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The Laitt Report - U's 1 Millwall 2
The Laitt Report - U's 1 Millwall 2
Tuesday, 21st Oct 2008 23:36

Colchester United lost at home for the 4th time on the trot as Millwall took advantage of defensive errors to record a 2-1 win. United's goal came from Kem Izzet.

Colchester United lost their 4th successive home game this evening against Millwall as new manager Paul Lambert was left to rue early defensive errors. Lewis Grabban opened the scoring in the 8th minute by latching on to David Perkins mis-placed pass while Clive Platt allowed Paul Robinson to escape his clutches to head past Gerken. That left the U's 2-0 within the first quarter of the match but they reduce the arrears thanks to a Kem Izzet strike just before the break. Though the second half brought no further goals United once again hit the WCHS woodwork and in truth, deserved at least a point from the encounter.

New manager Paul Lambert made two changes to the side that had won at Stockport County on Saturday afternoon. Sunday-Akanni Wasiu came in for Stephen Gillespie whose hamstring yet again kept out the U's record signing while Kem Izzet replaced Anthony Wordsworth. That meant Johnnie Jackson started at left-back while Pat Baldwin played his first game at home since the FA Cup defeat against Peterborough United last season.

Millwall had former Barsider Neil Harris in their starting line-up while Tresor Kandol scored plenty of goals for Leeds United last season. They started off the evening in third place in the division though they had already been beaten by the U's at The New Den in the Johnson's Paint Trophy.

Boots on, and with shirt sleeves rolled up ready for business, Lambert was presented to the U's just crowd just before kick-off and he was almost celebrating an early goal as Izzet fizzed a shot just wide from the edge of the penalty area. However, he was brought quickly down to earth as the U's conceded the opening goal after 8 minutes.

There looked little danger for the U's as they passed the ball inside their own half to Perkins just in front of the main stand. However, he was quickly closed by Kandol and as he risked a pass back to Jackson which was under hit and allowed Grabban to run on to, shrug off the challenge of the U's left back and slot pass Gerken for the opener.

Things went from bad to worse for the North Essex outfit as another defensive mistake cost goal number two. Laird eventually took a free-kick from the right (he'd tried twice before both times before the referee's whistle and was subsequently booked) which was floated to the back stick. Lions captain Paul Robinson evaded his marker Platt and went round the back of the melee so that he could dive and head past Gerken. The U's keeper had had so little to do we estimate that he'd only touched the ball three times - and he had to pick the ball out of the net on two of those occasions!

United had been busy in the opening minutes of the match. Closing down, keeping the ball moving and running at defenders but they hadn't quite found the way to unlock the Millwall defence just yet. Perhaps the best chance came when Yeates fed Izzet inside the box who in turn from Wasiu but from close range the Millwall keeper had little to do. The U's Nigerian striker fared better with a shot from outside the box that although not hit hard, did see Forde parry the ball for a defender to hack clear.

At the other end, Gerken produced an excellent save at a set-piece to deny the Millwall skipper Robinson but bizarrely, the referee indicated a goal kick. There was some suggest that he gave the goal kick as otherwise it would have been a free-kick from the same place and it really didn't matter, but so confusing were some of Hegley's decisions that he was about as much use as Anne Frank's drum kit.

Wasiu worked himself some space on the edge of the area with his dancing feet but sadly the shot was about as powerful as a ballerina's and the keeper saved easily.

However, with ten minutes of the half remaining the U's got their just rewards with only their third ever goal at the new stadium. John White's long throw near the corner flag was flicked on by Platt to Izzet who fired a rasping close range shot in to the roof of the net for his first of the season and his first since scoring against QPR at Layer Road over a year ago.

Jackson was impressing in his new role as left back - though many U's fans will remember of course that he initially came to Layer Road to play at left-back for Phil Parkinson's side. On one occasion he did get caught out the U's managed to clear only as far as Nadjim Abdou who sliced wide from 25 yards.

