Verdict on Millwall’s 2-1 defeat at Southend United – Lions struggle in penultimate pre-season outing

SOUTHEND UNITED 2

Robinson 76, 80

MILLWALL 1

Ralph og 48

BY JAKE SANDERS AT ROOTS HALL

Millwall have just one assignment remaining before the Championship season gets underway – and they’ll have to play far better than this if they want to start with a victory against Preston North End on Saturday week.

The Lions host Real Sociedad at The Den in their final pre-season game tomorrow and Neil Harris admitted that the side that starts there will be awfully closer to the one that starts their league opener than the team on display here at Roots Hall.

Harris thanked the respective Under-23s for their efforts in pre-season, but revealed that no youngsters will be involved against the La Liga side, meaning Frank Fielding – who remains as Millwall’s only senior goalkeeper at the club – will take his place between the sticks, and now looks a certainty to start against Preston on 3rd August, along with a host of other first-team players including regulars Mahlon Romeo, Jake Cooper and Alex Pearce to name a few, who were all rested against Kevin Bond’s Southend United.

But with a couple of players playing themselves into form in pre-season, including the revitalised Jiri Skalak, predicting Harris’ team for their Championship opener will be more than difficult, especially with no less than seven auditions this window, although the last of those – Jayson Molumby – won’t be fit until the second week of the season at the earliest.

Skalak was back on show here despite playing 90 minutes in his impressive showing at Gillingham on Sunday. The Czech Republic international, who looks full of confidence at present, was given 90 more to try and play himself into contention and move ahead of Connor Mahoney and Jed Wallace, who look the favourites to start in those wide areas against the Lilywhites.

Skalak was unable to repeat the performance that he produced at Priestfield, but his change in attitude and hunger is there for all to see. The Lions chief has responded to that by using him more than any other player in pre-season. This was his fourth start in Millwall’s five matches.

He didn’t stand out as much by the seaside, but in a first-half that can only be described as uneventful, he looked the most likely Millwall player to make the difference. Skalak’s trickery won his side a free-kick on 30 minutes, but Wallace blazed over before Ben Thompson went one better and found the local housing estate behind the South Stand.

The Shrimpers themselves tried their best to unsettle Ryan Sandford, who was making his first senior start for the club, but he comfortably dealt with everything that came his way, including a number of long-range efforts from the League One side.

Up the other end, and all over the pitch in fact, the South Londoners were struggling to maintain possession for more than a couple of passes at a time. One loose lay-off from Tom Bradshaw on the stroke of half-time and Harris responded with ‘keep the ball’ at the top of his voice.

However, whatever he said at the break clearly had the desired effect as just three minutes into the second period the small pocket of away fans behind the goal were celebrating. Wallace picked out Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, who produced a first-touch of a man that is short of fitness and hasn’t played competitively since earlier this year. Luckily for the former Reading striker, Southend were in a charitable mood as Harry Lennon’s wild clearance hit the back of Nathan Ralf before looping up and over a bewildered Max Oxley in the Shrimpers goal, who could do nothing about it.

That breakthrough seemed to install some much-needed confidence into the Lions, who were suddenly knocking the ball about with ease – and pretty much doing everything they weren’t in the opening period.

But that second goal never really looked like coming – a tame Wallace effort that Oxley held after great work from the lively Danny McNamara, was the closest they came to sealing what would have been their fourth pre-season victory in five outings.

Southend had other ideas and the introduction of Theo Robinson, who was returning to the Shrimpers after spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Swindon Town, turned the game in favour of the hosts. With 14 minutes remaining, the striker received the ball just inside the area before creating half a yard for himself and then lashing the ball into the top-right hand corner.

That setback clearly shook Millwall and the substitute was at it again three minutes later, nodding home from Mark Milligan’s corner to complete an unlikely turnaround and ensure that the Lions’ trip to the seaside was a wasted one. Well in terms of the scoreline, anyway.

Millwall XI: Sandford, McNamara, Hutchinson, M. Wallace, Ferguson, J. Wallace (Tiensia 87), Thompson (Mitchell 76), Leonard, Skalak, Bradshaw (Burey 80), Bodvarsson (Smith 60).

Not used: Ransom, Wright.

PICTURES BY BRIAN TONKS