Southampton At Millwall The Verdict Monday, 5th Aug 2024 11:28 Russell Martin started to up the ante in his pre season preparations and had clearly read the riot act after the defeat at Oxford United, but it was still a game where the changes were rung. It was a step up in opposition, Millwall being an established Championship side, but although many of the changes were made after the hour mark, Alex McCarthy was still the only player to be on the pitch for the full 90 minutes with 21 players used in total. There were 9 changes from the team that started at the Kassam Stadium with Jack Stephens making his first pre season start, not at the back but in a holding role in the centre of midfield. Millwall being a week ahead of us in their preparations kept their changes more in line with a League game and although they made 6 in total, 3 of them were in the final 10 minutes. This was a more disciplined display from Saints, with Millwall pressing forward early doors but Saints grew in the came and the first real shot of the day came from Yuki Sugawara on 20 minutes. But just as Saints looked in control the ball was in the back of their net, a deep free kick caught out both goalkeeper and defence, but luckily the linesman's flag saved the day. Sam Edozie looked lively and he had a good chance to open the scoring.
At half time Saints made changes at the back, Charlie Taylor and Jan Bednarek coming off and Ryan Manning and Nathan Wood joining the fray. The only goal of the game came on 64 minutes, it looked an easy catch for Millwall keeper Jensen, but he let the ball slip through his hands and there was Adam Armstrong to firstly sort of control the ball with his head and then firing it home, it was a poachers goal.
Millwall had perhaps their best chance of the game minutes later but their man failed to properly connect at the far post and it went begging. Then came the moment the travelling fans had been waiting for when on 69 minutes Ben Brereton Diaz entered the fray replacing Adam Armstrong. But the biggest threat in the final 20 minutes came from Tyler Dibling, he has been a breath of fresh air in this pre season, he plays without fear and with a confidence that says he is ready for the first team, on 77 minutes after cutting back and from just on the edge of the back saw his effort rebound off the bar.
That was perhaps the last clear cut chance of the game and Saints were clearly now playing to order and that was to see out the game without conceding, another highlight of that was a superb bit of running by Dibling, he got the ball just to the left of his own penalty area and ran it up the line, riding tackles and looking strong before being scythed down just inside the home sides half. All in all a satisfying victory after the first half debacle at Oxford where we gifted them two goals, of course this is a friendly and nowhere near what we will encounter when the season kicks off in the Premier League, but it shows we have a squad, now we need to put the icing on the cake and that means a Goalkeeper, a midfielder and a forward, but perhaps Tyler Dibling could well yet save us a few bob with the latter. Saints: McCarthy, Sugawara (Bree 80), Harwood-Bellis (Edwards 80), Bednarek (Wood 45), Taylor (Manning 45), Stephens (C ) (Amo-Ameyaw 60), Downes (Charles 80), Smallbone (Robinson 80), Edozie (Dibling 69), Aribo (Alcaraz 80), Armstrong (Brereton Díaz 69). Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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