Millwall 3-1 Cardiff: FLW report as Lions move close to survival | OneFootball

Millwall moved within touching distance of Championship survival with a 3-1 victory over Cardiff City at The Den.

Michael Obafemi's opener was cancelled out by a Yakou Meite header before Jake Cooper restored their winner in first half stoppage time - lunging to volley in his first goal of the 2023/24 campaign at the back post - and then Duncan Watmore bagged a third in the 93rd minute.

The victory leaves Millwall six points clear of the relegation zone with three games to play and means it's 10 points from four home games since Neil Harris' return.

If Cardiff looked like a team with little to play for in the second half it's because they are - out of the running for the top six but with their survival not a concern.

Millwall 3-1 Cardiff City

No player has scored more for the Bluebirds this season than Perry Ng and the right-back will feel he should have done better with the first chance of the game - slicing a volley over the top from 12 yards after Jake Cooper's headed clearance from a corner.

Ng's miss was made to look even worse almost instantly as Obafemi smashed the hosts into a ninth-minute lead. Harris labelled the Burnley loanee's display on Wednesday night his best in a Millwall shirt and he looked like a striker high in confidence as he collected Zian Flemming's flick on in the left channel before driving into the box and hammering a left-footed strike in at Ethan Horvath's near post.

Their lead lasted less than a quarter of an hour, however, as Meite nodded in the equaliser from a deep free-kick. Ruben Colwill curled an inviting cross into the back post and the Cardiff striker rose highest and powered a header through Matija Sarkic, who will be disappointed not to have kept it out.

The visitors are the highest scorers in the Championship from set pieces this term with 20, five more than Millwall, and they should have added another just before the break when corner dropped to the feet of Liverpool loanee Nat Phillips in the box only for the centre-back slid his effort wide of the post.

If Phillips needs tips on scoring goals from central defence then Cooper might be someone to ask as the towering defender added his 23rd goal for the Lions in first-half stoppage time to restore their lead.

A recycled corner saw Romain Esse float in a cross, which was flicked on by Ryan Longman and then volleyed in at the back post by Cooper, who put his effort high into the roof of the net from close range.

Despite taking a lead into the break, it was the hosts that looked the hungrier after the restart - likely due to the fact they're still battling for Championship survival while the Bluebirds' is already secure.

Obafemi and Longman were causing issues for the Cardiff backline, and were it not for a strong save from Horvath, the former would've fired home Millwall's third on the hour after wriggling free of the defenders at the edge of the box.

Erol Bulut turned to first Famara Diedhiou and Ryan Wintle, and then youngsters David Turnbull and Cian Ashford in a bid to turn the tide but it was Harris' side that looked the more likely as we entered the final 20 minutes and had anyone got a touch on a free-kick that squirted across the face of goal then they would've doubled their lead.

A burst down the left and a probing cross from 19-year-old Ashford offered Cardiff hope of a response but Danny McNamara was well placed to hack the ball clear.

Horvath was kept the busier of the keepers as the final whistle neared and he was equal to Flemming's bouncing long-range effort with five minutes to go.

With a major step toward survival close, there were inevitable late nerves at The Den and the home crowd held their breath as Watmore went a little too tight on Tanner as he slalomed into the box but luckily there was no tumble to force a decision out of referee Will Finnie.

Watmore would have a final part to play, however, as he combined with fellow substitute Brooke Norton-Cuffy to wrap the game up in stoppage-time, calmly finishing past Horvath after collecting a low cross.

A huge three points for Millwall, which puts them six clear of the relegation zone and within touching distance of Championship survival.

Millwall player ratings

Matija Sarkic - 6

Ryan Longman - 6

Japhet Tanganga - 7

Jake Cooper - 7

Danny McNamara - 7

George Saville - 7

Billy Mitchell - 7

Romain Esse - 7 (Duncan Watmore (46) - 7)

Zian Flemming - 7 (Casper De Norre (95) - N/A)

Ryan Longman - 7 (Brooke Norton-Cuffy (83) - 7)

Michael Obafemi - 8 (Tom Bradshaw (71) - 6)

Unused subs: Bart Bialkowski, Shaun Hutchinson, Kevin Nisbet, Adam Mayor, Joe Bryan, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Casper De Norre

Ethan Horvath - 6

Perry Ng - 6

Nat Phillips - 7

Dimitrios Goutas - 6

Jamilu Collins - 6

Josh Bowler - 5 (David Turnbull (69) - 6)

Joe Ralls - 6 (Cian Ashford (69) - 7)

Manolis Sioplis - 7 (Ryan Wintle (60) - 6)

Karlan Grant - 5

Ruben Colwill - 7 (Ollie Tanner (75) - 6)

Yakou Meite - 7 (Famara Diedhiou (60) - 6)

Unused subs: Matthew Turner, Romaine Sawyers, Joel Colwill, Raheem Conte

Neil Harris post-match reaction

Neil Harris' post-match comments will follow shortly...

"The lads have done brilliant," said Harris as he reflected on his side moving close to survival and taking 10 points from four games at The Den.

"Every man and his dog wanted to tell me that this lot didn't know how to play at The Den. It was a big thing for me, I keep saying, galvanising the football club, bring the terrace and the pitch together, and yes I've played my part with team selection, style of play and trying to show the lads clips and educate them how to play each position in front of the fanbase at home but it's down to the players when they go on the pitch so they take the credit, they take the praise."

Harris added that despite having a six-point gap above the relegation zone with three games to play, he wouldn't turn his attention to the summer and next season until "the end of the 46th game".

"I won't change my thought process. I said in the first press conference that it's all about this season, it's all about picking the right team for the right occasion, for the right game and just getting through until the end of the season.

"What happens after that will take care of itself. That's not changed within the football club. I've been very clear with the recruitment department, very clear with Jimmy Berylson, with Steve Kavanagh, with Alex Aldridge as director of football. I'm here to coach the team to get us to safety and then we'll look at the bigger picture in the summer."

Erol Bulut post-match reaction

"Like day and night," said Bulut when asked to reflect on the game. "First half was clear the better team was Cardiff. We could make more from the first half but we conceded two goals. The second, particularly, was not acceptable."

He added: "The main thing is the mentality. How you go in the game - if you want to change the game, if you want to win the game. What are expecting from yourself as individuals? I can speak only to my players but the mentality on the pitch has to change, especially second half."

Bulut also hit out at recent criticism.

"Until now I never spoke about these kind of things. It's normal that people criticise me - fans, media - this is my job. I'm not perfect, I have to learn a lot of things but you cannot say that this season it's luck that we are here on 59 points.

"Nobody can explain this, I'm long enough in this business, I've played football for 20 years. In the press I'm reading things, someone to show our work all this season as bad and this I don't accept."