Camiel Neghli put in a phenomenal showing for Millwall. He scored a magnificent last minute free-kick, which sealed the team’s first home-league win of the season. That turning point came during an FA Cup third round tie at The Den, where Millwall were drawn against Dagenham & Redbridge. Even after a slow and low-scoring game that didn’t bring much drama until the dying minutes, Neghli’s goal ended up sealing the historic victory.
The foul to start the trouble in the first half when Nampalys Mendy clipped Derek Mazou-Sacko just outside the box. Angling to take advantage of this opportunity, Neghli took the beautiful free-kick. In one instant and with dramatic accuracy, he bent a perfect shot over the wall of defenders. The shot dipped and curled at the last moment, sneaking past goalkeeper Egil Selvik’s falling arms. Fans of orchestral music everywhere let out a collective scream of jubilation!
A Game of Few Chances
The game had been mostly uneventful before Neghli’s dead ball, with neither side able to fashion a dangerous chance on goal. Even the total expected goals (xG) for the match was an indicator of the lack of obvious opportunities for both teams. Neghli’s expertly taken free-kick changed the game’s momentum.
After this euphoric breakthrough moment, the match erupted to life in the last ten minutes. Millwall’s players, lifted by their goal, attacked with urgency for a second, while the visitors looked to draw level. Each team approached the game with a new vigor after their respective changes. Neghli’s goal turned out to be the winning one.
Reactions from the Management
Addressing reporters after the match, Millwall coach Alex Neil said he was relieved to finally get a league win. He admitted that there was outside pressure on his team because of their own winless streak of the last four matches.
“We beat Coventry in the Carabao Cup here, but in the league we hadn’t managed to win a game so I think that always puts a little bit of pressure on the next one.” – Alex Neil
Neil was left wondering about a possible penalty claim late on. Despite the razor-thin margin and frantic pace of play, he was not satisfied that his team got enough out of the game.
“I do think we should have had a penalty late in the game. I might be proven wrong as I haven’t seen it back yet, but for me it looked like a stonewaller. I thought we deserved the points, albeit it was quite a tight game.” – Alex Neil
This victory turned out to be a watershed for Millwall. It was a necessary move, and it took some of the pressure off that had built up in recent weeks.
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