Match Reports

Hatters suffer home defeat to Lions

Town go down to narrow reverse against the Lions

m6

The Hatters slipped to their sixth defeat in seven Championship games as Millwall earned a narrow victory at Kenilworth Road.

Mihailo Ivanovic’s fine second-half strike was the difference on a frustrating afternoon that also saw Thomas Kaminski save Aaron Connolly’s penalty in the first half.

But the Town struggled to create clear-cut chances and defeat leaves Matt Bloomfield still searching for his first win in charge.

It started with the manager making four changes to the side that lost at Oxford in the week with Mads Andersen, Alfie Doughty and Jacob and Carlton Morris given starts.

Kaminski prevented a Connolly strike from finding the corner in the 29th minute with the game’s first real chance before Morris nodded over at the near post minutes later.

The Hatters keeper then took centre stage. After turning a Connolly shot wide on 31 minutes the Belgian then kept the Town in it when stopping out Connolly’s penalty, saving with his legs after Marvelous Nakamba had fouled Connolly inside the box.

That stop buoyed the Hatters as half-time approached with Morris heading an effort wide six minutes before the break following Jordan Clark’s left-wing corner.

After the break the Town came agonisingly close to opening the scoring when Morris’ header from a Clark free-kick bounced just the wrong side of the post.

Duncan Watmore shot just wide across goal on 58 minutes but moments later the Lions were ahead. Ivanovic took two touches on the edge of the box before flicking a lovely finish into the far corner with the outside of his boot.

Kaminski was then called upon again to keep the visitors, tipping over Ivanovic’s shot on the turn on 68 minutes.

In contrast, Lions keeper Lukas Jensen had been relatively untroubled but the Millwall number one then pawed away an effort from Clark as the Town pushed for an equaliser.

But a great stop from Kaminski once more kept it at 1-0, denying Ivanonic’s header with nine minutes left

Time continued to tick down but the Town could not break down the visitors – the closest the Hatters came an Elijah Adebayo header which flew over the bar with three minutes left.

Town: Kaminski; Hashioka, Bell, McGuinness, Andersen; Nakamba (sub Walsh 75), Krauß (sub Adebayo 61), Clark; Doughty (sub Jones 68), Brown (sub Nelson 67), Morris.

Subs not used: Krul, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Holmes.

Attendance: 11,418, including 1,232 from Millwall

Related Content

  1. 01
  2. 02
  3. 03