The lowdown on Hull City 0 Millwall 0 – Cagey contest as Lions have chances to turn one point into three

Millwall claimed their first point of the Championship season with a goalless draw at Hull City today.

Here is the lowdown on the match.

THE LINE-UPS

Hull City: Pandur, Coyle, Jones, McLoughlin, Giles (Drameh 71), Zambrano (Simons 57), Slater, Mehlem, Omur (Jarvis 58), Burstow (Bedia 57), Millar (Sellars-Flemming 89). Subs not used: Racioppi, Hughes, Burns, Jacob.

Millwall: Jensen, Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, Bryan, Saville, De Norre, Esse, Honeyman, Watmore (Azeez 70), Bradshaw (Langstaff 88). Subs not used: Roberts, McNamara, Hutchinson, Wallace, Harding, Massey, Emakhu.

A cagey contest with both sides eager to avoid defeat. A better point for Millwall as the away side. If any side was going to win the match it looked to be the visitors as they created the better chances. George Saville and Tom Bradshaw could, and perhaps should, have put the Lions in front.

Saville’s chance arrived midway through the first half. He was slipped through by a beautiful ball from Romain Esse but was denied by the onrushing Ivor Pandur, who made a smart stop.

Bradshaw’s chance arrived in the 63rd minute. The ball broke to the Welsh international inside the box but his turn and shot was straight at Pandur. Had it been either side of the keeper, he would have given his side a priceless lead.

Chris Bedia had Hull’s best chance in the 77th minute, his overhead kick was stopped smartly by Lions stopper Lukas Jensen.

TACTICAL APPROACH

Neil Harris made one change to the side that lost 4-3 to Bristol City last weekend. Japhet Tanganga returned from suspension and straight into the startling 11. New arrival Femi Azeez was named as a sub with Harris sticking with a 4-2-3-1 set-up. The Lions looked very solid in the first period. Harris has always been someone who wants to make the most of set-pieces and they played for those chances. Millwall had six first-half corners – Bradshaw headed one over and Tanganga had a chance from another. The second-half approach was much the same but, as you would have expected, the home side became stronger and began to ask questions which Millwall answered well. Defensively they looked a lot better. The return of Tanganga made them more competent and stronger. He organised the defence well and it’s worth noting that Hull struggled to break the Lions down. This is something we got used to in the reigns of Harris and predecessor Gary Rowett.

STAR MAN

Casper De Norre. Involved in all the good things Millwall did. He worked really hard alongside Saville in the centre of the park as they managed to nullify the hosts’ midfield threat.

BEST MOMENT

Jensen’s superb stop from Hull substitute Chris Bedia. It’s been a bit of a tough start for the new Millwall number one. That save should give him a big confidence boost after having to pick the ball out of his net seven times in the opening two games.

In contrast to their opening two games, the Lions were not as ruthless in the final third.

The Bradshaw v Langstaff debate. A lot have fans have called on Neil Harris to give Macaulay Langstaff a start. The striker has been prolific in the last couple of seasons, scoring a hatful of goals. However, those have been in non league and League Two. What people don’t always recognise is the scale of the jump. It will take time for him to adjust. He has a good mentor in Bradshaw, who has scored goals at this level constantly since he arrived at Millwall, albeit not prolifically. The former Notts County man will get his chance to shine, but it’s important it happens at the right time.

“Really pleased with a point. I asked the boys for a clean sheet mentality and an importance of us getting back on the coach with a point or three today. We were excellent defensively. The only disappointment for me is we haven’t scored a goal at the other end to win the game. I’m happy with a point and happy to get off the mark. I think it’s vital we got off the mark today.”