My first fixture back at Ninian Park after summer break was a truly great one to enjoy from the press gantry, for nothing makes me happier than seeing the mighty Millwall crumble. After a very difficult start to the season, Cardiff finally got a well deserved three points. Cardiff started the season with very poor form: five Championship losses against Burnley, Middlesbrough, Hull, Leeds, and Derby.
They picked up a single point after a draw against Swansea. Millwall thought they opened up the scoring in the first minute, but did not stand due to a nasty foul on a Cardiff City defender. In the fifth minute of the game a foul was committed just outside the box; no free kick was given to the Bluebirds.
A minute later, Cardiff City’s Ollie Tanner went down with what appeared to be a leg injury. He held his leg and face. It looked like a nasty cut, but he got up and continued playing.
Cardiff’s number 47, Callum Robinson, was denied a free kick in the 16th minute. In the 27th minute it looked like the bluebirds were going to be 1–0 up, but it went just wide—a great effort from the blues. The bluebirds got another free kick denied by the referee—he definitely was not feeling sympathy for the blues.
Millwall definitely had strong pressure on the ball, but the Cardiff defence was very strong, in particular the Bluebirds' number 4, Dimitrios Goutas. In the 38th minute a goal was finally scored by the Bluebirds' number 38, Perry NG, who timed his shot perfectly scoring from a corner. You could tell he had been practising that set piece in training as it fired in the back of the net.
The crowd erupted and the Millwall fans held their heads in their hands in utter despair. Millwall tried hard to get an equaliser before half time but were denied by a solid Cardiff brick wall. They well and truly parked the bus.
At half time it was still 1–0. In the second half, Cardiff City looked the most confident on the ball, and in the 64th minute they were given a free kick just outside the box after a late Millwall tackle. A great save from Millwall’s keeper, Lukas Jensen, denied Cardiff a 2–0 lead.
Despite their keeper’s great work, Millwall struggled to find an equaliser. It looked like Millwall were going to get a very important equaliser in the 84th minute, but the Lions were denied a goal by Cardiff City keeper Jak Alnwick, who made a superb save at full stretch. In the 88th minute, Millwall’s number 17, Matty Longstaff, got it all wrong: his corner cross goes flying to the other side of the pitch.
Millwall looked hopeless out there. To make matters worse, in the 90th minute, Millwall players 18, Ryan Leonard, and 25, Romain Esse, clashed with each other—the team are losing focus. It has been a very poor match for the Lions with five minutes of added time left.
Within the first four, it was almost a back-heel goal equaliser for Millwall, denied by Cardiff keeper Jak Alnwick, who was by far the most valuable player on the pitch. The final score: 1–0 Match attendance: 15,687. With the severside derby just around the corner, CCFC have definitely kept fans on the edge of the seat.