Millwall and Leeds go toe to toe at The Den as rivalry shows no signs of weakening

MILLWALL 1
J Wallace 55
LEEDS UNITED 1
Harrison 89
BY RICHARD CAWLEY AT THE DEN

At the full-time whistle, Leeds United captain Liam Cooper collapsed to the turf. Luke Ayling dropped to his knees. Other Millwall players were down on their haunches, a late equaliser a tough one to swallow.

It was the kind of scenes that you usually see after a play-off semi-final or 90 minutes that are hugely, hugely significant.

If anyone wants proof that Millwall v Leeds matters, then this was it.

Draining, demanding and played at a breakneck pace. If footballers had matches like this every week it would cut months off their careers.

This fixture has become a litmus test of United sides in recent years. Around 12 months ago, Thomas Christiansen’s team were second best in every department and lucky to only head back to Yorkshire with a 1-0 defeat. Their early promotion push went off the rails.

So Saturday was a triumph, of sorts. Millwall were unable to make it five straight wins over Leeds at The Den. And United, who failed to score in their four previous visits, managed to halt that sequence as Jack Harrison struck right near the end of normal time. It was enough to keep them top of the Championship standings.

The first 45 minutes were fast and furious. But the frenetic nature of proceedings ensured that nobody really got time to settle on the ball.

Steve Morison’s looping header was claimed by Bailey Peacock-Farrell under his crossbar.

The Lions captain, making his 299th appearance for the South Londoners, had no time to react to a Ryan Leonard header which saw the striker just nudge the ball into the hands of the Leeds number one.

It was the visitors who had the only real clear-cut opportunity in that first period.

Mateusz Klich’s ball over the top had Murray Wallace struggling and stumbling but Ben Amos got enough on Tyler Roberts’ shot to slow and deflect it, with Jake Cooper tidying up any remaining danger.

Leonard was one of two changes by Millwall manager Harris, the club-record signing coming in for Ryan Tunnicliffe. Mahlon Romeo, at fault for Swansea’s opening goal at The Den, paid the price as Conor McLaughlin replaced him at right-back. Leonard was solid, promising when you consider his lack of minutes at Sheffield United.

The midfielder is big and strong – possessing a long throw which saw him launching the ball in whenever Millwall were within range of the Leeds goal, Cooper heading forward each time.

You wondered why the centre-back was not always the initial focal point of the throws, perhaps it was just to mix things up.

But the Lions did not win enough of the first aerial challenges. When Leonard did have Cooper to aim for, it yielded results. It was the centre-back’s flick-on in the 55th minute which saw Jed Wallace manage to convert his first goal of the campaign.

Millwall started to slow the game down, comfortably before the final stages. David Livermore’s attempts to keep hold of the ball as Leeds wanted to take a throw enraged Marcelo Bielsa, with the two benches exchanging unpleasantries.

Amos made another vital stop to snuff out Ayling’s back-post shot after the Lions almost paid the price for thinking the ball was heading out of play just seconds earlier.

But just as Millwall were closing in on a second Championship win, and first since August 18, it was snatched away from them.

Cooper’s clearing header dropped to Harrison and he threaded a bobbling shot into the bottom right corner. Samuel Saiz was the first to the away dugout to celebrate – saving some goading gestures for the Millwall section to the left.

A draw was probably about right. But that didn’t mean that the Lions’ fierce late onslaught should not have seen them walk away with all three points.

Tom Elliott’s header came back off the left post and there were two crazy goalmouth scrambles where the ball pinged and ponged around the Leeds box but no-one could find that vital final touch.

There are things for Harris to be pleased with, not least that Jed Wallace is off the mark this season.

The winger was adamant post-match that the interest from Middlesbrough during the summer transfer window did not impact upon his performances, but the Lions need him focused and flying because he is a vital outlet for them.

Millwall need to stop conceding late goals, particularly at The Den. All six of the ones let in have come in the final 17 minutes, with four of those in the last five minutes of normal time.

Against Derby, it did not do any damage. But without those late slips against Middlesbrough, Swansea and Leeds they would have another seven points – putting them fifth in the table.

Millwall (4-4-2): Amos 7, McLaughlin 6, M Wallace 6, Cooper 7, Meredith 6, O’Brien 6, Williams 6, Leonard 7, J Wallace 7, Gregory 7 (Elliott 87), Morison 6 (Bradshaw 70, 6). Not used: Martin, Webster, Romeo, Tunnicliffe, Skalak.