Vs: Millwall
Location: Herringthorpe playing fields

Kick Off: 10:45

Kit: Home Kit, Red IMFC shirts, White IMFC Shorts, Red IMFC Socks.

Result: Internet Millers lost 2:1
Goals: Burns

=====
Manager
=======
Skip

SQUAD
=====
1. Jebu
2. Gaz
3. Shark
4. Burnsy
5. Denti
6. Dan
7. Steve R
8. Paul El
9. Mark
10. Gav
11. John2
12. Duds
13. Adis
14. Jammer
15. Chris Grist
16. Lee
17. Symon
18. Bash
19. Copey

Starting Formation and Tactics

The IM started in a 352 with Denti sweeping in behind Duds and Mark. Dan started as the right wing back and Gav on the left. The centre was held by Steve R and Gaz with Jammer looking to push on behind the forwards. Up front the IM boasted their strongest pairing of Steve B and Jebu.

First Half

The Millers dominated the first fifteen minutes as they looked to get on top of the visitors. The early breakthrough was made as Jebu sprinted down the left flank. He cut inside and floated a perfect cross that was attacked on the run by Steve B. Despite being on the edge of the area the pace on the header took it past the keeper into the top corner, 1-0 to the millers!

The home side continued to press forward and nearly doubled their advantage. Gaz expertly released Steve down the right and he slid a cross along the six yard line, unfortunately it deceived both the Millwall keeper and Jebu sliding in on the back post to roll harmlessly out for a throw in.

At the other end The Millers defence were looking unsettled as the ball pinballed around the area as they struggled to clear the attacks from the visitors.

Another chance came shortly afterwards, the defence hit a long ball and under pressure from Steve the Millwall defender under hit the back pass. Steve tried knocking the ball round the keeper but the greasy conditions meant he was unable to get a good contact on the ball and the keeper fell on it.

Mark in goal was having an uncharacteristically nervous time as he fumbled high balls only to be bailed out on the line by his defence on two occasions.

The first half came to an end with the game poised on a knife edge with plenty more action to come in the second half.

Half Time score IM 1 Vs 0 Milwall

Second Half

After a half time pep talk the Millwall team came out firing determined to upset the rhythm of the home side. The defence found themselves pinned back time and again by the midfield running from deep by the Millwall midfield. There should have been an equalizer early in the half, a shot was fired in on goal and was well saved but the rebound fell to the Millwall forward, the ball was bouncing slightly and the striker boomed the ball over the bar, this was a sign of things to come for the IM.

However it was the Millers who should have scored first in the half. Good work down the right from Steve found him deep in the penalty area wide on the right; he squared for Dan who was steaming in. The goalkeeper was committed and the Midfielder only had to place the ball into the net but leaning back he put the ball high over the bar. You can often tell incidents in football matches turn games and unfortunately this was one of those times. Almost immediately Millwall equalized.

A long ball again caused panic in the defence and Duds, under little pressure sliced un-needlessly for a corner. The corner was swung in and not properly cleared as the ball was hit low across the box the Millwall forward cruyff turned and via a deflection the ball nestled in the bottom corner. A second goal soon followed a scramble in the box again fell to a Millwall player who fired into the top corner.

The celebrations from Millwall were unsavory as some of the forwards and midfielders gave hand gestures toward Millers players and the game started to boil over. The old heads at the back instructed the visiting players to ‘turn the screw’ and the nasty challenges started to fly in from both sides. First Steve was assaulted on the sideline and there was a suspicion of an elbow as he was forced to the floor, the same player scythed Adis down later in the game and was sent from the field, being an IFA game he was replaced. Gaz was feeling the brunt of some nasty challenges and reacted and was also given a rest. The Millers brought on some subs but were unable to rescue the game as their heads went down.

The day was a big anticlimax for the Millers players, first Herringthorpe stadium cancelled at the eleventh hour – the work incidentally was not carried out that day. Then they lost the game in a very unsatisfactorily way. Millwall will win a lot of games but the IM lads went off knowing that sometimes being a good winner is just as important as being a good loser.