Still Lambert, those two defensive errors apart, would have been happy with his charges after the opening 45 minutes and I have no doubt that he will have been happier with his team's second half efforts as well.

United battered Millwall and put the Lions under great pressure for a good 20 or 25 minutes of the second period when they thought that they had forced the ball over the line through Izzet. However, for all the pressure the U's had, Millwall keeper David Forde did not really have enough work to do and that will surely worry Paul Lambert.

A lovely cross from Perkins almost picked out Platt at the far post but Robinson just got his head on the ball to clear for a corner and from the set piece, the ball somehow managed to find a way along the six yard box without a decisive touch.
They were even closer from a second successive corner as Yeates picked out the run of Hammond at the near post only for the captain to see his goal bound header cleared off the line at the far post.

Forde had to be at his best to deny a curling effort from Yeates with a full length dive to tip the ball behind for a corner before a lovely U's move looked to have brought the home side level. Perkins played Izzet in down the inside-left channel and as the U's longest-serving player crossed the ball took a wicked deflection off a defender. This was enough to leave Forde stranded as the ball looped over him only to hit the underside of the bar. Wasiu and Robinson converged on the ball as it rolled agonisingly along the goal line and, from my position and seemingly that of many others, the ball crossed the line. Indeed, it seemed almost impossible for the ball not to have crossed the whitewash. I don't blame the assistant referee for not giving the decision as the two players on the line probably meant that he couldn't see the ball to give anything, but the U's luck once again meant that their efforts - which really deserved an equaliser - had failed again.

And that was the closest the U's came to getting back in to the game. Platt fired over on the turn before Vernon replaced the useful Wasiu as Lambert attempted to liven up his front line. John White saw a 30 yard shot always rising as it went over the bar ad Medy Elito then replaced Izzet.

The evening's efforts had taken a lot out of the players - as well as the long trip to Stockport on Saturday - and they struggled to keep up their high pace of play from the first half. With time running out, Vernon was inches away from getting to a dinked Yeates' cross but with that, United fans knew that they would face another few days without a home win under their belts.

They definitely deserved something from this game but ultimately, you cannot give two goal starts to the opposition - especially when they are third in the table. Millwall were okay but goals aside rarely threatened as a defence led by Pat Baldwin kept things tight. The midfield were industrious without ever really opening up the Millwall defence while most of Platt and Wasiu's best work was done with their backs facing the goal they were attacking. If Lambert can build on this performance though, that first win cannot surely be too far away.

Shot of the Match: John White's 30 yard effort was always going over the bar.
Save of the Match: Forde was at full stretch to turn Yeates' curling shot behind for a corner.
Moan of the Match: Haven't really got one apart from the result obviously. I was thoroughly entertained and if this is indicative of the Lambert era I say 'bring it on'.
Man of the Match: This was a good team performance from the U's and I guess most of the commentators will have differing man of the matches. You can quite easily make a case out for Izzet and Hammond at the heart of the U's midfield, but my MOTM tonight goes to JOHNNIE JACKSON. Looked composed at left back and put in some hard but fair challenges to stop Millwall in their tracks whilst always looking to use the ball sensibly when he had it.

Colchester: Gerken, White, Reid, Baldwin, Jackson, Yeates, Hammond, Izzet (Elito 82), Perkins, Platt, Wasiu (Vernon 68).
Subs Not Used: Cousins, Coyne, Wordsworth.

Booked: Hammond, White.

Goals: Izzet 35.

Millwall: Forde, Hackett, Robinson, Whitbread, Craig, Grabban (Frampton 75), Laird (Fuseini 57), Abdou, Martin, Harris (Easter 60), Kandol.
Subs Not Used: Edwards, Moore.

Booked: Laird, Hackett, Martin, Grabban.

Goals: Grabban 8, Robinson 22.

Att: 5,506

Ref: Grant Hegley (Hertfordshire). 

Photo: Action Images



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