I said it at the top of the MBM, I fancied a Millwall win today, and after a magnificent week for the club off the pitch, they fully deserved their win. Only 38% possession, but they had 13 shots to Watford’s four, which tells its own story.
Millwall knocked out Bournemouth in the third round – a 3-0 thrashing – and they’ve got another Premier League scalp. Thanks for reading, see you next time.
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“We were outstanding today” says Millwall manager Neil Harris. “We should have been three or four up at half-time.”
“We’re a good honest bunch,” says Steve Morison in an odd accent, a weird mix between south London and Norfolk. “If we don’t go and get a win on Wednesday night [against Walsall in League, this is a waste of time. We want to get promotion and we can enjoy this along the way.”
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Full-time: Millwall 1-0 Watford
They’ve done it. What a week for Millwall!
90+5 min: Wallace picks up a yellow card for a late pull-back on Britos. Millwall hanging on a bit here.
90+4 min: Archer collects a high ball, to stop another Watford attack. He’s done that a few times this second half. Good goalkeeping.
90+2 min: Chance for Deeney! But a magnificent sliding tackle from Webster saves a certain goal. Watford’s captain found himself in space inside Millwall’s box, but in waiting for the bouncing ball to sit down, Webster threw himself at Deeney and make a block, the ball going behind for a corner.
90 mins: Six minutes added on here, mostly for the injury to Dja Djedje. Watford have resorted to pumping it long to Deeney and Okaka, which suits Webster and Cooper just fine.
88 min: GOAL FOR MILLWALL … no! Martin Atkinson it out for handball. Morison is allowed to win another flick on at the near post, the ball squirting across the six-yard-box through a crowd of bodies, before Webster bundles it in from two yards. Replays showed he used his hand to guide the ball into the net, good decision.
87 min: Millwall are seeing out this game with aplomb, camped in Watford territory. Tiki taka stuff, and Millwall win a corner. They will take their time.
GOAL! Millwall 1-0 Watford (Morison 85)
Millwall’s subs Wallace and Ferguson combine to good effect in midfield, the latter spotting Morison unmarked at the back post and delivers a pinpoint cross the 33-year-old, who volleys the ball first time through the legs of Gomes from close range. Gomes got something on that, but it just crept inside the corner. Millwall 1-0 up!
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84 min: Good spell for Millwall, this, as Thompson cannons a cross against the arms of Janmaat – not given – and Thompson goes down under the challenge of Doucouré. The Frenchman just got his toe to the ball.
82 min: Great ball from Williams into the box, flicked on at the near post, and for a moment there is panic at Watford’s back post before Kaboul gets his head on the ball, and Gomes clears with a punch.
80 min: Mason comes steaming into Wallace, completely mis-timing his challenge. Yellow card. Deeney comes in to diffuse the situation, as tempers fray. As club captain, he does that so well.
77 min: Watford do make their final change: Deeney on for Sinclair. It’s all Watford at the moment, Millwall’s penalty box can expect a peppering from hereon in.
75 min: Mason is having more of an influence for Watford down their left flank, testing Millwall’s centre-backs with a couple of searching crosses. So far, so good for Millwall, although that might change with Troy Deeney readying himself on the sideline for Watford.
73 min: Another change, and a more surprising one: Jed Wallace replaces Fred Onyedinma. Neil Harris has obviously settled for the replay, then. Seventeen minutes to hold out.
72 min: Shane Ferguson, previously of Newcastle United, replaces Aiden O’Brien in Millwall’s first change.
71 min: See earlier.
Watford's performance today is perfectly summed up by their manager, Walter Mazzarri. #MILWAT #FACup #MOTD #Milwall #Watford @BBCMOTD pic.twitter.com/4AJ4loFskv
— 🅟🅐🅟🅐🅑🅔🅐🅣🅢™ (@PapaBeats) January 29, 2017
69 min: Thompson puts in a stonking tackle on Guedioura on the edge of Millwall’s area. He’s worked his socks off.
67 min: Watford make their second change: Janmaat on for Dja Djedje, who might still be struggling after that challenge from O’Brien. Dja Djedje is booed off.
