Incredibly consistent defenders have made Millwall one of the toughest Championship backlines to crack

BY ALEX GRACE

Another trip to Derby, another win at Derby. That’s how it’s going for Millwall at Pride Park in recent times. Saturday’s victory was the third time the Lions have come away with three points – all by a 1-0 scoreline.

It was a seventh away win for Gary Rowett’s side, which matches last season’s total. The Lions have taken 27 points on their travels this campaign and need just three more from their remaining five away games to register 30 on the road for the second successive season.

The club’s away form was a big problem when Rowett arrived but he has arrested that slump with just nine defeats in 32 games away from SE16 and a total of 53 points amassed from a possible 96 since he arrived. Prior to his arrival the Lions had won just three times away from home in their previous 29 attempts, a miserable and rather depressing record.

There are some sections of the fanbase who feel this season has been a letdown after the play-off surge towards the end of the previous campaign. That would be very harsh in my opinion. The Lions look set to record another top-10 finish, that would be a third in four seasons since returning to the second tier. For the size of their wagebill that’s a sensational achievement when you look at the likes of Suderland, who are currently enduring their third season in League One.

Derby had 70 per cent possession and 13 shots on Saturday afternoon but only forced Bart Bialkowski into the simplest of saves – a long-range effort from Kamil Jozwaik and two headers from Craig Forsyth. The only attempt in the second half that caused problems for the fabulous Lions defence was a corner from Nathan Byrne that Louie Sibley, who scored a hat-trick at The Den in June last year, managed to deflect on to the bar.

Millwall managed just 18 passes in their hosts’ half in the opening 45 minutes as Derby kept possession and floated a number of balls into the box with Byrne and Jozwaik linking up well. They were getting the better of the returning Murray Wallace – the Scot having been absent since the 2-1 defeat to Coventry on January 2 with a broken foot. For all of those crosses it was just those two headers from Forsyth which caused Bialkowski little problems.

Derby have failed to score in their last four games and you can see why. Their lack of penetration and movement in the final third made life so simple for Millwall’s back three of Alex Pearce, Jake Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson.

Millwall have conceded just 33 goals this season, the joint-third best defensive record in the division, only Norwich, Swansea and Watford – the league’s top three sides – have conceded fewer.

The consistency level of largely the back three of Pearce, Hutchinson and Cooper has been remarkable. George Evans has featured mainly in that three since his arrival in place of Pearce but started in midfield for the first time on Saturday as Rowett returned to a 5-3-2 formation rather than 5-2-3 seen against both Preston and Blackburn Rovers.

Saturday’s clash was the first time that Hutchinson, Pearce and Cooper had all started together since the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on January 16. Since then club skipper Pearce has been the main casualty with Evans and previously Ryan Leoard slotting into the back three. The Lions have conceded 12 goals when the trio of Pearce, Hutchinson and Cooper have started although six of those goals came in the 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough and the 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest – meaning the Lions have only conceded six goals in the other nine games the trio have started together.

Millwall have had the luxury of two incredibly consistent centre-backs since their return to this level in Cooper and Hutchinson. The latter has played every minute of the current campaign, just as he did in 2017-18, and Cooper’s outstanding record of 136 consecutive starts, of which he completed the full 90 minutes of every single game, was only ended by a dislocated shoulder suffered at Birmingham in December. Since returning to the second tier in 2017, Millwall have now played a total of 173 games and Hutchinson and Cooper have only missed 38 of those games between them.

The only thing missing from the Lions defence is more goals. Pearce has yet to register a league goal since he joined the club, while Cooper and Hutchinson have also seen their totals decrease on recent seasons. However, what Hutchinson proved on Saturday is that if you give him the chance he will punish you as Derby found out. The home side’s defence left the big defender completely unmarked and he headed home Jed Wallace’s inch-perfect corner as the Lions sealed a win with their only effort on target in the entire 90 minutes.

It might not be pretty or entertaining but so much can be built from a solid backline that has conceded just 11 goals in 13 games – taking 23 points in the process.

Scoring goals has not been Millwall’s forte this season, so grinding out results and working hard defensively has been vital.

STAR MAN
Shaun Hutchinson. The defender did everything asked of him in his own box, heading away countless Derby crosses.

BEST MOMENT
Hutchinson’s thundering header into the net that sealed another three points at Pride Park.