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Lions
skipper out for a month
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Injury-hit
skipper Alan McLeary faces a frustrating spell
on the sidelines as Millwall try to establish themselves
amongst the early season pacesetters.
McLeary
damaged his knee ligaments during Tuesday's Littlewood's
Cup clash with Orient, and looks certain to
be out of first team action for at least a month. |
fact
we had enough chances to have won it," he explained. a
lot of encouraging signs - its just a pity that I won't he
a part of it for a while."
Barnsley
kicked off their season with a 1-1 draw in the Yorkshire derby
against Leeds and then followed that up with an impressive 1-0
away win at Blackburn in midweek.
Despite
niggling injuries to Kevin O'Callaghan, Danis Salman, Nicky
Coleman, and Michael Marks, Docherty is quietly satisfied
with the way his side has performed during their opening two
games. |
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"It
is very frustrating, especially after all the hard work I've put in
during pre-season," admitted the 23-year-old defender. It will
be a few weeks before I can start training properly and then it is a
question of getting back to match Fitness.
I
am quite a quick healer but I am not going to rush back because these
things can easily go again. It’s particularly disappointing because I
didn't miss a game last and now with all the competition for places, it
could be difficult getting back into the side." |
By
ROB BOWDEN
Steve
Wood, Millwall’s £85,000 summer signing from Reading, will take, McLeary’s
place for tomorrow's opening home game against Allan Clarke's Barnsley.
But
despite his untimely injury McLeary is confident that the Lions can
build on their encouraging start to the new campaign.
"We
were quite pleased to go up to Middlesbrough and get a point, in |
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MILLWALL
V BARNSLEY
TEDDY
SHERINGHAM is a name to watch for. Last season leading
goalscorer at Millwall was back in typical action last Saturday
with a goal in the impressive 1-1 draw Middlesbrough. Far
less inspiring for the Second Division club who invested £650,000
in players during the summer was the 1-1 draw in the Littlewoods
Cup against Fourth Division Orient. But
with players like Sheringham and former Gillingham striker Tony
Cascarino to supply the goals, Millwall should have the firepower
to be one of the dominant forces. They
could be without captain Alan McLeary tomorrow. He has
torn knee ligaments which could give a chance to Steve Wood, an
£80,000 summer signing from Reading.
Verdict:
A repeat of last season's 1-0 win for Millwall |
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| MILLWALL
(0) 3 |
BARNSLEY
(0) 1 |
| Cascarino
50 |
Lowndes
66 |
| Sheringham
62 |
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| Lawrence
89 |
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And the best is yet to come
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Midfield
workaholic Terry Hurlock helped crack
Barnsley's stubborn defence with an intelligent run and a superb,
pinpoint cross
and there was Cascarino
leaping
It
ended 50 minutes of frustration for Millwall who only
had one brilliant George Lawrence volley to show for
their domination of the first half - and that was superbly
saved by Clive
Baker.
But
Lawrence turned provider in the 62 minute with a blistering
run down the right, and although Cascarino's header
was palmed out by Baker, Sheringham promptly drove
the ball back into the roof of the net.
The
stage looked set for Millwall to convert their superiority
into more goals, but the complexion of the game
changed completely when Den old boy Steve |
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| Lowdnes
pulled one
back in the 66th minute after springing
Millwall's offside trap.
Suddenly Barnsley
sensed that they might be able to salvage
a point from their shambolic performance and only
two superb stops by Brian Horne prevented John MacDonald
from snatching an equaliser.
The
Lions jitters evaporated a minute from time though when a
carefully rehearsed free kick ended with Lawrence twisting a
header in off the far post.
"I
wasn't satisfied with our ratio of goal attempts in the first half,
but we put that right
after the break," explained manager John Docherty.
"There
is a lot of bedding in still to be done before I will be
completely satisfied, but I am pleased because the lads wanted
to give that sort of
performance and our three main strikers all ended
up on the score sheet." |
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| •
Teddy Sheringham is congratulated by David Byrne after scoring
Millwall's Second |
| Ratings:
Horne
****, Stevens ***, Sparham ***, Hurlock
****,
Waker
***, Wood ***, Lawrence ***, Briley ***, Sheringham ***, Cascarino
****, Bynre **
Bookings:
Cascarino |
| Referee:
M Bailey
Match Rating
4 |
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TONY
Cascarino opened his goal-scoring account with a classic header -
and then promised
Millwall's success starved fans
that the best is yet to come. Cascarino
repaid the first installment on his £220,000
transfer from Gillingham after 50 minutes and paved the way for a
stirring second half performance
that ended with a standing ovation from
the 6,017 crowd.
"I
was delighted with the goal and overall my performance
was a lot better than in the first two
games," said Cascarino.
"After
the Middlesbrough match I told the manager that I felt lost,
but I am starting
to settle in now."
"I
never really doubted that I would be able to score,
in the Second Division, there's not that much
difference from the Third really, but it was still
nice to get that, first one. I was pleased that Teddy
and George also got on the scoresheet because
it is important that we share the goals around
in case one of us hits a lean spell." |
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| Cascarino
beats Teddy and the Barnsley defence to head home his first goal
for the club. |
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Millwall
3-1 Barnsley
By Terry Bushell
MILLWALL'S
summer signings Tony Cascarino and
George Lawrence were pleased as punch at scoring
on their home debuts.