65 min: Britos is booked for a cynical challenge on Onyedinma. Britos has been poor today in all areas. Despite their three central defenders on the pitch, Watford are still struggling under the high ball. Morison is still causing problems.
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62 min: Few gesticulate as wildly, or as well as Walter Mazzarri on the touchline. As Guedioura wastes a promising free-kick, the camera pans to the Italian, who goes through the four seasons of facial expressions.
60 min: Echoing the earlier point, Dja Djedje is now being booed by the Millwall fans for having the temerity to be injured.
56 min: Dja Djedje goes down in a heap after a heavy aerial challenge from O’Brien, who took both man and ball. Dja Djedje is assisted by the physios for a good three minutes. He looks a little dazed but is going to be OK to continue. Janmaat was going to come on, but he’s putting his tracksuit back on now.
54 min: Penalty appeal from Watford! Guedioura delivers a great cross to the near post. Okaka pinches a yard from his marker Webster but is unable to get to the ball, as he was clearly tugged back. That’s a clear penalty. Webster got away with one off the ball.
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52 min: Watford coming on a bit stronger now. A good cross from Dja Djedje just evades Okaka and the far post.
50 min: Onyedinma is pulled back by Mason, but both the referee and the linesman, standing all of five yards away, fail to award a free-kick. Millwall’s fans aren’t happy.
48 min: “Interesting that you should point out that there were (sadly) a good few boos when Pantilimon was stretchered off,” emails Chris Baber. “It could clearly be heard on the BBC’s coverage and yet Jonathan Pearce made a point of stating that applause was coming from ‘all four corners of the ground’.”
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46 min: The second half starts as the first did: with a golden chance for Gregory inside the first 20 seconds! Morison competes with his marker under the high ball inside Watford’s area, the ball falling kindly to Gregory on the penalty spot, but the striker blazes his effort over. He’s got 11 goals this season, and has looked lively, if a little ruffled in front of goal.
Peeeeeep! We’re underway again. No changes from either side.
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Millwall chief executive Steve Kavanagh has been speaking to the BBC cameras at half-time, lauding Barney Ronay for his reporting of the potential CPO battle regarding the Den.
Barney is an absolute legend in the club’s eyes. I don’t think we would have got to where we are without him.
Today's cup game is VB Day for Millwall, chance to celebrate Victory in Bermondsey over farcical, dishonest attempts to grab the club's land
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) January 29, 2017
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Would not be surprised to see Sinclair or Okaka hooked at half-time for Deeney. Watford need a more physical presence up top. You would have thought Okaka would provide that, but …
It ended up finishing 1-1 between Real Betis and Barcelona, Luis Suárez scoring an injury-time equaliser.
Half-time: Millwall 0-0 Watford
Millwall have been the better side by far. They deserve to be in front. They have had seven shots, Watford have had one.
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45+3 min: From the corner, Morison is first to the cross, his flick heading for the net. Somehow, Guedioura somehow heads it off the line, saving a certain goal. Morison is winning everything in the air at the moment: Britos, Mariappa and Kaboul should be getting an earful at half-time.
45+2 min: Great save from Gomes! He’s only been on the pitch for a few minutes but this is a world-class save. Morison wins the flick and Gregory is onto it in a flash, volleying the ball goalwards with power from just eight yards out. Gomes gets a strong hand to it and turns it over the bar. Lightning reactions!
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45 min: Six minutes added on, accounting for Pantilimon’s injury. Morison is having fun out there, nut-megging Mason on the byline, although it comes to nothing. There aren’t too many grey-haired players out there in the Football League. I can’t think of any actually. Any suggestions? Email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet @michaelbutler18.
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43 min: That stoppage for Pantilimon’s injury was six minutes. Gomes is now in the sticks for Watford.
41 min: Gomes is going to have to come on, not the first substitution that Mazzarri would want to make. Pantilimon, lying horizontal on the stretcher with his feet hanging off the edge of it, is clapped off by some Millwall fans, booed off by others.
