Cahill strike sinks lethargic Baggies
Millwall 1 West Bromwich Albion
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Your support makes all the difference.Like the ice skating pairs both awarded gold in Salt Lake City, Millwall and West Bromwich Albion are virtually inseparable this morning and in only marginally less contentious circumstances.
The home team's victory thanks to Tim Cahill's early header, meant they swapped third place with their guests, but only on goal difference. The Lions manager, Mark McGhee, also feels they could have earned a psychological advantage should they meet again in the play-offs.
Yet, West Brom could have kept Millwall at arm's length if Neil Clement had scored his first-half penalty or if the referee had awarded a second spot-kick to Albion when Jason Roberts was brought down in the second half. Millwall's glee at victory, however, was spoiled by reports that objects were thrown by home fans and that an assistant referee was struck.
Nevertheless, Millwall are four points from a promotion place, and they earned this win with inventive attacking that gave way to disciplined defending after the break.
West Brom, however, were a shadow of the team that had reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the weekend. Clearly drained by those efforts while Millwall benefited from 10 days rest Albion looked like a side running on empty. Gary Megson, Albion's manager, tried to freshen things up by making four changes but the performance was still lethargic. He left out the scorer at the weekend, Danny Dichio, but even when he came on, Albion's goal-threat was negligible.
Before the match, McGhee urged his team to win or else forget about keeping in touch with the top two in the First Division and they started by taking his words to heart. Twice in a bright start, good chances came and went begging, as first Neil Harris and then Richard Sadlier, failed to capitalise with just Russell Hoult to beat.
As the visitors floundered, Millwall eventually took the lead with 10 minutes gone. Steven Reid put a free-kick into the area and Cahill rose highest to head past Hoult.
Albion responded though, and should have drawn level 12 minutes later when Jordao was brought down by David Livermore. The referee pointed to the spot, but Clement's low kick was well read by Tony Warner. It was West Brom's seventh penalty miss and one of their costliest of the season.
Later, Megson complained: "It's what has cost us all season long set-pieces and penalties. If we had coped with those we would have got a result."
Millwall: (4-4-2): Warner; Lawrence, Nethercott, Dyche, Ryan; Kinet, Cahill, Livermore, Reid; Harris (Ifill, 77), Sadlier. Substitutes not used: Gueret (gk), Ward, Bircham, Bull.
West Bromwich Albion: (3-5-2): Hoult; Sigurdsson, Gilchrist, Butler; Lyttle (Balis, h-t), McInnes, Johnson, Clement, Jordao (Fox, 57); Dobie (Dichio, h-t), Roberts. Substitutes not used: Jensen (gk), A Chambers.
Referee: P Armstrong (Berkshire).
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