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| Good Show! But Lions boss is still fuming | |
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Walsall 3 Millwall 3 Millwall manager George Graham was fuming about the tackle which left defender Lindsay Smith with eight stitches in his leg on Saturday. Smith, Millwall's best player, was stretchered off near the end after a challenge in the penalty area from Peter Eastoe. And Graham blasted, "It was a late tackle which revealed the bone in Lindsay's leg. I didn't think it was a 50-50 ball." Despite seeing his side gain a point from a tremendous match at Fellows Park, Graham was not too happy with a draw. He said, "I am very disappointed with the result. Admittedly we were hanging on in the last few minutes, but in the first half we controlled the game apart from a ten minute spell. We created a hell of a lot of chances." Millwall certainly did carve out numerous goal opportunities, several them in the first 25 minutes when they were completely on top. Kevin Bremner put them ahead after just three minutes and the same player twice went close to increasing the lead before Walsall equalised with their first shot at goal. Richard O'Kelly was the scorer in the 26th minute and seven minutes later he scored again to put Walsall ahead. Millwall continued to look the better side and after the break Tony Kinsella, Kevin Bremner and Dean Neal all went close before Nicky Chatterton made it 2-2. Walsall soon hit back and Craig Shakespeare restored their lead after 68 minutes only for Steve Lovell to level the scores once more 15 minutes later. In the last few minutes, Walsall had chances to win the game, but a defeat for Millwall would have been an injustice after they had contributed so much to a thrilling match. Graham conceded, "It was a great game for the fans. That's what football is all about." MILLWALL: Sansome, Stevens, Roffey, Kinsella, Smith (Mcleary), Cusack, Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski Referee F. Roberts (Prestatyn). Attendance: 4,382. |
 Lovell: Late Equaliser |
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Walsall 3 Millwall 3 Millwall's remarkable performance at Fellows Park left manager George Graham in two minds. He was disappointed by dropping two points after scoring three times away from home, but delighted about the entertainment value. Six hundred Lions were in the crowd treated to a six-goal feast. “It was a great game for the fans . . . that is what football is all about,” Graham enthused. “We were hanging on in the last 10 minutes but in the first half we had completely controlled the match, except for ten minutes.”  |
Walsall still after their first League win, have lost only one of their six League and Cup games. But Millwall gave them more problems than any other side so far and in this form the Lions must be rated promotion material. Anton Otulakowski again lived up to his reputation as one of the best midfield men in the lower divisions. Up front, Dean Neal and Kevin Bremner gave Walsall's central defenders Peter Hart and Colin Brazier a nightmare with their speed and control. Bremner put the Lions in front with a third-minute drive from Neal's headed pass, but Richard O’Kelly struck twice in the 26th and 33rd minutes to give Walsall a half time lead. Nicky Chatterton's 57th minute equaliser was followed by Walsall's third goal from Craig Shakespeare, but Steve Lovell levelled again seven minutes from the end. Wallsal Cherry; Caswell, Mower, Shakespeare, Brazier, Hart, Rees, Eastoe, O’Kelly, Handysides, Childs (Kelly). Millwall: Sansome; Stevens. Roffey, Kinsella, Smith (McLeary) Cusack, Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski. Ref: Mr. F. Roberts (Prestatyn) Attendance 4,382 Right: Roffey gives chase to David Kelly Left: Anton Shadows Kenny Mower |
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Walsall 3 Millwall 3 It was top scorer Richard O'Kelly to the rescue at Fellows Park after Walsall had conceded an early goal in a sloppy start. Kevin Bremner, brother of the Villa player, crashed in an unstoppable shot after three minutes and the Saddlers looked like lambs in contrast to the Lions. But O'Kelly transformed the situation with two beautifully taken goals in the 26th and 32nd minutes to put Walsall in charge and send his personal total for the season to five. Walsall, looking for their first league win of the season, were again without injured midfield man David Preece, but Brian Caswell returned to the defence in place of the injured Hawker. Millwall were weakened by the absence of skipper Les Briley who was replaced by Kinsella. Striker Dean Neal was making his 100th appearances for the club. Walsall forced a corner in the first minute after a good move on the left involving Handysides and O'Kelly before Shakespeare's cross was turned behind by Smith. Shakespeare took the flag kick himself but it carried too far for O'Kelly and the Lions cleared easily. Millwall took the lead after only three minutes with a smartly worked goal. A long clearnce from Sansome saw Neal beat Brazier in the air to flick it through the middle and Bremner, brother of the Villa player nipped through to smash a perfect left-foot drive low into the net. The Saddlers were slow to sort themselves out and the Lions almost struck again seven minutes later. This time Cherry pushed out the inswinging corner from Chatterton straight to Bremner whose first time shot was blocked and his second crashed into the side netting. About 600 Millwal fans had travelled to the Midlands by train abd three of them were soon leaving with a police escort, though there had been no real trouble on the terraces. |
