Talking points from Millwall’s FA Cup win over Dagenham & Redbridge – Lions book Leeds tie as academy goalscorer writes his first chapter
Millwall eventually showed their superiority to beat Dagenham and Redbridge 3-0 and book an FA Cup fourth round date with Leeds United.
Mihailo Ivanovic’s unique grounded header broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark before second-half goals from Casper De Norre and debutant Ra’ees Bangura-Williams put the game to bed.
Here are Daniel Marsh’s talking points from the match.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
Goals have been hard to come by for Millwall this season, so a return of five goals from the last two games has been most welcome.
Alex Neil wasn’t getting away post-match, though. And he’s right in that sense given Dagenham and Redbridge are a National League outfit. But those goals on the night will still boost confidence, especially in the players who scored them.
The onus is on Neil to get Millwall motoring in front of goal in the Championship. There will be far sterner tests ahead, but the fact he’s overseen successive games where the Lions have scored twice after such a long run without doing so can only be seen as a positive.
ESSE OFF
The big talking point ahead of Monday night’s match was Romain Esse.
Our paper had previously reported that the Lions academy graduate, 19, was a long-term target for Crystal Palace, who were keen on bringing Esse to Selhurst Park in January.
Alex Neil confirmed post-match that Esse’s omission from the squad was due to the fact that his move to the Eagles is progressing. That would indicate we’ve seen the last of Esse in SE16 with Palace minded to keep the England U20 star around should they wrap up a deal, which would net the Lions a club-record fee.
Anybody who has had the pleasure of watching Esse this season knew that this day was a foregone conclusion. It was all about enjoying him while we could – and didn’t we just.
A WELCOME RETURN
A first win for Alex Neil, but perhaps the real result of the evening was getting Jake Cooper and Billy Mitchell back out there.
The Lions have sorely missed their captain, who has struck up a formidable partnership with the ever-impressive Japhet Tanganga. And he was head and shoulders above the rest in both penalty areas, teeing up Ivanovic for the volley that led to the Serbian’s opener.
Mitchell was just as impressive in the engine room alongside Casper De Norre. His ability to keep the ball moving is a huge plus for a team that struggles to make possession count.
And it felt like his energy in the engine room gave De Norre more of a license to roam, punctuated by his burst into the box for Millwall’s second goal.
The fact both are fit and firing is a major plus for Neill, although the Scot was missing the likes of Duncan Watmore, Macauley Langstaff and Tom Bradshaw through knocks.
Femi Azeez hobbled off midway through the second half too and with Esse out the door, a prolonged absence for the former Reading man would surely force Millwall to accelerate any transfer plans.
BANGURA-WILLIAMS GOES OFF
The magic of the FA Cup may be on the wane (FAO: The FA – Monday night fixtures don’t help) but fortunately for Ra’ees Bangura-Williams, he had some in his boots.
The 20-year-old debutant celebrated his new contract with a classy goal after some slick footwork that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Strictly.
Nobody should be getting carried away just yet, but there’s something quite fitting about Bangura-Williams’ emergence coinciding with Esse’s imminent departure.
He was joined on the field by 17-year-old Sheldon Kendall, another product of the Lions academy.
Whether they can follow in Esse’s footsteps remains to be seen, but Monday night was the first chapter in their own story.
PICTURES: BRIAN TONKS