Millwall weather early storm at Preston – and that defensive strength is vital to their Championship play-off prospects
MILLWALL 1
Hutchinson 78
BY OLIVER GODDEN AT DEEPDALE
If there was any team in the Championship who were well suited to deal with everything that Storm Dennis had to throw at them on Saturday, it was Millwall with all their defensive brawn and brain.
Lions manager Gary Rowett stuck to his guns and played five at the back against Preston North End – as has generally been his preference for away matches since he took charge in October – and it’s no secret as to why he has kept with the tactic.
In the run up to the match at Deepdale, the Lions had only conceded four goals in their last five away games – three of those at Leeds United – a run which also brought three clean sheets.
They are 15 points better off than at the same stage last year, chiefly down to conceding 10 fewer goals.
They have the second best defensive record of any club outside of the Championship play-offs and boast tenacity and resilience.
While the visitors may have looked nervy on the ball for the first 20 minutes in Lancashire, they stayed compact and difficult to break down when Preston came forward. Matchwinner Shaun Hutchinson and skipper Alex Pearce were colossal at the back and gave veteran forward David Nugent, and his second-half replacements, very little to feed off for 90 minutes.
Pearce led with supreme authority too. He looked almost gladiatorial in a video tweeted by Millwall’s official account of him celebrating in front of the travelling fans – and his performance was nothing short of it either. He marshalled his troops through the early Preston storm, and was an example to the team in his efforts to see out what could have been a tense final 10 minutes.
His leadership will be vital for Millwall if they are to be successful in the latter stages of the season.
Even when the rain lashed down in the second half, Millwall offered very few chances to the home side.
Murray Wallace, who assisted Hutchinson’s goal, and Mahlon Romeo were quick to retreat into their formation as soon as Preston regained the ball.
For all their possession, North End were unable to manufacture many chances of substance. That was due to Millwall’s defensive discipline – Preston boss Alex Neil admitted that the South Londoners were frustratingly hard to break down.
The statistics suggest that the defence has been improving too. The Lions have conceded 1.15 goals per game this season, but only 0.88 in the last eight games, and that includes the three conceded at Elland Road which make the figures less flattering.
Whether they succeed in their bid to reach the play-offs, Millwall should take confidence from the position Preston are currently in.
They are a side with similar resources and are proving they can cut it in the upper echelons of the Championship.
There is no reason not to believe that Rowett can get Millwall firmly in that play-off mix over the coming weeks.
Their run-in looks favourable. The Lions only play sides above them on three occasions, and still have two of the bottom three to play.
This league is notorious for throwing up strange results but it seems a safe bet that Rowett would be happy with the opponents standing in his way before the end of the campaign.
If Millwall are to mount a late surge towards the play-off spots, they must sustain that defensive platform. Despite scoring the fifth fewest goals in the league (40), they have failed to net on only five occasions this season, yet still sit only four points away from Preston in sixth.
It stands to reason that if defensive solidity is sustained, the results will take care of themselves and the Lions, for all their woes at the start of the year, can still make this season one to remember.
Millwall (5-2-3): Bialkowski 6, Romeo 6, Hutchinson 8, Cooper 8, Pearce 8, M Wallace 8, Molumby 6, Woods 7, J Wallace 6 (Smith 89), Bodvarsson 6 (Leonard 86), Bradshaw 6 (Mahoney 76). Not used: Steele, Ferguson, O’Brien, Skalak.
PICTURES BY BRIAN TONKS