Millwall vs Oxford United. Sky Bet Championship.
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Millwall 0-1 Oxford United: Ruben Rodrigues hits winner for Gary Rowett's side
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Oxford United at The Den on New Year's Day; Ruben Rodrigues scores only goal as Gary Rowett makes it three wins in a row for U's.
Wednesday 1 January 2025 16:38, UK
Alex Neil's first game in charge of Millwall ended in defeat as Ruben Rodrigues earned Oxford their third win in a row in the Championship as they triumphed 1-0 at The Den.
This was Oxford's first away victory since April last season as they maintained their perfect record under head coach Gary Rowett, who returned to haunt one of his former clubs.
The Lions, meanwhile, saw their slump in form extend to just one win in 10 league games.
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Millwall had started on the front foot with Duncan Watmore having a shot blocked inside the six-yard box before Romain Esse mishit the rebound wide in the second minute.
Macaulay Langstaff's pass then found Watmore in space down the left and he advanced into the area before placing a low shot wide.
Watmore was involved again in the 25th minute when his knockdown fell for Mihailo Ivanovic and the Serbian striker's firm volley was well saved by Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.
It took the visitors a while to threaten but Rodrigues came close for them after 34 minutes when his volley from just outside the area had Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen scrambling momentarily as it flew wide.
The U's followed up this opening with their best spell of the game so far as a dangerous counter led to Mark Harris just being unable to get on the end of Rodrigues' low ball across.
Neither side could force a breakthrough before half-time but Cumming needed to be alert 30 seconds after the restart to prevent Esse's cross dipping under his crossbar.
Millwall began the second half as brightly as they had started the first with Langstaff shooting over at the back post after being picked out by Ryan Leonard's cross.
But, against the run of play, Oxford took the lead in the 57th minute when Przemyslaw Placheta's cross found Rodrigues and his looping header went into the net despite Murray Wallace's efforts on the line.
The Lions struggled to muster a response, with substitute Femi Azeez hooking an effort wide after the visitors made a meal of clearing a corner from Joe Bryan.
Set-pieces were proving to be the hosts' best shot at an equaliser with Bryan's sneaky free-kick from 25 yards just about being kept out by Cumming at his near post in the 74th minute.
It was the final time Oxford's lead was truly threatened as their positive end to 2024 was taken on into the new year under their new boss.
The managers
Millwall's Alex Neil:
"I learned a lot in the fact we've not been the type of team who dominates the ball, and you can see that, and you can hear that.
"The minute we were maybe making two or three passes along the back, there was a little bit of agitation in the crowd.
"I think for all the volume, our opportunities we had in wide areas, I looked at the stats and we had double the amount of final-third entries, we had double the amount of touches in the box, but we just didn't have that killer instinct to get the goal when we needed it.
"You could see the disappointment in the lads after the game, where we've lost a match.
"I didn't think it was a poor performance, I thought there were some really good bits to like about it, but there's certainly stuff for us to work on."
Oxford's Gary Rowett:
"It was really gutsy and that was the pleasing thing, particularly this season, the team haven't won away from home.
"Sometimes you have to show different sides to your game in the Championship.
"First half we started a little bit tentatively, I wanted us to try and keep the ball just so we limited, in Alex's first game, that intensity, that pressure in pinning us in and making it difficult for us.
"I thought we did it at times OK, we got a bit bogged down, but as the half went on, we started to look a little more dangerous.
"Second half was probably who was going to get a goal and then have the opportunity to sit in and defend it.
"It was a good goal, I thought we used Chemmy [Przemyslaw Placheta] really well today, I thought he caused Joe Bryan a few problems and he did it for the goal."