The Den
International
Millwall handed Derby County a 1-0 defeat at the Den in a battling Sky Bet Championship contest on Tuesday night.
Josh Coburn gave Millwall the lead after a hotly contested 43 minutes in South-East London.
Chances for Patrick Agyemang, Lewis Travis and Jaydon Banel in the second period saw Derby fly close against the side sitting third in the division after 37 matches.
An evenly contested opening ten minutes saw Derby have the lion's share of possession, and Patrick Agyemang and Sam Szmodics both had moments as they looked to break in behind Millwall’s defence, but were thwarted in a physical battle.
Ben Brereton Díaz also tried for goal, but was blocked in the 11th minute, before three minutes later seeing a header at the back post blocked out for a corner.
The resulting set play saw Agyemang rise highest to meet Joe Ward’s delivery, but Femi Azeez denied the American striker with a goal-line clearance.
The hosts flew close in the 4th minute when Barry Bannan’s corner landed at the feet of Lions defender Zak Sturge yards away from goal, but a timely intervention by Lewis Travis saw the ball away from danger.
Sturge was again the threat two minutes later when a cross was hung in the air, and he headed to force a diving stop from Derby goalkeeper Josh Vickers.
It looked as though Derby would be in with a golden chance in the 27th minute when Rhian Brewster beat his man down the wing, and Travis lifted a tidy pass to Agyemang with space in the penalty area, but he had drifted into an offside position.
Millwall took the lead after Tristan Crama kept a free-kick to the back post alive as he hooked the ball in the air for Coburn to nod in.
Coburn forced Vickers into action again after the goal, as he drilled a low effort from the edge of the box, which the Rams shot-stopper had to stretch down low to deny.
Bobby Clark was introduced for Derby at the break, with David Ozoh making way.
Travis saw a shot dip to the wrong side of the post after good work from Clark in the 58th minute.
Jaydon Banel and Carlton Morris were Derby’s next change as the Rams searched for an equaliser in the game.
Derby held possession for a prolonged period, but Mihailo Ivanovic was next to have a chance when he headed on target after a counter attack, but Vickers got his body behind the ball.
After a high ball from Szmodics bounced upfield, Agyemang had
the beating of Crama to go have a shot on goal, but he drilled the ball just
wide of the mark with his left-footed attempt.
Banel fired just over the bar a minute later, after Agyemang
and Derry Murkin’s play around the edge of the penalty area, saw the ball fall to
the Dutch winger.
Agyemang pounced on an error at the back with nine minutes
to go, Szmodics intercepted the ball and charged on goal at an angle, but couldn’t
hit the target, flying inches wide.
Again, the Rams appeared certain to notch the equaliser with
a minute of regulation time remaining. Agyemang rose to head the ball back
across the box, and Morris’ diving header attempt dropped on the wrong side of
the post.
Again in added time, Derby came agonisingly close, as Murkin’s
direct pass forward found Agyemang to shoot onto the post, with Clark thwarted
as he attempted to follow up.
Millwall: Patterson (GK), McNamara, Sturge, Crama, Cooper (C), Mitchell, Ivanovic, Neghli, Azeez, Coburn, Bannan.
Unused Substitutes: Crocombe (GK), Ballo, Langstaff, Watson, Bryan, Cundle, Bangura-Williams, Smallbone, Mazou-Sacko.
Derby County: Vickers (O’Donnell 86) (GK) , Murkin, Clarke, Agyemang, Brewster (Morris 60), Ozoh (Clark 46), Szmodics, Ward, Brereton Díaz (Banel 60), Travis (C) (Fraulo 85), Sanderson.
Unused Substitutes: Forsyth, Eames, I Gordon, Allen.
The Rams have a six-day wait until they are next in Sky Bet Championship action as they are set to play Portsmouth on Monday 16th March. A floodlit trip to Fratton Park awaits John Eustace’s side (8pm kick-off).
