Back into the Lion's Den

Last updated : 01 November 2013 By Tony Scholes

It's a while since Burnley went into a game on the back of a defeat, more than two months in fact after we'd lost 2-0 at Brighton in a game that saw goalkeeper Tom Heaton sent off.

The circumstances are similar this time; another 2-0 defeat, this one against West Ham, and again a player sent off, on this occasion it was Keith Treacy who received his marching orders in the fourth minute of stoppage time having given away a penalty.

That defeat has seen us go out of the Capital One Cup which means, until January, we can now concentrate exclusively on the Championship.

We go to Millwall with a three point lead over Leicester at the top of the league and with this fantastic goal difference of plus 17, and when did we last sit with a goal difference so good?

The whole team is working together says Ben Mee

It's come off the back of a nine game unbeaten run since that Brighton defeat with only our local rivals taking any points from us in that run.

The away form is incredible. Having won at Sheffield Wednesday we then lost at Brighton. Since we've recorded a run of four successive away wins at Derby, Leeds, Doncaster and Ipswich. A win at Millwall would give us five away wins on the trot and I think that will be the best since the early days of Jimmy Mullen in 1991, as would winning eight consecutive league games.

It's going to be a tough game though, it always is at Millwall, and the fact that we've won there in each of the last two seasons will count for nothing.

Danny Ings and Sam Vokes continue to get most of the plaudits; they've scored 17 league goals between them this season. But just as important is the work done defensively that has seen us concede seven league goals and keep seven clean sheets, a record bettered only by QPR who have nine shut outs.

Speaking on the subject of the defending, left back Ben Mee said: "The lads have been brilliant at the back but it all starts from the front. We've been working our socks off and putting in a lot of effort to keep compact. It seems to be working at the minute and hopefully we can do that again on Saturday.

"We go onto the pitch and everyone knows what they are doing. We are really organised and compact but it's the whole team that's working together towards pressing the opposition and being really organised. It seems like an easy job at the minute because everyone's chipping in."

Mee missed the start of the season but came back for the cup game against Preston and has played every game since. He'll be on the left of the back four tomorrow that should see Michael Duff return after sitting out the West Ham game.

The big questions are in midfield. Dean Marney missed the West Ham game with a thigh injury and David Jones was ruled out serving a one match suspension. They were replaced by David Edgar and Brian Stock while Keith Treacy has played the last two games due to Scott Arfield suffering a groin injury.

Treacy won't play tomorrow as he serves is suspension. Jones is free to play again while both Arfield and Marney are reported to be having late tests.

I'm expecting both of them to play and the Burnley team is likely to be: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Scott Arfield, Dean Marney, David Jones, Michael Kightly, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Brian Stock, Junior Stanislas, Ryan Noble.

What a poor start Millwall had to the season. They lost their first three games without scoring a goal and after six games had picked up just two points from draws against Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton.

New manager Steve Lomas was under some pressure. He was not a popular choice in some quarters because of his West Ham connections and matters got ugly in the last of those six games, a 5-1 home defeat against Derby.

As often happens, things turned round quickly. They won the next three games, beating both Blackpool and Leeds at the Den and winning a local derby at Charlton. Two heavy defeats followed against Birmingham and Bournemouth, the latter a 5-2 defeat after they had led 2-0, but the last two games have given them real hope.

They scored twice to draw against QPR, ending the then leaders long run without conceding a goal, and last week secured an equally good point at Reading, so we will need to be at our best to get something from them if they show the sort of form they have in the last two games.

Lomas will have to go into the game without Jimmy Abdou who is suspended having been sent off at Reading. Paul Connolly will also be absent after suffering a groin injury in that game.

On the positive side, Alan Dunne has completed his suspension and will vie with Jack Smith for the right back position.

Martyn Waghorn is a doubt after turning an ankle with former Claret Richard Chaplow hoping to be involved after missing the last month with a groin injury.

