Top Of The League! Town 2-0 Millwall
Town 2-0 Millwall
By Aston
September 13 2004
Goals from Darren Bent and Pablo Couñago in the last ten minutes of the match were enough to defeat Millwall, seal three points and send Ipswich Town top of the coca cola championship.
Top Of The League!
Goals from Darren Bent and Pablo Couñago in the last ten minutes of the match were enough to defeat Millwall, seal three points and send Ipswich Town top of the coca cola championship.
Well where to start? The start seems a good place so it will be there. Ipswich town manager Joe Royle stuck with the same starting 11 that beat wolves and Rotherham with only one change on the subs bench, Matt Richards who has recovered from a foot infection replaced Scott Barron who picked up a groin injury during the two week break. Dennis Wise did hand a debut to new signing Barry Hayles, but Hayles was unable to complete the match after coming off second best in a clash with Town keeper Kelvin Davis during the second half.
Both Town and Millwall had good chances early on, Barry Hayles sending his effort off target Jody Morris was unfortunate not to get a penalty after being bought down by Ipswich captain Jim Magilton.
Kevin Horlock nearly got his first Town goal sending his free kick just wide of the Millwall post, Tommy Miller sent a volley just over the bar Darren Bent did the same with his header from Drissa Diallo’s cross.
Neither side had managed to find the net in the first half, not surprising really as Millwall played with all 11 men behind the ball at times and didn’t really want to risk injury ahead of their big night in the UEFA cup.
Dennis Wise introduced Steffen Moore on 57 minutes after Barry Hayles was unable to continue, limping off with his arms round his hips.
Moore forced Kelvin Davis into one of his few saves of the day, volleying the ball goal wards for Davis to palm away.
Joe Royle thought it wise to bring on Spaniard Pablo Couñago for town in place of Shefki Kuqi who had been miss firing all day.
Couñago’s arrival was inspired, he latched onto a long clearance nodding it on to Darren Bent who made no mistake with his right footed volley too give town a 1-0 lead with 7 minute remaining and start off chants of “we are top of the league”.
It was the combination of Couñago and Bent that wrapped up the win, the three points and the top spot in the league, Bent crossing to Couñago we created the shoot for him self turning in the Millwall box, firing home with his left foot in the final minute.
Ipswich Town squad: Kelvin Davis, Drissa Diallo, Jason De Vos, Richard Naylor, Fabian Wilnis, Tommy Miller, Jim Magilton, Kevin Horlock, Ian Westlake, Darren Bent, Shefki Kuqi, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, Pablo Couñago, Tony Dinning, Dean Bowditch.
Millwall squad: Stack, Elliott, Lawrence, Ward, Simpson, Serioux, Wise, Morris, Livermore, Hayles, McCammon, Marshall, Harris, Moore, Muscat, Cogan.
| Ipswich Town 2 | Millwall 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow cards | NoneNone | |
| Red Cards | None | None | Goals | Bent (83) Couñago (90) | None |
| Substitutions | Couñago On For Kuqi (67) | Moore On For Hayles (57) Harris on for McCammon (62) Muscat on for wise (72) |
| Attendance: 21,246 |