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by Brian Stater MILLWALL duo Les Briley and Anton Otulakowski stand by to return to first team action tonight as The Lions take on Reading in a Milk Cup clash at The Den. The midfield pair were left out of Saturday's Third Division defeat Cambridge after serving a two-match ban. And manager George Graham said, “They will definitely be in the running for a place.” Neither skipper Briley or Otulakowski were due to appear in yesterday's Reserve clash with Ipswich, adding fuel to speculation that Graham intends to bring them in tonight. If they return, Alan McLeary and Nicky Chatterton are likely to step aside. Millwall go into the game with a 1-1 draw from the first leg. Manager Graham said, “It's going to he difficult, as Reading are a big, strong side. But we’ve been playing some excellent football, with only our finishing letting us down.” |
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Millwall 4 Reading 3 (5 - 4 on Aggregate) Both bosses beamed: “It was a great game and a terrific ad for soccer.” “It's a pity it wasn't screened for a larger audience,” added Lions' chief George Graham. “Anyone who came tonight will certainly come again.” Too true. Shame was that someone had to lose such a fine game but Millwall still deserved to join Palace and Chariton in the next round of the Milk Cup. But Keith Stevens will be an unhappy man. The defender is going to be fined by Graham for a bad tackle for which he was booked. Graham said: “I will not tolerate these breaches of rules. The players will be disciplined.” Dean Neal gave Millwall the lead in the 16th minute from a Nicky Chatterton cross after Anton Otulakowski's free-kick had been blocked. The ball rebounded to Chatterton, who placed it on Neal's head. The cheers had hardly died down when Reading drew level. David Crown beat Paul Sansome from close in a minute later. Steve Lovell who, had a cracking game, scored the second after a sweet move that involved Les Briley, Otulakowski and Bremner. Left: Lovell scores Millwall's Second Goal |
It was a textbook goal and came in the 25th minute. But the home team were rocked when Trevor Senior levelled after Martin Hicks headed down a Dean Horrix ball in the 29th minute. A bigger shock came for the New Cross fans when Crown gave the visitors the lead in the 35th minute. Sansome came out to try and beat Crown to the ball, but his kick cannoned off Crown's legs and the striker was able to lob the ball into an empty net. Millwall seemed dead and buried but an overhead kick from Neal in the 73rd minute made it level again. |
We were having visions of extra-time until Millwall were awarded a dubious penalty for a foul on Otulakowski. Lovell took the kick, Alan Judge saved it. Only for the ball to come back to Chatterton, who slammed it in. Graham said: “I was pleased with Briley and Anton, who played their first games of the season, although Anton drifted in and out of the match.” This was the best match I’ve seen for ages. Maurice Woolf |
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GUTSY Anton Otulakowski sparked Millwall's win in this Milk Cup classic – after fearing he had broken his leg. With the Lions level at 3-3, Otulakowski slid into the penalty area in an attempt to convert a low, hard Bill Roffey centre. He missed the ball by inches, but slammed his right leg into the goal post in a sickening collision. Yet Millwall's pint-sized dynamo was quickly back in action, and just five minutes after the accident he set up Millwall's winner. Otulakowski went on a lone raid that took him all of 60 yards before being brought down for a 79th minute penalty. Steve Lovell's spot kick was pushed out by goalkeeper Alan Judge, but Nicky Chatterton followed up to slam the ball home and clinch Millwall's place in yesterday's second round draw. |
Afterwards Anton revealed, “The point of impact with the post was just below my knee. If it had been a little bit lower my leg would have snapped.” Anton's efforts provided the finishing flourish to a fine Lions display. Dean Neal, missing two simple chances, managed to put away a pair of more difficult opportunities - heading home a Chatterton chip for the first-half opener and netting with a spectacular overhead shot to peg Reading back to 3-3 after the interval. Afterwards Lions boss George Graham said, “It was a great game for everyone.” Graham had brought Otulakowski and new skipper Les Briley in for their first competitive game of the season. He added, “Anton drifted in and out of the game - but when he drifts in, he's class.” After, Millwall's 16th minute opener David Crown beat Paul Sansome from close range and deadly Trevor Senior grabbed the second. |
 Les Briley: Debut for Millwall MILLWALL: Sansome, Stevens, Roffey, Briley, Martin, Cusack. Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski. Sub: Mcleary Ref. M James (Horsham) Attendance: 3,590 |
