Millwall U18 (4) – QPR U18 (5)

Professional Development League 2

The most incredible game I’ve seen this season and there’s been a few.

Millwall came into the game unbeaten this year and in second place. They’ve just won 5-2 and 5-0 in their last two so to come away with a 5-4 win was no mean feat.

The first-half was pretty ordinary compared to the second-half. Millwall had the first chance with our keeper making an easy save from a header. Up the other end Mus Dauti had a good run and shot at goal that went over the bar.

On 28 minutes Harvey White made a superb double save. First he saved a 20-yard free kick and as a Millwall player followed up at point blank range he tipped the shot onto the post and out for a corner.

Again on 31 minutes Mus Dauti made a good run through the middle, then into the box and hit a cross-shot that Aiden Mesais just failed to connect with in the middle of the goal.

Luckily Leandro Ribeiro followed up at the far post and smashed home from an angle. 1-0.

A minute later a headed clearance straight down the middle saw Mickel Platt clean through but his shot was blocked by a combination of the keeper and a defender who had got back.

Millwall equalised on 35 minutes when a 20-yard free kick was spilled by White and a Millwall forward smashed home the rebound. Half-time: 1-1.

From the start of the second-half we struggled to get the ball out of our box. Literally.

It didn’t help that our goal kicks were being played to the edge of our box. Millwall had cottoned on from the first-half and placed three players on the edge of our box to press our defence. And we still continued in this vein for 20 minutes at least.

Following about three missed chances, Millwall eventually took the lead on 58 minutes.

One of our defenders was robbed of possession 30 yards out. Three quick passes saw a cross-shot find an unmarked Millwall player at the far post. 1-2.

Just after the hour we started to get some joy in attack. On 66 minutes Mesais met a corner by Bansal-McNulty with a great shot and the keeper made an even better save.

Then Bansal-McNulty forced the keeper into another save a minute later. We seemed to have weathered the earlier storm.

On 72 minutes we equalised. Right-winger Ribeiro skinned the left-back and put in a perfect cross for Mickel Platt to score with a half-volley. 2-2.

Even more unbelievably we then took the lead again a minute later. Dauti found Platt with a 35-yard pass. He ran from the right channel into the centre and smashed a left-foot screamer inside the far post. 3-2.

Five minutes later Platt got his hat-trick. Bansal-McNulty went on a mazy run down the left, got into the box and fed Platt who smashed it home from about ten yards. 4-2.

A minute later and Platt got his fourth goal in seven minutes and our fifth. In all the excitement I’d forgotten to write notes!!! Either way 2-1 down on 72 minutes to 5-2 up on 80 is amazing!

It was now time for Millwall to batter us again. They scored on 82 minutes with a brilliant volley on the turn from ten yards. 5-3.

Then on 86 minutes they scored from a bit of a penalty box scramble to make it six goals in 15 minutes in what was a crazy game. 5-4.

There were no more chances in the remaining minutes, Thankfully!

There wasn’t a team sheet issued but they did issue match tickets. We’ve beaten second-place Millwall 5-0 and 5-4 this season.

Team: White, Drewe, Woollard-Innocent, Bettache, Carlyle, Gubbins, Ribeiro, Mesais, Platt, Dauti, Bansal-McNulty

Subs: Williams-Lowe for Woollard-Innocent on 46 minutes, Miller for Bettache on 58 minutes and Kaiser for Gubbins on 63 minutes.

Sub Not Used: Dickinson

ChrisPTenner