Lawrence
even gave a little victory jig as his colleagues
rushed to congratulate him on is injury-time
goal.
And
Lions' manager John Docherty was also chuffed. Having
spent well-over £½ million on new players in a
massive financial, gamble for promotion, he is under pressure
for success.
He
said afterwards: "It was lovely for the new boys to
be on the
scoresheet, but there's still a lot to do before I'll
be totally satisfied."
The
players received a thunderous welcome back to a new
League season - from the gods as well as from the shirt-sleeved
crowd on a hot and humid day, the storm that
flooded Lewisham was brewing over the Den just as the
game started.
In
a dull, goalless first half, it was Millwall who did all the
attacking. Barnsley
did not have a single attempt at goal.
A
fierce shot from Les Briley was blocked by Paul Futcher,
and a Lawrence
volley from corner was stopped on the line at
the near post by Barnsley keeper Clive Baker.
Booked
Referee
Michael Bailey had a word with Cascarino for a challenge
on Baker when he stood no chance of getting the ball,
and with Central defender Alan Walker for a foul on Roger
Wylde in the centre-circle. Bailey then booked Cascarino
for a late tackle
on Futcher, and ticked off Barnsley manager Alan
Clarke for protesting at the foul too much.
Millwall
were all hustle and bustle in midfield, with little guile,
and the Barnsley
rearguard, well marshalled by Futcher, dealt easily
with most of their attacks.
One
of Millwall's best chances came when Lawrence sold a clever
dummy, allowing the
ball to run between his legs to Teddy Sheringham
and going immediately for a quick pass. Baker blocked his
close-range shot however. |
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At
half-time, Millwall's other symbols of their new ambition
- new floodlights
and shiny new blue seats in one part of the stand-
looked, without success on the field, superfluous.
But
then six minutes into the second half Cascarino at last had bums
off those seats as
supporters rose to cheer his goal.
Lawrence
began the move out on the right when he passed back to right-back
Keith Stevens. Stevens put clear midfielder Hurlock with
a good, quick pass
over the Barnsley defence. Hurlock’s sent over a high
cross, and
Cascarino leapt to head the ball home for his first goal for the
club.
The
goal stung the visitors into action and the match came alive,
brightening in
complexion from the turgid grey it had been up till then.
Lions
goalkeeper Brian Horne immediately had to make a brave challenge
at the feet of Gwyn
Thomas, whose sharp runs from midfield were to be a danger
for the rest of the afternoon.
Barnsley
sent on Mark Robinson at outside-left for his first appearance, in
place of
the ineffectual Michael Clarke.
But
five minutes later Millwall went two up. Sheringham, in his own
half, put Lawrence
clear out on the right. Lawrence, in exactly the same position as
Hurlock when
he made the first goal, centred, Cascarino headed, Baker saved,
and Sheringham,
who had run 50 yards into the six yard box, pushed home the
rebound.
Confusion
Now
at- last Barnsley ventured upfield in earnest, and they came back
into contention
when former Millwall winger Steve Lowndes ran through and
placed a shot past
Horne following a lovely diagonal pass from Thomas that
caused confusion in the Millwall defence.
But
of course the visitors' new inclination to attack left gaps in
their defence (which
is why they didn't do it in the first place) and Cascarino should
have added
to his goal when he rounded young defender Simon Jeffels. But his
shot, instead
of tearing into the net, instead smashed into the brand new
Barclays League hoarding
beyond the far post. |
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A
belated rainstorm had spectators running for cover to the back of
the terraces, and
while the vertical sheets of torrential rain poured down, referee
Bailey booked Wylde
for a foul on Walker.
Lawrence's
goal came by a header via a Briley free-kick. The ball hit the
inside of the past
and appeared to be cleared off the line but Bailey ruled it had
crossed the line.
Millwall:
Horne, Stevens, Sparham, Hurlock, Walker, Wood, Lawrence, Briley,
Sheringham,
Cascarino, Byrne. Subs (not used): Morgan, Salman.
Barnsley:
Baker, Joyce, Jeffels, Thomas, Gray, Futcher, Wylde, Agnew,
Lowndes, MacDonald, Clarke (Robinson 56 min). Other sub (not used):
Cross.
Ref:
Bailey (Cambridge) Att: 6,017 |
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By BOB MORLEY Millwall 3 Barnsley 1
MILLWALL
and Barnsley maintained their battling reputations in
this bounding clash. Like the widows daughter, it was poor but
mostly honest - victims of fast running and slowing thinking.
The play never lived up
to the excitement.
Millwall,
driven forward by their midfield pair Briley and Hurlock set
most attacks. It was overtime afternoon for Barnsley defenders.
Even
such a resolute defence as Barnsley's would have yielded earlier
goals but for Millwall's feeble finishing in the first half. Cascarino
broke through early in the second half. Stevens set Hurlock away
and his well-judged cross to the far post was headed in.
Next
a Lawrence cross was headed by Cascarino, pushed out by Baker
and nodded in by
Sheringham. Then Welsh international midfielder Lowndes powered
through Millwall's defence to score gleefully against his former club.
Lawrence
tapped home Millwall’s third near the end. |
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