This was fascinating. So many issues for managers, teams and individuals. Wow! Did they hit us hard from the start. KJ began with a few changes - start for Malone was a surprise. Dany was greeted with applause. So was this a ploy to fool Pearson? or were the changes from necessity? And there was Whitbread - the wicked one at the panto - the one who left us for better things...welcome back to the Den, Zak! (Boo! Hiss!) First 25 minutes were all Leicester. And here were the heroes in the panto: Some great last ditch stuff from Beevers in particular. All Lions were doing, by way of attack, were break outs. But all the time it was 'hold the line' as they came back at us time and again and won corner after corner. So it was let them have possession but snuff it out when it gets too close. Lowry does one amazing block running like a demon when a Leicester forward gets a clear shot and later in the game he gets one full in the face - hits him like a bullet. Is he tough? - there's our future captain. Brilliant signing KJ. When Lions did get it moving it fizzled out too often on the left and the crowd started to get on Malone's back. Whitbread was providing good defence as well - just wearing the wrong shirt. Look out brhind you, Wood! Then Jimmy busy as ever gets booked for squaring up to one of theirs for coming into him with studs up - and the ref's reputation is **** - so we're after him now. He's just joined the linesman in our notebooks whose 'offsides' against us require an early visit to SpecsRus. So more bad guys in the panto and it's the world against us. Malone wasn't playing so badly as I saw it - but he isn't Taylor who brings some magic down that side. Once the crowd were on his back his time was limited. After 30 minutes or so Lions started to get back into it and won their first corner. The game starts to open up it's still 0-0. But there was no big attack from Lions and only a few glimpses of what might be. So at half time, it's honours even but all the opportunities are Leicester's. Time for drinks at the interval and its now time for the good guys. 2nd half Taylor comes on for Malone and suddenly their left side comes under sustained attack. Then Keogh is on for Dany whose work rate was excellent and Lions are now varying the attack and running the game and the crowd are engaged. Dany came off to standing applause and clearly has a future with us. Then Leicester are really under pressure - Trotter's upped his game , he's linking well with Taylor who's immense and Keogh's magic is beguiling. And then WHAM! - it happens. In from the left from Keogh, Taylor 3 yards out and it's Millwall Happy Christmas. And at the back when the Leicester response, comes ****tu remains immense - this man mountain deserves to be captain for the season guys. He's the first to the ball every time. And he's vocal and mixing with the ref and gets a yellow for his trouble along the way. Then Pearson made a double substitution in attack and its James and Futacs on for King and Dyer. Futacs is big mother (he's the wicked stepmother!) and we're putting 2 or 3 on him at times just to slow him down - and he's swatting our lot off him like flies but eventually he loses it and gets a yellow and after that he calms down and no longer bosses it around. and the clock's ticking on and they are piling it on. Batt comes on for Wood and for 10 minutes he tries to make it safe. His running is great but his final pass is wayward and he's work in progress for me at this level. At the other end Forde has been fine and one in particular just hits him and goes away and another he saves with his legs and then a punch when he's in a crowd....and the stoppage time shot he juggles...and we all hold our breath...and he holds it! and it's 5 ****ing minutes of extra time and we shout ourselves stupid to haul Lions over the line and then it's.... Happy Christmas Lions. 3 massive points. KJ is clearly delighted. We're singing again and walking away fired up on adrenalin with no voice to speak with...and just proud and back in the play offs - and glad to be alive.
Wow!! Exciting stuff. I'm quite flushed after reading that. Well done, dig, good effort. Can't wait 'till next September, coming over for a holiday. Try to get to the Den, first time since, about, 1959! We'd better bloody win.
