Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Town 5 - 0 Millwall (AET) (5-2 Agg)
Town 5 - 0 Millwall (AET) (5-2 Agg)
Wednesday, 27th Sep 2000 00:57

Town eventually ran out winners in probably the most bizarre game I have ever seen. The game had everything: goals, red cards, bad refereeing, time-wasting of an Olympic standard, a missed penalty and pretty much everything else you can think of.

I apologise now as I’m certain to miss some hugely important incident (possibly a goal), but there were simply so many things happening.

Town lined up with four at the back but with Mark Venus missing and John McGreal returning. Up front David Johnson replaced Marcus Stewart and in midfield Martijn Reuser stepped in for Jermaine Wright, presumably in order to add to Town’s attack.

Much of the first half consisted of Town pushing forward against a hugely defensive Millwall. The Blues went close on innumerable occasions, Scowcroft headed on goal, but Warner saved, Magilton hit a shot, but Warner saved, McGreal went close, but Warner saved, you get the picture.

There was the first hint of the controversy to follow when Joe Dolan, Millwall’s Man of the Match at The Den, pulled back Johnson when the Town striker was through on goal just outside the area.

It seemed an obvious red card, but referee Andy Hall perplexingly produced only a yellow, by no means the only decision on the night that confused both sets of fans. Town wasted the freekick.

Millwall by this stage had already lost talisman Neil Harris to injury, the former Cambridge City man had been replaced by Kevin Braniff.

A few minutes later, after 24 minutes, the referee could possibly have shown another red card.

Tony Warner, a keeper who was on trial at Portman Road a couple of years ago and who was having a generally great night, kicked the ball out, but left his goal open. Martijn Reuser took the ball down and was about to loop the ball home when he was dragged down by a Millwall defender.

Reuser got straight up and sent the ball over the defenders and into the keeperless goal. Referee Hall had already blown, but failed to even produce a yellow card when a red seemed obvious given that Reuser actually did put the ball home and the foul had stopped it being counted.


However, it wasn’t long before Hall did get his red card out after another Dolan foul. The Northern Irish U21 international aimed a tackle at Martijn Reuser as the Dutchman ran into the Millwall area. Unfortunately for him all he did was send Reuser flying and Hall had no option but to give a penalty and show the defender a red card.

Jim Magilton stepped up and took the penalty even as Dolan left the field. The Town midfielder hit the ball to the keeper’s right, but Warner got to it. Clearly it was the keeper’s night at this stage.

The end of the half saw a shocking foul on Martijn Reuser by Christophe Kinet. Referee Hall, a man who clearly thinks football a contact game, produced his yellow card once more, although he was correct, or possibly lenient, on this occasion.

The whistle for half-time went and boos surrounded the ground from Town fans, a stark contrast to the reaction to half-time on Saturday.

The second half saw Town encamped in the Millwall penalty area for virtually the whole time. Cross after cross rained into the box, although the majority were dreadful. Jamie Clapham was particularly guilty of looping innumerable crosses either into the arms of Tony Warner or beyond the Town strikers.

A second red card was to make Town’s life a bit easier, this time shown to Steven Reid. Andy Hall’s decision to send off the second Millwall player came as much as a shock to the Town fans as it did the Millwall player.

Reid went in high and late on Bramble yes, but it was by no means a vicious challenge, more clumsy and it didn't really make that much contact on the player.

Town continued to attack, but were failing to score in quite an incredible manner. Martijn Reuser was behind most of the best moves with substitute Jermaine Wright (on at half-time for the dreadful Fabian Wilnis) looking almost as impressive.

Finally, after 74 minutes, Town did break the deadlock. John McGreal put in one of those trademark crosses of his and David Johnson slipped between the defenders to head home from six yards. It was an excellent goal at a time when goals had seemed as if they would never come.

The Blues kept plugging away against the nine men of Millwall and when it all seemed as if Millwall had survived, and with just two minutes left on the clock, Titus Bramble levelled the tie.

Amir Karic, on as a sub for Hermann Hreidarsson midway through the second half, crossed the ball and Matt Holland headed goalwards. His header merely hit the ground three foot from his toes and bounced goalwards.

David Johnson cheekily tried to encourage the ball home with his hand, but it rebounded off the bar where Titus Bramble, by now an emergency attacker, headed home. Bramble ran to celebrate the crowd and was booked by the increasingly annoying referee Hall.

The game was now clearly Town’s and they pushed forward to try to get their third goal in the remaining two minutes (plus four minutes injury time).

Johnson and Reuser went close, but it was Millwall who came closest. Belgian Christophe Kinet found himself running towards the Ipswich goal out on the right just inside the Blues’ half. He ran in on the Town goal, but Jamie Clapham caused him to cut inside. The winger was held up but he found Tim Cahill running in on the left, the first leg scorer hit a shot to Richard Wright’s left but the Town keeper was equal to it and made an excellent save.

Had the Town keeper not got to the ball the Blues would have been beaten, as it was it was yet another Get Out of Jail Free card.

Soon after the final whistle went and we were into extra-time. Town took control from here and it wasn’t long before they were ahead. Matt Holland hammered his 50th goal in senior football with a well-struck shot from just outside the area.

Millwall had a go, but the lack of numbers by this stage were seriously affecting their ability to get forward. One or two of their players were looking seriously knackered as they saw their chance of progressing to the next round disappearing.

Town added a fourth goal through Jim Magilton by the end of the first half of extra-time, although a deflection probably caused the Ulsterman’s very straight shot to beat Warner.

The second half of extra-time saw Johnson add his second as the Blues by now dominated. At the end Millwall had just seven players in the fray as they had two players off with cramp. “Five-a-side, five-a-side..” sang the North Stand as Mr Hall readied himself to blow his well-worn whistle once more.

The final whistle failed to bring the expected flurry of seats flying on to the pitch from the Millwall fans, a mark of respect, perhaps, for the valiant fight their lads had put up.

A 5-0 victory then, but possibly the least convincing 5-0 I’ll ever see, Millwall certainly deserved more and yet we could conceivably have scored around 20. And for once I’m not joking.

Through to round three of the Worthington Cup, but a strange evening’s entertainment all in all.


Photo: Action Images



Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.


You need to login in order to post your comments

Ipswich Town Polls

About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024