Millwall could line up: David Forde, Jack Smith, Scott Malone, Paul Robinson, Danny Shittu, Liam Feeney, Nicky Bailey, Martyn Waghorn, Liam Trotter, Martyn Woolford, Scott McDonald. Subs: Stephen Bywater, Alan Dunne, Lowry, Richard Chaplow, Shaun Derry, Jermaine Easter, Steve Morison. 

 

Last Time We Were There

Burnley went seventh in the table after winning at Millwall last season. it was the highest position we attained all season but, just as hopes were building on a potential play-off chase, we won just twice in the next 16 games as we plummeted towards the bottom of the league.

A potential relegation scrap was never in anyone's thoughts that afternoon at the Den as goals from Sam Vokes and Danny Ings, a third of the season for Vokes and a second for Ings, secured a comfortable 2-0 win.

Outstanding performance from Dean Marney

It was arguably the best performance of the season in what was an all round good show by the Clarets. The back four looked impregnable, Junior Stanislas and Ross Wallace had their best games of the season, and the front two proved too difficult for Millwall to handle, as did Keith Treacy when he came on as a substitute.

But the real stars of this show were two central midfield players. Chris McCann had his best game for Burnley post-injury and Dean Marney turned in a performance better than any I'd seen from him. They dominated Millwall and were very much the catalyst for the performance.

In shocking weather, we were well on our way before the game got the go ahead but in the end there were no problems at all and the first goal from Vokes, came on 19 minutes after Stanislas had bamboozled them down our left before playing the ball across for Vokes to turn in from close range.

The goal that clinched it came on the hour. Marney and Wallace combined, got the ball out to Kieran Trippier whose cross was perfect for Ings to head home.

Millwall did put us under some pressure during a five minute spell but we defended well and by the final whistle any threat from the home side had long since disappeared.

The teams were;

Millwall: David Forde, Adam Smith, Danny Shittu, Mark Beevers, Jack Smith, James Henry, Liam Trotter, Jimmy Abdou, Martyn Woolford (Nathan Tyson 45), Andy Keogh, Dany N'Guessan (John Marquis 66). Subs not used: Maik Taylor, Alan Dunne, Karleigh Osborne, Josh Wright, Therry Racon.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, David Edgar, Jason Shackell, Danny Lafferty, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Ross Wallace, Danny Ings (Martin Paterson 90+4), Junior Stanislas (Keith Treacy 70), Sam Vokes. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Luke O'Neill, Tom Anderson, Marvin Bartley, Brian Stock.

 

Previous Games against Millwall

 

Last 20 Years
Season Comp Ven Res Att  Scorers
1994/95 Division 1 a 3-2 7,375 Winstanley(2), Robinson
    h 1-2 10,454 Shaw
1996/97 Division 2 a 1-2 9,281 Nogan
    h 1-0 9,840 Weller
1997/98 Division 2 h 1-2 8,834 Cooke
    a 0-1 7,582  
1998/99 Division 2 h 2-1 8,526 Cooke(2)
    a 2-1 7,407 Cooke, Davis
1999/2000 Division 2 a 1-1 8,601 Cooke
    h 4-3 14,890 Cox, Cooke, Davis, Cook
2001/02 Division 1 a 2-0 11,903 I Moore, A Moore
    h 0-0 16,131  
2002/03 Division 1 h 2-2 11,878 West, I Moore
    a 1-1 6,045 I Moore
2003/04 Division 1 h 1-1 10,435 I Moore
  FA Cup a 0-1 10,420  
  Division 1 a 0-2 10,148  
2004/05 Championship h 1-0 11,471 Blake(pen)
    a 0-0 12,171  
2005/06 Championship h 2-1 10,698 Dyer, Elliott
    a 0-1 7,780  
2010/11 Championship a 1-1 12,330 Rodriguez
    h 0-3 14,589  
2011/12 Championship a 1-0 10,460 Rodriguez
    h 1-3 13,000 Rodriguez(pen)
2012/13 Championship h 2-2 11,192 Mee, Austin
    a 2-0 9,384 Vokes, Ings

 

Click HERE to see all previous results against Millwall