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Reading came off worst in a seven-goal thriller at The Den last night to crash out of th Milk cup at the first hurdle for the fourth successive season. A controversial penalty award to Millwall 12 minutes from time sealed Reading's fate. But there were no bitter recriminations from manager Ian Branfoot after the game. He was merely proud that his team had helped make this first round second leg match such a classic cup tie. It was only the second game Reading had lost under his managership but it was also surely the most exciting. Royals twice came from behind to take a 3-2 half time lead before Millwall hit back with two goals in six minutes in the second half. Millwall's Dean Neal set the scoreboard rolling with the first of his two goals in the 16th minute. The goa resulted from a free kick cinceded by David Crown who was adjudged to have pushed Millwall's ex-Aldershot debutant Les Briley off the ball. Anton Otulakowski's shot was charged down and the ball fell to Nicky Chatterton who crossed to the far post for Nel to head home. Crown instantly atoned for his error by smartly steering home a shot from the edge of the six-yard box just 60 seconds later. But the Lions were quickly back in front as the end-to-end action kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. Briley started the move which ended with Steve Lovell powering in a header from Kevin Bremner's cross. The Royals wasted little time in replying as Martin Hicks flicked on Stuart Beavon's corner for Trevor Senior to score his third goal in four games from close in. |
Four minutes later The Royals took the lead when Beavon's through ball led to a straight cahse between Crown and keeper Paul Sansome. The two players met head-on and the ball broke free for the Royals winger to complete his first scoring double for the club with a cooly executed lob from 25 yards. Almost immediately Senior should have put The Royals into a two goal lead but he sidefooted Jerry William's expert pass too casually and the ball was cleared. This miss proved crucial for it would have given The Royals breathing space when the expected Millwall backlash came. As it was, Otulakowski, should have equalised even before the break but blazed wide with the whole goal to aim at. By the interval Reading's Colin Duncan - for a foul on Keith Stevens - and Dean Horrix (dissent) had been cautioned. And within a minute of the re-start Steve Wood had joined them in the book for speaking out of turn. |
Wood had earlier survived a peanalty appeal against him for handling a cross from Neal. And there were further loud shots for spot kicks when first Steve Richardson shoved Lovell in the back and then Derrick Christie, on his debut for The Royals fouled Otulakowski. But referee Mike James gave free kicks outside the box in both instances. An equaliser, however was always on the cards and it came eventually in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. Neal collected a 72nd minute throw-in with his back to goal and left Alan Judge dumbfounded by an explosive overhead kick into the net. Thereafter, it seemed only a matter of time before Reading conceded another as their midfield melted visibly away. Kevin Bremner shot just wide before the outstanding Otulakowski made yet another darting run into the area. Both Duncan and Richardsin challenged him and the Millwall midfielder crashed to the ground with a Hollywood flourish. The player appeared to fall deliberately rather than be chopped down. But the referee after a moment's hesitation, pointed to the spot. Still the drama wasn't over fro Judge superbly saved Lovell's spot-kick before Chatterton hammered in the rebound. It was the second time in two games that Judge has kept out a penalty only to beaten by a follow-up shot. There was still time for Judge to pull off another brilliant stop from Chatterton before the close. And two home players - Dave Martin and Stevens - received cautions late on to bring the total of players booked in the match to five. MILLWALL: Sansome, Stevens, Roffey, Briley, Martin, Cusack. Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski. Sub: Mcleary Reading: Judge, Williams, Richardson, Beavon, Hicks, Wood, Duncan, Horrix, Senior, Christie, Crown. Sub: Gilkes Ref. M James (Horsham) Attendance: 3,590 |
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Lawrie Sanchez missed Reading's match at Millwall last night after injuring himself boarding the team bus. He banged his thigh against the arm of one of the coach seats and suffered a "dead leg". The leg stiffened up on the trip to London and although he donned his normal No 10 shirt at the ground, he left the pitch within seconds of starting a pre-match warm up. His withdrawal allowed ex-Cambridge United winger Derrick Christie to make his debut and Michael Gilkes was called up for senior duty for the first time as substitute. Manager Ian Branfoot expalined: “Lawrie hit the side of a chair as he got on the bus. He'd also had an injury to his other leg and when he had a fitness test on the field it was clear he wouldn't be able to play.” But Royal's boss did not use Sanchez's absence from midfield as an excuse for defeat. |
Millwall's Anton Otulakowski appeared to take a dive when challenged by Steve Richardson and Colin Duncan. But Branfoot said: “It was a very harsh decisio but sometimes they go in your favour and sometimes they don't. Otulakowski's a little fella and he's easily bundled over.” “But I'm not complaining because this was an absolute cracker if a game and for our lads to go there and play like that was smashing.” “I think if we'd managed to stem the tide in the first 15 minutes in the second half it might have been different.” “But more than anything this was a great advert for the game and all four full backs on the feild had chances to score which shows how exciting it was.” “Branfoot, however, was disappointed that three of his players - Colin Duncan, Dean Horrix and Steve Wood - were booked.” |