Coca-Cola League One
Monday 1st January 2007
Venue: The New Den

MILLWALL 4 GILLINGHAM 1

Darren Byfield has notched a hat-trick against his former club, as Millwall cruised to a highly controversial 4-1 win over the Gills at the New Den.

The Gills had little time to put their 3-0 loss to Oldham on Saturday to the backs of their minds as they headed to The Den desperate to return to winning ways, and produced yet another positive start.

Matt Jarvis, a likely transfer rumour topic over the next month made a trademark run down the left on twoo minutes, cutting inside his man before being impressively displaced of the ball as he looked to shoot, Andrew Crofts picking up the loose ball but sent his shot wide from 25 yards.

Millwall could have gone ahead after seven minutes if not for a fantastic save by Dean Brill, diving low to push a Darren Byfield effort around the post for a corner, and from the ensuing ball in, the former Gills striker was denied by a goal-line clearance after winning a back post header.

The Gills capitalised on that miss, and just two minutes later took the lead, as a long throw in was flicked on by Bas Savage, with Gary Mulligan on hand to tap in his eighth goal of the season, and send the travelling fans into raptures.

Michael Flynn and Marvin Williams both had shots blocked at either end as the battle continued, and the Gills appeared to be dominating, but the hard work came to little as the Lions equalised against the run of play.

Byfield, who had been causing the Gills back four plenty of problems, won out in a challenge to lay off for Neal Ardley, the Millwall skipper's ball in from the left finding early substitute Chris Zebroski, who did well to turn his man and fire past Brill.

Jarvis had a great chance to restore the lead late in the half, latching on to a lovely through ball from Mark Bentley, but could only watch on in frustration as his effort from the edge of the area sailed wide of the target.

Savage had the first chance of the second half as the Gills came out desperate to find a second goal, shooting just wide on the counter attack, but things went from bad to worse just five minutes after the re-start.

Duncan Jupp made what appeared to be a legal challenge inside the penalty area on Byfield, but the referee saw otherwise and pointed to the penalty spot, much to the bemusement of the Gills side, not least manager Ronnie Jepson.

Byfield made no mistake from the spot, to extend the lead, and the Gills were forced to dig even deeper.

Crofts forced Pidgeley into a fine save on 61 minutes with a 25 yard thunderbolt, and the Gills were unlucky to have the ball in from the corner somehow cleared off the line, Pidgeley called up again soon after to produce another fine save to deny Bentley.

If the visitors were frustrated by the earlier penalty decision, their frustration was intensified on 79 minutes, as Byfield controversially beat the offside trap to slot past Brill one-on-one and make it 3-1.

But the controversy didn't end there, as Clint Easton was denied what appeared to be a clear cut penalty decision on 85 minutes, and on the counter, Byfield strolled up the other end to tuck away his third of the afternoon and end any hopes of a Gillingham revival.

It could have been five too, as the Lions hit the woodwork on one occasion, while Byfield forced Brill into another fine save on the stroke of fulltime.

Gillingham: Brill, Jupp (Ndumbu-Nsungu 84), Sancho, Chorley, Easton, Jarvis, Crofts, Flynn, Bentley (Spiller 77), Mulligan, Savage.
Subs Not Used - Johnson, Jackman, Pouton.

Millwall: Pidgeley, Dunne, Robinson, Shaw, Ross, Hackett (Zebroski 26), Elliott, Ardley, Williams, Byfield, Hubertz (May 45).
Subs Not Used - Phillips, Day, Fuseini.

Bookings: Williams (Millwall)

Attendance: 10,055

Referee: Mr K Stroud (Hampshire)

Match Report by Glen Lauder