There may not have been dancing in the street – it is not quite the done thing at the Den – but there was certainly lively celebration as League One Millwall pulled off an upset to knock Bournemouth out of the Cup.
Eddie Howe was punished for making 11 changes to his side as Millwall chewed up the Cherries with a committed performance of classic 4-4-2 football. Steve Morison gave the Lions a first-half lead with a commanding header, before second-half goals from Shaun Cummings and Shane Ferguson decisively wrapped up a result that was, in truth, never in doubt.
“Three-nil didn’t flatter us, we could have scored more” said a rosy-cheeked Neil Harris after the match. The Millwall manager revealed he had extended training to try to ensure his tactical instructions were understood for this match and was pleased with the results. “We got the shape right, we pressed at the right times and at the right times we were also clinical.
“I’m really, really pleased to come off with a victory against this really talented Bournemouth squad.”
Harris’s choice of words was telling because it was not the Bournemouth first team that Millwall came up against – far from it. Howe claimed after the match that he had been “excited” by the team he had put out but there was no disguising his annoyance at the display from a side that failed to register a shot on target.
“I can’t hide how I feel, I’m really disappointed”, said Howe. “I see the players at work every day and I think they’re much better than what they showed today. We’re very much a team that relies on teamwork, relies on understanding and building relationships and we didn’t have that cohesion.
“I’m not trying to disrespect the Cup, but the Premier League is very demanding and I’ve got to protect my players.”
The key to Millwall’s victory was a classic big-man, little-man combination up top. Morison’s height and experience paired with Lee Gregory’s pace and anticipation caused Bournemouth problems from the first whistle.
In the 25th minute a succession of successful combinations between the pair led to the opening goal. Morison’s flicked header was returned to the Welshman by Gregory and he hit a shot that was deflected for a corner. The set piece went deep, and there was Morison in space to knock the ball to Gregory, whose shot on the turn was deflected wide again. Second corner, near post this time, and Morison jumped clear again and rose to direct the ball past Adam Federici.
Bournemouth had no response to going behind and looked disjointed in all aspects of play. Jordon Ibe was particularly frustrating, constantly drifting inside from the right wing when the game was crying out for width.
He was in the middle of one such foray when the Lions’ 20-year-old prospect Fred Onyedinma muscled him off the ball and went on a run that took him through three players. Tiring as he approached the box, Onyedinma managed to slip a pass to Gregory, who drove the ball just wide of the far post.
Things could not stand for Bournemouth and Howe duly made a change at half-time, bringing on Callum Wilson and switching to two up front. Inside five minutes of the restart Marc Pugh swung in a cross that found Lys Mousset unmarked on the penalty spot. The young Frenchman, making his first start for the club, lacked the composure to get his header on target with the goal gaping.
Within seconds of that chance Bournemouth found themselves two behind. Morison easily found space on the right-hand side of the Cherries’ defence to receive the ball and drive it back across the goal. Gregory and Federici both went for it but missed, only for the right-back Cummings to pop up on the left-hand side and poke home.
Bournemouth finally were able to rouse themselves but their only real opportunity came in added time when Wilson had a goal disallowed for offside. Once again Millwall sprang up the other end almost immediately and Ferguson’s cool finish allowed a small but raucous Millwall crowd to get their party started.
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