Millwall bounced back from Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Leeds by securing a 3-0 win over Rotherham United.
Goals from Ryan Longman and Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw sealed a much needed and confidence boosting win for Gary Rowett’s men after a below par start to the season.
Longman opened his account for the Lions with a fine 25 yard strike which nestled perfectly into the top right hand corner of the net to give the home side a half time advantage.
Amsterdam born Flemming has struggled since the start of the season, but he also got off the mark for the season with a fine finish just before the hour mark.
Bradshaw rounded things off with his first of the season in stoppage time.
From the very outset you could see which way this contest was going to go. Matt Taylor’s team were winless in their previous 18 away games before tonight and you could see they were not going to cause many problems to a Millwall defence that had shipped three in it’s last outing.
It was the period of the game where Millwall had just begun to take a firmer grip Kevin Nisbet and Tom Bradshaw’s partnership was starting to have a bit more fluidity. The ball broke to Longman, who from 25 yards out smashed a powerful effort into the top corner.
The goal have the Lions confidence, Flemming, back in the starting lineup, crossed for Nisbet, but his header was straight at Viktor Johansson. Casper De Norre was next to have a go, he fired straight at the Millers keeper.
Bradshaw’s eagerness to get off the mark for the season is clear, he looked very busy in and around the penalty area. His problem was taking too many touches and not letting fly.
Rotherham thought they had got an equaliser three minutes into the second half, Millwall old boy Fred Onyedinma, playing further up the pitch in the second half curled in from just inside the area, only to see the offside flag raised.
There was a moment of concern for Gary Rowett in the 55th minute. Nisbet landed awkwardly and looked to have been suffering badly with pain is his knee, he suffered an ACL injury at Hibernian last season but he was able to walk off the pitch and be replaced by Duncan Watmore.
Watmore then made an instant impact. His fizzing ball found Flemming, he skipped past one defender and then hit a left footed shot across goal and into the bottom corner to double the Lions’ lead.
Rotherham almost found a way back into the contest on the hour mark, Oliver Rathbone picked out substitute Andre Green, his touch forced Bart Bialkowksi into his first save of the night.
The Millers look a poor side and never really threatened the Millwall goal. One of the only sides that before the game were below Millwall in the Championship’s xG table and you could clearly see why.
This was by no means Millwall’s best performance but they did what they had to do on the night to beat the team in front of them.
Another concern for Rowett will be Brooke Norton-Cuffy, the wing-back was forced off for the final ten minutes, replaced by Danny McNamara. The last thing Millwall need is a win to be dampened by yet more injury problems.
Bradshaw opened his account for the season in stoppage time. Thumping in a rebound from Ryan Leonard’s powerful effort.
Image: Millwall FC