.

New boy Harness had often dropped deep to pick up the ball and had shown one or two neat touches but without finding a pass which might open up the Millwall defence.

Millwall: Bialkowski, Wallace, Hutchinson, Cooper, Afobe, B Mitchell, Flemming, Malone, Shackleton, Leonard, Honeyman. Subs: Long, McNamara, Evans, Bradshaw, Burey, Cresswell, Bennett, Saville, Topalloj.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Evans, Morsy, Penney, Chaplin, Harness Ladapo. Hladky, Burgess, Ndaba, Vincent-Young, El Mizouni, Harper, Humphreys, Aluko, Edwards, John-Jules, Jackson. Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).


Photo: Steve Waller



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19781981twtd added 16:03 - Jul 23
A week to find a 20 goal a season striker !!!!
5

Wooly74 added 16:09 - Jul 23
Totally agree with the comment above, we desperately need a 20 goal plus striker
2

blues1 added 16:09 - Jul 23
19781981twtd. Dont be daft. Yes, we need another striker, but doesn't have to be by next week. And would it be any different today if we had 1 already? Haven't seen anywhere in this report that we've missed any big chances. Just haven't created much. So doesn't matter who the striker is. We are playing against a championship defence remember too. We won't be playing against defences of that level during the season.
0

pg888 added 16:10 - Jul 23
There's a lot of talk about we need a striker. We could have ronaldo upfront it wouldn't matter if we don't actually create any chances!
1

pg888 added 16:11 - Jul 23
Ladapo once chance so far one goal would much rather have a creative midfielder
1

BlueRuin69 added 16:20 - Jul 23
Ladapo scores! One week for some fans to actually get behind their club 😎
1

Suffolkboy added 16:23 - Jul 23
It'll be interesting to see what KM has to say afterwards ; too easy to be perhaps downhearted / less than optimistic yet there must be positives and learning points to emerge from this pre- season exercise .
Reading between the lines it looks as if tardiness ,and lack of vision by others maybe left L W without the ready options we ought to expect ,but there's energy yet in the ITFC squad and it'll be also interesting to see how we fare over the whole 90 mins.
COYB
0

paris_mitchell_in_oz added 16:28 - Jul 23
We're all over this bunch. Looking very good.
2

BromleyBloo added 16:33 - Jul 23
Missed the first 30 mins, but as far as I'm concerned really good so far. Held our own, really good equaliser - Harness, Morsy and Ladapo combining really well - and currently in the ascendency, with us having much the better chances. Yes, in the ideal world we need another striker and left sided player, but apart from that looks good to me, may be very good!!!

COYB!!!
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 16:33 - Jul 23
Pg888 not sure what you've been watching since McKenna came in the games I've seen we've had plenty of balls into the box our problem has been no one getting in the box or gambling on runs into the box to get on the end of them so the creativity is there especially now with Harness. Looks like Morsy is playing further forwards, goals will come and Lapado could be the 20 goal a season striker we need. However I'd rather a striker. Liverpool don't have any creativity in the middle of the park but they have it from out wide same as us.
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 16:34 - Jul 23
Suffolkboy it was already 1-1 before your comment and we are the better side against a decent championship side at their place where no team likes to go and play
1

BlueRuin69 added 16:48 - Jul 23
They got battered, we are ready! Lets go! Coyb!
1

blues1 added 16:55 - Jul 23
Beattiesbackpocket. I think ur spot on re ladapo. He could easily score 20 goals this season. Only played half of last season for rotherham and got 15, so why not? Like you would still like another striker. I'm sure once harness has played a couple of games with everyone, and got used to them, he could be the player to set up the chances. Think leigh will too from lwb.
1

dusth added 17:05 - Jul 23
Much the better side in the second half. Could have had three or four with Aluko desperately unlucky to see a shot cannon off the bar and somehow grabbed by Bart. Millwall actually hanging on at the end. They were on to Burns who hardly got a kick but loads of positives elsewhere. Really liked the look of John-Jules. Evans and Morsy excellent as ever, good to see them together again.
0


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