Cahill's transformation from hero to villain
Millwall 0 Cardiff City
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Your support makes all the difference."We are going on a European tour" sang the Millwall locals but those who witnessed this drab draw will hope that their Uefa Cup adventure next year sees more excitement - and larger crowds - than this game.
This was Millwall's first excursion since their FA Cup semi-final victory on Sunday and naturally it could never scale the peaks of excitement registered against Sunderland. "In the first half it looked like we were still getting the partying out of our system," Dennis Wise, the player-manager, said. But the point earned did at least keep the FA Cup finalists on course for their primary goal, the play-offs and, possibly, the Premiership.
The feeling of anti-climax was reinforced when Tim Cahill was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card. However, the Australian international will not miss the Cup final. One defeat in 19 matches proves what consistent form Millwall have been in this year but the most important number on show here was the four worn on the back of Cahill's shirt.
Until his dismissal the goalscoring hero against Sunderland was the brightest thing about this match - if you discount Cardiff's shirts, which were a fluorescent orange. A team have to be brave to wear that colour given that it is the hue favoured by the Netherlands.
But the overall standard of the game was more low quality than Low Country, although the home side could claim a level of fatigue after their recent exertions. Yet Wise's Lions cannot relax in the next six weeks because of their quest for points. That cause was not helped with their player-manager being one of the three FA Cup heroes out injured here.
The visitors offered little apart from Richard Langley's early free-kick over the crossbar. Soon after, Cahill set up Danny Dichio at the other end but he saw his header pushed around the post. The finishing was poor all night long, with Neil Harris another culprit for the home side. But moving up to fifth place was something of a consolation for Wise, who felt his side deserved better.
"We had some people missing and they are quite important," Wise said. "We didn't play well as a team and we gave the ball away. I thought we created more chances than Cardiff so we're disappointed we couldn't get all three points."
Millwall (4-3-1-2): Marshall; Dunne, Lawrence, Ward (Sweeney, h-t), Ryan; Cahill, Livermore, Roberts (Elliott, h-t); Harris (Braniff, 84); Chadwick, Dichio. Substitutes not used: Gueret (gk), McCammon.
Cardiff City (4-4-2): Margetson; Collins, Vidmar, Gabbidon, Croft; Parry (Campbell, 75), Whalley, Langley, Robinson (Bullock, 13); Lee (Gordon, 84), Earnshaw. Substitutes not used: Alexander (gk), Barker.
Referee: M Fletcher (Worcs).
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