MILLWALL survived the sending-off of Shane Ferguson as they came from a goal down to draw 1-1 against Huddersfield Town at The John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts went in front in the 24th minute when Karlan Grant’s cut-back from the left side of the box was finished by Frazier Campbell past Bart Bialkowski.
Millwall were level in the 41st minute as Matt Smith tapped home his third goal of the season from Connor Mahoney’s corner.
Huddersfield claimed a penalty in the 62nd minute when Grant went down in the penalty area among a clutter of bodies, but referee Jeremy Simpson played on.
Two minutes later the hosts were certain substitute Adama Diakhaby had been fouled by Jake Cooper, but replays suggested there had been little contact.
With 11 minutes left Diakhaby ran at Ferguson – who was on a yellow card after fouling the same player – and when the left-back brought down the winger just outside the box he was sent off for a second booking. Diakhaby curled the free-kick just wide.
Millwall had to defend resiliently through six minutes of added-time, but Bialkowski was untroubled as his side claimed a point.
Tried and trusted as Lions dig out result
There was a feeling of steadying the ship when Millwall’s team sheet was released an hour before the game.
Last season’s first-choice central midfield of Shaun Williams and Ryan Leonard returned to the side after last weekend’s defeat to QPR. Huddersfield played three in midfield but found it difficult to play through Millwall. Most of the hosts’ joy came from out wide.
Leonard had three long-range shots, one of which led to Millwall’s equaliser. His energy was important in the second half as the Terriers put pressure on the visitors.
Williams stayed close to his back four, as another player back in the side, Aiden O’Brien, did plenty of selfless work dropping back to help in midfield.
Both sides really needed a win, particularly Huddersfield, who had just one in the league in their previous 33 games. We’ve seen before how difficult losing runs that start in the Premier League and continue in the Championship are to stop.
The hosts didn’t play like a side that were bereft of confidence, even if they seemed to run out of ideas a little bit when they got close to Millwall’s box.
But credit to the Lions, who were disciplined and organised and hard to break down, even if Ferguson had to take the law into his own hands.
His replacement, Murray Wallace, was straight into the groove against one of his former clubs, powering away a header from a corner as the away side defended their point.
Mahlon Romeo finished the game with his head swathed in a white bandage, a reflection of his side’s aggressive defending.
The one time there was a real lapse was in the last minute, when Jaden Brown was left free on the edge of the area from a corner. Harris was furious with his players, but they survived a dressing-room blast as Brown’s shot went wide.
Same combination as set-pieces pay dividend again
A third assist of the season for the recalled Mahoney, leading to a third goal for Millwall for Smith.
The pair had combined from a corner for the winner at home to Sheffield Wednesday in August, the last time the Lions had won.
It initially looked like it could be given as a foul as Smith appeared to challenge goalkeeper Kamil Grabara. But a replay showed the stopper had dropped the ball at Smith’s feet under little contact.
Grabara had done superbly to tip over Leonard’s 30-yard shot that was heading into the top right corner. But then he left Smith with the simplest of finishes.
It was a sixth league goal out of seven from a set-piece.
Millwall authors of own downfall for opener
Mahoney did well initially to win possession back on his side’s right deep in his own half. But he thought he had more time than he had, and was tackled by Brown who quickly found Grant. It looked like he could have shot but instead he found Campbell who fired low into Bialkowski’s left corner.
The Lions were vulnerable down that side before the break and five minutes after the goal Lewis O’Brien crossed from the left but Campbell headed over.
Millwall had looked well-organised before the goal, which was easily avoidable.
Team news
Harris made five changes to the side that started in the 2-1 defeat to QPR last Saturday.
There was also a first involvement in a senior match-day squad for Tyler Burey.
Millwall: Bialkowski; Romeo, Pearce, Cooper, Ferguson; J Wallace, Williams, Leonard, Mahoney (Thompson, 86); O’Brien (Bradshaw, 64); Smith (M Wallace, 83).
Subs: Steele, Hutchinson, Molumby, Burey.
Image: Millwall FC