Millwall vs Huddersfield Town. Sky Bet Championship.
The DenAttendance15,040.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Huddersfield Town at The Den on Saturday | Delano Burgzorg's late penalty earns point for Terriers to deny the Lions.
Saturday 16 December 2023 18:36, UK
Delano Burgzorg's stoppage-time penalty earned Huddersfield a 1-1 draw at Millwall which moved both teams two points clear of the Championship relegation zone.
Brooke Norton-Cuffy's scruffy finish looked to have decided a clash between two struggling teams at The Den and given the Lions a first home win since September.
However, Burgzorg held his nerve from the spot in the seventh minute of added time following a handball decision against Millwall's George Saville, whose side have won just once in their last 12 games.
With both teams lacking in confidence, Tom Bradshaw was unable to keep an effort from a Norton-Cuffy cross that was slightly behind him down as Millwall began the brighter.
Kevin Nisbet, the Lions' top scorer, then did well to turn just inside the box before his low shot was held by Huddersfield goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.
Huddersfield had not threatened much at the other end but Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic had to be quick off his line to just about beat Sorba Thomas to a through ball just outside his area.
Zian Flemming then tried to seize back the initiative for Millwall and almost succeeded in the 39th minute when his shot from 25 yards needed to be pushed away by Nicholls.
There was one more half-chance in the first half for the Lions but Nicholls was able to hold on to Wes Harding's effort across goal.
If the hosts just about shaded the opening 45 minutes, Huddersfield were the sharper after the restart, with Danny Ward steering a dangerous corner from Thomas over the bar.
However, against the run of play, Millwall took the lead in the 57th minute when Nicholls saved Nisbit's header from Murray Wallace's cross and then did likewise from Norton-Cuffy, who was just about able to bundle in the rebound.
The visitors then suffered a further blow when Nicholls was forced off with an injury, with Chris Maxwell taking his place with the gloves.
It wasn't long before the substitute was called into action when he had to get down at the feet of Duncan Watmore before keeping out Joe Bryan's follow-up.
The Lions continued to press for a second goal, with Saville lifting an effort from the edge of the area over.
Just when it looked as though one would be enough, referee Darren Bond pointed to the penalty spot deep into added time after Saville was judged to have handled Josh Koroma's effort.
Up stepped Burgzorg and he nailed what was virtually the final kick of the game down the middle to earn Huddersfield an unlikely point.
Millwall's Joe Edwards:
"We looked like we could have got the second but as we know whenever that scoreline is 1-0 you're at risk, particularly when you're in this run that we're in.
"To lose it like that to probably an unnecessary set-piece down in the corner, then a deflection onto someone's hand, without feeling sorry for ourselves, it feels like that's how it's going for us at the moment.
"We've conceded goals at Ipswich and Leicester where we've got six bodies in front of the ball and it's deflected in or going through and it's in our net.
"The ball goes in our box and that [the penalty] happens and it's incredibly frustrating because I thought, in what was probably a poor game, we were the better team that looked like the home team going to try and win it.
"I thought we deserved to in general and it feels like two points dropped, for sure."
Huddersfield's Darren Moore:
"The boys faced a bit of adversity but such is the character and the spirit within the team to keep the commitment and endeavour and keep pushing forward.
"I took the captain off [Jonathan Hogg] to get another attacker on the pitch and it's always nice when you get your just rewards.
"I know it was late in the game but we always showed an attacking intent to come here and respond from Tuesday night [against Preston].
"I suppose it was points shared but from our point of view it was what we deserved.
"We didn't feel we did ourselves any justice on Tuesday night in terms of how we approached the game, so we wanted to be more on the front foot today.
"We wanted to be showing more of ourselves and I thought they showed that but it was the right response from our perspective from Tuesday night."
