CITY 3 MILLWALL 0
Report by Mike King
With 3 teams tied at the top of the Championship, City had the advantage of playing at home, with QPR and Burnley playing away, it was time, after the last home game defeat against Forest, to start another long home winning run with confidence surely running high after the Ipswich victory.
Millwall have been a bogey side to the City, winning 3 of their last 4 visits to the King Power Stadium and doing the double over us in each of the last 2 seasons, so on paper it looked an easy game to win but in the Championship nothing can be taken for granted!
Manager Pearson juggled his starting line up, probably due to the physicality and size of a Millwall team who were without Waghorn for obvious reasons. In came Arsenal loanee Miquel to partner Morgan, with Wasilewski going to right back, so Moore was relegated to the bench. James partnered Drinkwater in the engine room with off colour King keeping the Subs seat warm, and Knockaert replaced Hammond after the Frenchman's one match suspension.
The game started fairly evenly with both sides cautious, but City started to move the ball around with a couple of missed passes, but James and Drinkwater soon got hold in midfield with Knockaert roaming on the right. Wasilewski showed his class with 2 defence splitting passes and he was obviously Schmeichel's target when kicking out from defence, and it was one of these passes that started a move on the right. In the 12th minute, Drinkwater found space, received the ball, looked up and sent a delightful cross to the far post, finding Dyer's left boot and he fired home past Forde from a tight angle almost taking Millwall's keeper into the net.
It was now all City and soon after the opener, Forde had to be alert to stop a Knockaert effort, then Drinkwater had a go, but Dyer on the wide left was unstoppable, using his pace to good effect. Referee Haines was being fairly lenient but finally his patience ran out when Millwall's left back Malone saw yellow.
Millwall were getting a number of free kicks and corners and their player's height in the box was dealt with fairly efficiently, especially by Miquel, with some frantic clearances by the City players out of defence. An obvious tactic, with Millwall's defenders in numbers in the box, was for City to hit Millwall on the break due to their pace advantage, with Knockaert running the length of the pitch to force a very good save from keeper Forde who was in good form thankfully for Millwall. Vardy's pace was blistering and he broke out of defence, found Knockaert and again Forde had to be at his best to deny the Frenchman.
It was now all City who went all out for a second goal to increase their advantage, with a Nugent effort blocked by Robinson and again Forde saved from Knockaert. Half time came and how the score was still only 1 – 0 was baffling, but Millwall caused few problems to the City's defence.
Millwall boss Lomas bought on Morison up front to try and put the City's defence under greater pressure but City were rampant on the attack. Vardy cut inside Malone on the right but rather than find 2 City players in the box he opted to shoot from a narrow angle, only to find the side netting. Then a 35 yard Konchesky shot just went over the crossbar.
Surely a second City goal would soon come due to their superiority in all departments and in the 52nd minute it arrived. Wasilewski unsettled Forde with a strong push over in the 6 yard box at a City corner. After another Millwall corner, Schmeichel was alert to Vardy's run from the edge of their own box. His pace out stripped the Millwall defenders with Dyer and Nugent just behind, but Vardy saw his chance and nutmegged Forde into the empty net from 12 yards.
The Foxes faithful went wild and again 3 minutes later when Vardy out muscled Malone whose back header was seized upon by Vardy, rounding Forde and slotted the ball home from a narrow angle into the empty net. 3 – 0.
Vardy then became provider, unselfishly finding Nugent who was well placed but his shot went straight at Forde who saved for another corner. Wood then replaced Nugent up front, probably with Tuesday's game in mind, with Martin and Keogh coming on for Chaplow and McDonald. As Dyer drifted out of the game, he was replaced by Taylor-Fletcher, then the hard working Drinkwater was replaced by Hammond.
The changes didn't affect the City's superiority and surely more goals would come to better the important goal difference tally. However with the game won, City used the remainder of the game for passing practice, with Wood having a good game, receiving the ball on his chest and turning several times, Knockaert fluffing an opportunity when a fourth goal should have been on the scoreboard. Schmeichel didn't have to make one save and Miquel really impressed at the back giving Morgan the easiest game since he arrived from the Forest!
With chants from the "Kop" in the East Stand "We are top of the league, we are top of the league" ringing around the King Power, results announced from Doncaster and Huddersfield confirmed defeats for QPR and Burnley, Leicester City were now 3 points clear at the top – happy days! As reported later on TV highlights, City had 30 attempts at goal with 3 goals scored, a poor 10% return so finishing must be improved to keep us on top of the league.
December could be a defining month for the City's Premiership hopes with 6 league and one cup game coming up. After Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday away at Hillsborough and Brighton away on Saturday (not an easy game), games against 3 of the 4 teams below us in the league – Burnley, QPR and Reading – follow as well as the matter of the cup game against Man. City. But confidence must be high and Pearson is picking his teams to match the opposition in each game as it comes, so the squad, which looks good on paper, may well all be tested to the limit, but 15 points in December will make it a very Happy Christmas and New Year!!!
City: Schmeichel, Konchesky, Drinkwater (Hammond 74), Morgan (c), James, Vardy, Dyer (Taylor-Fletcher 69), Miquel, Knockaert, Wasilewski, Nugent (Wood 61), Subs not used: Logan, King, Schlupp, Moore
Millwall: Forde, Robinson (c), Feeney, Woolford (Morison 46), Beevers, Moussi, Chaplow (Martin 61), Hoyte, Abdou, McDonald (Keogh 61), Malone, Subs not used: Bywater, Easter, Lowry, Smith,
Attendance: 21,833 Referee: Andy Haines
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation