The lowdown on Swansea City 0 Millwall 1 – No classic in South Wales…but who is complaining?
Casper De Norre struck in stoppage time as Millwall secured their first away win of the Championship season.
Here is the lowdown on the match.
THE LINE-UPS
Swansea: Vigouroux, Key, Cabango, Darling, Tymon, Grimes, Franco (Cooper 78), Pereira, Cullen (Allen 66), Peart-Harris, Vipotnik (Bianchini 78). Subs not used: McLaughlin, Naughton, Tjoe-A-On, Abbey, Fulton, Adbulai.
Millwall: Jensen, Leonard, Tanganga, Cooper, McNamara, Saville, Wintle, Esse (Bryan 90) Honeyman (De Norre 71), Watmore (Azeez 71), Langstaff (Ivanovic 71). Subs not used: Roberts, Wallace, Harding, Kelly, Emakhu.
SNAPSHOT OF THE GAME
This was by no means a classic. Swansea are the lowest scorers in the Championship this season and based off this game you can see why – they get the ball forward but when they reach the final third, a bit like Millwall, that final ball is lacking. Lukas Jensen made a few decent saves, the first to deny Zan Vipotnik in the first half and then Josh Key at the start of the second half. The keeper also kept out Key for a second time in the 78th minute. As stoppage time arrived, two substitutes combined with Femi Azeez crossing for De Norre, who found the bottom corner.
TACTICAL APPROACH
Neil Harris made four changes to the side that beat Plymouth 1-0 on Wednesday night. Danny McNamara, Ryan Wintle, Duncan Watmore and Macaulay Langstaff came into the side. Joe Bryan, De Norre, Azeez and Mihalio Ivanovic dropped to the bench. As has been the case in most of the Lions’ away games this season, they have been happy to sit off their opponents, soak up the pressure and try to hit on the break. Today it worked to perfection.
STAR MAN
Lukas Jensen. It’s been a bit of an inconsistent start for the former Lincoln City goalkeeper. However, he put on a very good performance and made a number of decent saves, including a vital double stop before the Lions went down the other end and secured all three points.
BEST MOMENT
De Norre’s late winner. Another special moment for the Belgian in South Wales. He scored his first goal for the club in this fixture last season and he came off the bench to do the exact same. Azeez did really well to take the ball down and supply De Norre with a great pass and a fabulous finish from the midfielder to send the away fans behind the goal into raptures.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
Ball retention. Millwall, just like in their last away game at West Brom, found it very hard to retain possession. Passing accurately was a big problem against the Baggies and the Lions struggled with it again in South Wales. Millwall managed to secure just 56 per cent accuracy on passes in the first half, that is something that has to change if they are to progress.
Another moan – and something Harris himself highlighted after the 1-1 draw with Derby last weekend – is Millwall’s lack of threat from set-pieces. The South Londoners have the likes of Jake Cooper, Japhet Tanganga, George Saville and Ivanovic but the delivery from deadball situations has been poor in recent weeks – it was the same here.
A TALKING POINT DOWN THE PUB
Ryan Wintle’s first start for the club. He came into central midfield alongside Saville, replacing De Norre. A very different player to De Norre, perhaps not as comfortable with the ball at his feet as the Belgian is, but he still played an important role alongside Saville in the engine room. A debate and question for Harris is with Billy Mitchell coming back to fitness, what will the first choice midfield duo be? Saville and De Norre have done a good job at the start of the season in making the midfield a real battleground. Some tough choices ahead for the Lions boss.
WHAT THE BOSS HAD TO SAY
“Today we probably got a bit more than what we deserved if I’m honest. It’s brilliant, it’s how football works. We know that you don’t always get what you deserve.”