Walsall were struggling to get their act together in midfield against a much sharper side who were showing the benefits of their 15-minute training sessions on the pitch. Shakespeare breifly raised hopes with one overhead kick into the penalty box, but Cusack cooly headed back to his keeper. The Lions were looking a good side against a lethargic Walsall. Their passing was superior and they went close again in the 18th minute, Cherry diving to his left to block a shot from Bremner, then recovering in time to turn a shot from Lovell around the post. Walsall suddenly stepped up a gear to equalised in the 26th minute. They were appealing for a foul when Rees was pushed over in the box, but as the referee waved play on Handysides struck a post and O'Kelly picked up the rebound and took his time before shooting low past Sansome for his fourth goal of the season. The game was now going through a transformation, with the Saddlers suddenly believing in themselves and taking the lead for the first time in the 33rd minute. A quick counter-attack on the right ended with Eastoe slipping the ball to O'Kelly who held off a challenge from Smith before rifling a tremendous right foot shot low into the far corner of the net. Right at the start of the second half Millwall could have been level after forcing a corner. Otulakowski's cross was knocked back b Neal for Kinsella to connect with a left foot drive that flew through the defence and struck Cherry before rebounding to safety. Within two minutes walsall showed what they could do, Handysides chipping a lovely ball through for Shakespeare to collect and hammer in a shot that Sansome brilliantly turned over the bar. |
Almost immediately Eastoe just failed to connect with a splendid cross from Shakespeare right in front of goal. Millwall still looked dangerous every time they moved forward and would have equalised in the 52nd minute but for a terrible miskick by Neal right in front of goal when Smith headed through. Walsall were not picking up Millwall's midfield men and paid the penalty in the 57th minute when Millwall got the equaliser they deserved. Otulakowski's low crossfied pass somehow threaded through the defence to Chatterton who, although challenged by Cherry, managed to poke the ball past him and it trickled just over the line as Brazier chased back in vain. Walsall swept forward again to regain the lead in the 68th minute. O'kelly slipped a pass through for Rees to at last use his pace to squeeze past Roffey and cross low for Shakespeare to stab the ball low into the net. Seven minutes from time Millwall equalised. Cherry fingertipped a cross from Roffey out to the feet of Lovell who made no mistake with a shot into the empty net. Wallsal Cherry; Caswell, Mower, Shakespeare, Brazier, Hart, Rees, Eastoe, O’Kelly, Handysides, Childs (Kelly). Millwall: Sansome; Stevens. Roffey, Kinsella, Smith (McLeary) Cusack, Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski. Ref: Mr. F. Roberts (Prestatyn) Attendance 4,382 |
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Walsall 3 Millwall 3 It was thrills all the way at Fellows Park, last Saturday, as Walsall battled out a three-all special with Millwall. A nail biting affair to delight the neutrals In the 4,382 crowd, but for the Saddlers fans the loss of two home points took the gloss off all the excitement. It was the Millwall "Lions" that set the pace and their 600 supporters revelled in the third minute goal scored by Kevin Bremner. Millwall were so much in command that Walsall's counter attck and equalising goal in the 26th minute was a complete surprise. Ian Handyasides struck a shot against the post and Richard O'Kelly calmly placed the ball wide of 'keeper Sansome. That was the signal for the game to take on a new dimension and Walsall, suddenly showing flair and determination, jumped ahead in the 33rd when Peter Eastoe slipped the ball to O'Kelly, who held off a challenge from Smith to slam in a right-foot shot for his fifth goal of the season. In a blistering start to the second half Millwall's Kinsella saw a shot blocked by Cherry and they forced five corners in the first six minutes. |
In that time Walsall had replied with Handysides setting up an opening for Craig Shakespeare to control the ball brilliantly and get a shot off which Sansome expertly turned over. Eastoe then failed to connect with a cross from Shakespeare. There was no let-up as Millwall continued to drive forward and in the 57th minute home defenders were left wanting as Chatterton slid the ball past Cherry and the ball trickled into the net. with Colin Brazier chasing vainly. Play continued to flow from end to end with referee Roberts prepared to keep the game moving and it was Walsall who struck again in the 68th minute. Danger-man O'Kelly played the ball through to Mark Rees, whose speed took hin around full-back Roffey and his cross was expertly stabbed into the net by Shakespeare. An unpexted substitution of Gary Childs with David Kelly, took Richard O'Kelly back into midfield - a gamble to preserve The Saddlers 3-2 advantage, but seven minutes from the end Millwsll drew level as Cherry finger-tipped a cross from Roffey, straight to Lovell, for him to easily shoot into an empty net. |
 A last gasp flourish by Walsall should have produced a sensational winner, Sansome saved a point-blank shot from Eastoe, who then failed to convert a great cross from Kelly. Millwall who had defender Smith carried off with a badly gashed leg, three minutes from the end, must be applauded for their all-out attacking policy, contributing splendidly to a rip-roaring contest designed to bring in the crowds. Wallsal Cherry; Caswell, Mower, Shakespeare, Brazier, Hart, Rees, Eastoe, O’Kelly, Handysides, Childs (Kelly). Millwall: Sansome; Stevens. Roffey, Kinsella, Smith (McLeary) Cusack, Lovell, Bremner, Neal, Chatterton, Otulakowski. Ref: Mr. F. Roberts (Prestatyn) Attendance 4,382 Left: Richard O'Kelly gives Walsall the Lead Above: Sansome collects the ball before Eastoe |