6 - PL clubs have subbed off keepers six times in all competitions this season, with Watford responsible for three of those. Unlucky.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 29, 2017
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38 min: Pantilimon is down injured, coming off second best with that slide tackle with Gregory. He’s going to have to go off! Martin Atkinson is calling for the stretcher.
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37 min: A terrible back-pass from Britos has Pantilimon scrambling out of goal, but he half-pulls out of a tackle with Gregory, who slides in, wins the ball and tries to hack it – crab-football style – into the net, whilst on the ground. Mariappa does excellently to get back and block Gregory’s shot, the ball rebounding into Pantilimon’s arms. Lucky boy, he shirked that challenge with Gregory.
35 min: Penalty appeal from Watford! Not given. Sinclair was first to a Okaka knockdown inside Millwall’s area and sidesteps the tackle from Thompson. Just as Sinclair is about to pull the trigger from 10 yards out, Williams appears to clip the Watford man from behind! Sinclair goes down, kicking the turf, not the ball. Replays show it’s a great decision from Martin Atkinson: Sinclair was just put off by the presence of Williams, there was no contact.
33 min: Morison and Britos are having a right old battle. First they clash under a free-kick, then Morison chases down a lost cause, barging into the Watford defender afterwards. A bit of handbags commences. Obviously.
31 min: I’m enjoying Neil Harris’s attire. A full Millwall tracksuit, on top of another set of training gear. Would not be surprised to see a pair of shorts on beneath those trackies. Or a Millwall tattoo.
29 min: Real Betis have taken the lead against Barcelona. You can follow the back end of that game here, with Nick Miller.
27 min: Thompson steams into Okaka, but wins the ball fairly. Good tackle, leaving the hefty Italian on the deck.
25 min: Watford hit the post! From the resulting free-kick, Guedioura whips the ball in with pace. Cummings strains to head it away, but can only flick it on into the danger area, the ball bouncing off the outside of the post, just out of the reach of Britos at the back post.
23 min: Not wholly convinced by Jerome Sinclair, since his move from Liverpool. He is being bullied by Cooper and Webster so far in the this game. Sinclaur did score in the last round, against Burton Albion, so plenty of time to make an impact. Sinclair wins a free-kick on the left, Onyedinma committing the foul.
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20 min: Guedioura can hit them though. Remember this, from last year in the FA Cup?
18 min: Watford have finally settled. Still no serious threat on goal – only a Guedioura shot from range which went well wide – but at least they have been able to get the ball down these last two minutes.
16 min: “One Graham Taylor, there’s only one Graham Taylor,” sing the Watford fans. I hope they continue to sing that for years to come.
14 min: Onyedinma shows Britos a clean set of heels. He looks like a bright spark, and came through the ranks here at Millwall, born just east of Bermondsey in Plumstead. A fans’ favourite, I’ve been told.
12 min: Millwall are first to everything, winning every 50-50. Guedioura and Watson haven’t had a moment to think in the middle of the pitch, despite the fact they are playing with a midfield five, against a Millwall midfield four.
10 min: Millwall fans unleash their second most famous song, in which they just shout and point at the away fans. I’ve been subject to that very chant at the Den, and I can tell you it is very intimidating. Somebody claiming to be Colin Kazim Richards’ cousin sold me a ticket that day outside the ground for £10.
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7 min: This is all Millwall! O’Brien shoots from range, his shot deflected and tipped over from Pantilimon. Corner to Millwall, from which Cooper has a free header eight yards out. Wide! Watford defended that zonally, and allowed 6ft6in Cooper a free run at the ball.
5 min: Nervy moment from Pantilimon! Morison does well to win a corner, from which a cross is lofted to the back post. You would think with his height that Watford’s Romanian goalkeeper would be first to the ball, but the smallest of nudges from Gregory has him flailing, and Mariappa is forced to head it off the line. Martin Atkinson did give the foul on Pantilimon, but it was soft.
4 min: The home fans come alive. “No one likes us, no one likes us, No one likes us, we don’t care! We are Millwall, super Millwall We are Millwall, from The Den!”
