Millwall v Bolton

Preview: Millwall v Bolton

SETTING THE SCENE 

Unbeaten in six matches and having kept clean sheets in their last three, Bolton Wanderers travel to the capital on Friday night as they take on Millwall in their last match before Christmas.

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Having picked up seven points from their first three games of the season, Millwall’s form has stuttered since then with them registering just two wins since August. However, the Lions head into the fixture off the back of a 1-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Level on points with Ian Holloway’s side, the Whites currently sit two places ahead of Millwall courtesy of a superior goal difference, and will be keen to improve their record away from home as they look to stay ahead of the Lions.

TEAM NEWS

Craig Davies and Kevin McNaughton (both hamstring) are making good progress as they near first team returns, but Friday night's game will probably come too soon for the duo.

Max Clayton (knee) will definitely miss out having been ruled out for six months after receiving surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, while Joe Mason (hamstring) will also miss the trip to capital after tearing his hamstring in training last week.

Mark Davies (knee) and Marc Tierney (leg) remain long-term absentees.

LAST MILLWALL XI (v Brighton & Hove Albion, W 1-0)

Forde, Shittu, Beevers, Malone, Wilkinson, Williams, Woolford, Angel (Dunne 89), Gregory (Fuller 83), Gueye (Abdou 81), McDonald.

ONE TO WATCH

Joining Millwall from non-league Halifax Town in the summer, Lee Gregory has enjoyed an impressive start to life in the Football League, scoring four goals in 11 starts for the Lions.

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Starting his career in the Sheffield United academy, the forward enjoyed stints with Staveley Miners Welfare, Mansfield Town, Glapwell and Harrogate Town before joining Halifax on loan in Spring 2010, helping the club win the Northern Premier League Division One North title.

Signing for the club permanently the following December, Gregory helped Halifax secure back-to-back promotions and titles in 2011, before helping them win a further promotion to the Conference in 2013.

He scored 29 goals last season, just one behind the division’s leading goalscorer Andre Gray, as Halifax lost to Cambridge United in the play-offs.

LAST TIME WE WERE HERE (Millwall 1-1 Bolton Wanderers, 15 February 2014)

Lukas Jutkiewicz scored one but missed a penalty as Bolton Wanderers were forced to settle for a point on their last visit to the Den.

The Middlesbrough loanee headed the Whites infront in the 15th minute, converting Chris Eagles cross, before David Wheater and Alex Baptiste had to be alert to clear separate Martyn Woolford and Jermaine Easter efforts off the line as Millwall pushed for an equaliser.

Eagles then saw a free-kick rebound back off the post before Jutkiewicz’s tame spot-kick was saved by David Forde, allowing Woolford to net a late equaliser, reacting quickest to convert after Adam Bogdan parried a Simeon Jackson effort.

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I'm working in dunstable today, if I was staying overnight I wish I could have gone to this. 

We owe them a stuffing if im honest, stalemate in our last 2 games... we are due a few goals.

Lonergan, Vela, Mills, Dervite, Ream, Danns, Pratley, Feeney, Hall, Lee, Gudjohnsen 

subs: Bogdan, Moxey, Spearing, Trotter, Wheater, Wilkinson, Clough

Interesting line up

Good to see Clough on the bench. Hopefully Chungy and Eidur can do some damage tonight. COYWM!!

Hall? How many more chances is this lightweight muppet going to get?

Natasha Whittam wrote:Hall? How many more chances is this lightweight muppet going to get?

Personally, I think Hall could be a good player for us. Dougie didn't do a good enough job of developing his talent. Hopefully Lennon can bring him on a bit. Pace is a big asset in any team and he has it in abundance. Just needs to be a bit more disciplined and find an end product. He will be a good asset then.

He hasn't produced a single thing in any game I've seen him play and always gets taken off.

Sometimes you just have to accept you've been sold a dud (or everytime if you're Dougie).

How long do we reckon Eidur will last?

I'll say an hour then, depending on how we're doing, straight swap for Wilkinson.

If Lennon can't get things going in the right direction soon there will be questions asked.

6 unbeaten is pretty crap.

Lonerghan
Vela
Mills
Dervite
Ream
Pratley
Feeney
Hall
Danns 
Lee
Gudjohnson  wilkinson  not ready yet.

Games like these are the difference between good managers and poor ones.

This would have been a guaranteed defeat under Dougie.

well done lads

Top result in fairness, perhaps we can go somewhere under Lennon if we can pick up points away from home.

Imagine what he could do with 2 or 3 quality additions.

Earnshaw.

9 points from the playoffs, looking much better!

Absolutely brilliant result. Considering we have no goalscorer, thought we'd struggle.. 

7 unbeaten?

Anybody else listening to "Late Night Love" on Nuts Radio? Only me? Rats...

Well done lads cracking result. Pratley's a completely different player under Lennon and Lonners has been immense these last few weeks. Kept us in the lead again with another inspired performance. Boggers won't get a look in now. Who would have thought 2 months ago we would keep 4 clean sheets in a row and go 7 unbeaten. Like Nat said, a few quality additions and we will be a force in this league under Lennon. Onwards and upwards.

Great result again. This is becoming habit forming.
It's certainly the basis for me having an extra buttered crumpet for supper. Might even sprinkle some cheese on it.