Town climbed to 12th in the table after completing the Christmas league programme with a 4-1 home win over Millwall in torrential rain. Tommy Miller put Town ahead before Steven Reid put the Lions back on terms. However, Jermaine Wright, Marcus Bent and Miller again completed the victory.

The Blues lined-up as against Walsall with Darren Ambrose and Marcus Bent both amongst the substitutes.

Town had most of the early play and Jim Magilton hit the first shot of the game over the bar in the opening minute.

Millwall were to come very close to scoring with their first opportunity. Neil Harris cut in from the left and played the ball to Dennis Wise on the right-hand side of the area. Wise, booed throughout by Town supporters, hit a first time shot which Andy Marshall did well to scramble round the post.

Pablo Couñago looked sure to continue his fine home scoring record in the fifth minute after Stuart Nethercott inexplicably played the ball to him ten yards outside the Millwall area. Couñago had only Tony Warner to beat but his second touch took the ball too far away from him and the keeper saved. However, the ball only ran as far as Jim Magilton who chipped the ball towards the empty net but saw his effort strike the top of the bar.

On 10 Steve Claridge mishit a Dennis Wise freekick straight at Andy Marshall when well-placed, while Town were equally profligate at the other end, Richard Naylor heading a Fabian Wilnis cross just wide and Couñago shooting over the bar from 18 yards.

Steven Reid hit a thunderbolt well over for Millwall in the 20th minute after Dennis Wise had played a corner low to him on the edge of the area. For Town Couñago put another shot over the bar after fine work from Naylor and Clapham. The Blues were continuing to create and miss chances and on 27 Naylor hit a shot wide.

Neil Harris was unimpressed with Thomas Gaardsøe in the 31st minute after the two had challenged and the Blues had been awarded a freekick. Harris, about a foot shorter than the Dane, put his head against Gaardsøe's and referee Steve Bennett intervened and had words with both.

Tommy Miller and Pablo Couñago both had shots blocked inside the area as half-time approached and Miller was put through by the Spaniard but the former Hartlepool man's touch let him down and Warner was out quickly to gather.

As the half drew to a close Gaardsøe did well to block a Harris shot. After the resultant corner was half-cleared Nethercott flicked a header which only just went by Andy Marshall's left post.

Town ought to have been at least a goal up at the break with Pablo Couñago having probably had the best chance when Nethercott presented the ball to him. Joe Royle kept with the same personnel for the start of the second period and they were quickly on the attack.

Jamie Clapham was found inside the penalty area but the ball was put out for a corner before he could get his shot in. Jim Magilton's corner went deep and Matt Holland's downward header was cleared off the line. It was the closest yet that Town had come to a goal.

Clapham was again at the centre of the action in the 47th minute, his 20-yard shot from a Hermann Hreidarsson knockdown going over Tony Warner's bar.

With 52 minutes on the clock Joe Royle swapped Darren Ambrose for Fabian Wilnis and Marcus Bent for Richard Naylor and changed to a 4-4-2 formation. Soon after the roundly booed Dennis Wise was replaced by Millwall manager Mark McGhee.

In the 56th minute Town finally went ahead. Darren Ambrose sent in a poor corner which looked as if it wouldn't get beyond the first defender. However, the ball flicked off Paul Ifill's head, hit Pablo Couñago and cannoned to the edge of the area where Tommy Miller hit a piledriver off the bar and into the back of the net. Virtually the entire Town side buried the scorer just in front of the North Stand.

Despite much of the game being Town's Millwall were having the odd chance here and there, and just before the hour Andy Marshall did well to keep hold of Matt Lawrence's shot from the edge of the area.

On 63 Millwall were back on terms after a freekick awarded against Hermann Hreidarsson on the Town left. The ball found Neil Harris who cut in and, with the Town defence apparently asleep, sent a low pass to Paul Reid who hit a trademark shot past Andy Marshall.

It was a goal which was hardly deserved on the balance of play and Town were swiftly back on the attack, Hermann Hreidarsson's shot from close-in deflected wide for a corner.

Reid caused more trouble for Town in the 67th minute when Andy Marshall did well to stop his initial shot before the Irish international and Steve Claridge both had other attempts blocked as the Blues' defence desperately scrambled the ball away.

Thomas Gaardsøe made way for Jermaine Wright in the 69th minute, presumably due to an injury. Wright went into midfield while Hermann Hreidarsson went into the centre alongside Matt Holland with Jamie Clapham switching to left-back.

Jim Magilton had a shot blocked on 71 before Pablo Couñago hit a shot on the turn which wasn't powerful enough to beat Warner.

However, the second goal wasn't long in coming. Marcus Bent chased down Paul Ifill on the Town left. Bent won the ball, playing it into the path of Jermaine Wright 30 yards out. The ex-Millwall player took a touch to steady himself before launching a peach of a shot which flashed past Warner, just inside his right-hand post. Again, there was a pile of Town players celebrating as Wright enjoyed his first goal since the 1-1 draw with Fulham last October.

Four minutes later it was 3-1, as Wright found Jamie Clapham on the left with a fine pass. Clapham sent a cross in from the byline straight to Marcus Bent. The striker took his time and placed the ball to Warner's right and into the net for his fourth goal of the season. January is always a good time for Bent goalswise, and hopefully this year will be no exception.

With 11 minutes left Steve Claridge hit a shot which was easy for Andy Marshall but it was pretty much all Town and a fourth goal came with five minutes left on the clock.

Darren Ambrose had given Robbie Ryan all sorts of trouble since he came on and beat him inside the area on the Town right. The defender pulled him and then finally tripped him and referee Steve Bennett had little alternative but to award a penalty.

Ambrose grabbed the ball, wanting to take the kick and a bit of a row ensued between the youngster and regular penalty taker Tommy Miller with Matt Holland refereeing. Miller appeared to win the argument and hit his kick hard and to Warner's left, just inside the post, to make it 4-1.

After that there was just time for Jim Magilton to hit the bar for the second time as his chipped cross went close to a fifth Town goal.

Another win, four goals, 12th place and five points from the play-offs. Could the Christmas period have gone any better? Although Town didn't keep to Joe Royle's New Year's resolution of a clean sheet there was little to be unhappy about as the Blues revival continues apace. Saturday afternoon could well prove to be a busy one for the Morecambe defence.

Town: Marshall, Wilnis (Ambrose 52), Hreidarsson, Gaardsøe (Wright 69), Holland, Makin, Clapham, Magilton, T Miller, Naylor (M Bent 52), Couñago.

Photo: Action Images

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