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2 min: Just what are Watford’s defence up to? They are playing a back three today - Britos, Mariappa, Kaboul - but none of them picked up Gregory, who again is able to get onto a through ball, he’s through on goal, but called back for offside. Replays show he was onside. Watford are a shambles.
1 min: Millwall hit the bar inside the opening 20 seconds! Morison latches onto a long ball, gets his head up and centres an early ball across the six-yard box. Gregory gets ahead of Britos but can only steer the bouncing ball onto the top of the crossbar. He should have scored! Neil Harris, the Millwall manager, applauds his team. He would have stuck that one away.
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Peeeeeeeep! And we’re off. It never ceases to amaze me just how tall Pantilimon is. Six foot, eight inches. His head is practically brushing the crossbar.
Thoughts, predictions, memories of the Den? Hopes for the future? Do get in touch, via michael.butler@theguardian.com or you can tweet @michaelbutler18.
Surprised to say that the Den is nowhere near full today. But then, the game is on terrestrial TV (and being MBM’d by your humble Guardian).
The players have been standing in the tunnel for about five minutes. They are waiting in for today’s referee, Martin Atkinson, to finish his tea. Eventually they surface, Millwall in their navy and white stripes, Watford in their yellow and black.
My money is on a Millwall win. I think the Watford changes will come back to haunt them. It will be interesting to see how Steve Morison, the wiliest of centre forwards, fares against Britos and Kaboul.
Not sure how much tennis is played around the Den, but there’s a hell of a match going on in Australia at the moment. Federer and Nadal are into a fifth set.
The teams
Millwall: Archer, Cummings, Webster, Cooper, Craig, Onyedinma, Thompson, Williams, O’Brien, Gregory, Morison.
Subs: Martin, Worrall, Romeo, Wallace, Ferguson, Abdou, King.
Watford: Pantilimon, Mariappa, Kaboul, Britos, Dja Djedje, Guedioura, Watson, Mason, Doucoure, Sinclair, Okaka.
Subs: Gomes, Prodl, Cleverley, Deeney, Cathcart, Janmaat, Capoue.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
As expected, Watford field a second-string XI. Incredibly frustrating, particularly as they are not going to win anything else, and their season will not be decided on an away trip to the Emirates on Tuesday.
Preamble
It has been a beautiful morning in south-east London. But even as the skies become slightly more overcast, Millwall fans will still walk from their homes - or arrive at South Bermondsey or perhaps Surrey Quays station trot through the railway arches and past the industrial estates - to their beloved Den with a spring in their step: this the first match since the the plan to evict the club from their land around The Den by compulsory purchase order (CPO) has been abandoned. It feels like a homecoming party for a club that never left, and hopefully never will.
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— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) January 29, 2017
The sun is beginning to rise here at The Den ahead of today's @EmiratesFACup tie! You can buy tickets up to kick-off...#Millwall 🦁 pic.twitter.com/MLCpVB5bCG
It looked for all the world like their race was run, their fate seemingly sealed but this is not the first time this proud club have defied the odds. The Old Den suffered severe bomb damage in the second World War, and a later in 1943 a fire also destroyed an entire stand. Twenty years ago, the club’s future was in doubt when it was forced into administration. Thirteen years ago, Dennis Wise, Tim Cahill and co led Millwall to an FA Cup final against Manchester United. If the FA Cup is a competition rooted in tradition, it seems fitting that it visits the New Den today.
Perched in mid-table and with a big squad, an FA Cup tie is exactly the sort of the thing that Watford should be excited about - playing their best XI, having a stab at some silverware - and yet the exactly the kind of game where Walter Mazzarri could hedge his bets and rest some players, with a trip to Arsenal on Tuesday night. In recent years, fans of Wigan, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Stoke City, Aston Villa and Portsmouth will all testify to why. And after yesterday’s results, fans of Liverpool, Brighton and Newcastle might have a piece of advice for Walter, especially as his task involves a trip to the Den, against a club that has just had a shot in the arm.
Kick-off: 12pm midday GMT.
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