Lions King

 

FCBFCSA 3 Millwall 4

 

Harry Cripps, Les Briley, Terry Hurlock, Neil Ruddock, and Dennis Wise are legends in the folk lore of Millwall Football Club. Hard men, who asked no inch, and gave no quarter. The names The Den, and Cold Blow Lane, seem to conjure up Dickensian images of Jack The Ripper, blood curdling horror films, and x rated savagery.

 

Millwall Football Club, and its supporters have always relished their infamy, and indeed prided themselves on it. It was with much excitement, that the Barnet Supporters team, awaited their first derby match at 10-30am Easter Saturday, April 7^th 2007. This was a friendly fixture, as the internet league have banished Millwall, due to incidents in previous matches. Facing, a blank Saturday, Barnet were willing to see for themselves what all the fuss was about, having largely enjoyed the competition in their first season of the internet supporters league.

 

The match was refereed by Adam Robinson, Barnet groundsman, and cousin of both Dagenham and Redbridge’s Ben Strevens, - destined to be promoted that afternoon – and Millwall’s captain Paul Robinson. A nice co-incidence, and a necessary one in finding a neutral referee, for a journey into the unknown.

 

Barnet started at 4-4-2 with a strong line up, but an experimental feel in certain areas as follows ;

 

Darren Chillingworth, making a welcome return in an unfamiliar goalkeeping jersey.

Ross Clark, Ollie Minton, Simon Sav Alavi, and Matt Dodimead played across the back. In the middle Barnet lined up Joel Ramos, Silvio Gradoni, Gerry Currell , and Barcelona bound Ryan Barney. Up front there was the return of the Tony Fenton, and his regular strike partner Craig Clayton. The bench was re-inforced with Tommy Salinger, Benjamin Kentish, Robin Goldman, and rookies Chris Richards, and James Taylor.

 

Millwall lined up a team moulded in the dark shadows, of the legends mentioned above. They set up to bully, intimidate, and scare a young Barnet side, into submission. They harried and hustled Barnet, were up and at them straight away, in their faces, and constant with the verbals. At one stage of the game the Millwall captain even took time out to rollick Robin Goldman acting as linesman. Millwall had all the gift of the gab. To state the obvious, they had more rabbit than Sainsbury’s. However that would be an understatement. They had more rabbit than Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Tesco’s, Asda’s, Waitrose, Fortnum and Masons’, Selfridges’, The Illusionist, The Paul Daniels’ Magic Show and Walt Disney put together.

 

However it worked. Barnet’s performance was their worst of a very promising opening season. Millwall knew it was working, that Barnet were rattled, and were not too shy to let Barnet know that they knew it was working.

 

In the first half Barnet did not show up to the races. The Bees went a goal down early on. It was a well worked goal, finished off by a fine header from a very skilful Millwall side, who strike a balance between niggle, and class. They pass, and move very well. Many, of the Millwall team play Sunday League football together, and it shows. They have a strong team spirit, fight for each other, but know how to get the ball on the ground, and let it work for them.

 

The experiment to play Matt Dodimead at full back, and Ryan Barney at left wing clearly did not work. For this the Barnet Manager John Hunt takes full responsibility. It may have worked against lesser opposition, but against Millwall Matt Dodimead, was left exposed in a position he needs to bed into, and Ryan Barney - not a regular outfield player - was not able to cover him effectively. Dodimead took to the field, not warmed up, the perils of relying upon rail replacement buses on a Saturday morning in North London.

 

The management team, were discussing how to change this when Craig Clayton departed the pitch. It was a bizarre incident on a bizarre day. Clayton, who had not been feeling well in the lead up to the game, went off to get a drink, he came back on with bottle in hand. The touchline wag quipped, at last the Bees show a bit of bottle. The ref blew up, and Clayton reacted badly to a bit a comment from his team-mate Ryan Barney and stormed off the pitch. He later apologised to the team management, and it is all water under the bridge.

 

The management were forced into a quick reshuffle. Debutant James Taylor came on at right back, Ross Clark switched to left back, wearing boots provided by Gerry Currell. Matt Dodimead switched to left midfield, and Ryan Barney moved up front.

 

This was more like it. While the team was shaping up, Barnet went a further goal behind, and were being given the run-around, by the guile of the Millwall playmaker number eight. However, he was Jekyll and Hyde, and one infringement too many led to the referee requesting the Millwall manager to replace him, supporters teams equivalent of the sin bin.

 

Gradually Barnet got back into the game, and Gradoni, and Currell were finding more room. Ramos found more space down the wing, and Fenton, and Barney linking up well up front. One chance saw Ramos – in the 15 year olds third consecutive start for Barnet – miss the target, fearing Fenton, and Barney were in offside positions. Another saw Barney, snap at a shot. Fenton broke free a few times only to be repeatedly held up for offside.

 

Remarkably Barnet came in at half time, only one goal down, bruised but not beaten, after Ryan Barney capitalised on some good play by Tony Fenton on the left. Buoyed by this, and the sin-binning of the Millwall playmaker, Barnet were refreshed coming back out for the second half.

 

However the playmaker soon returned. This prompted Barnet to switch to a 3 man back line with Ross Clark sitting in front of the back three to neutralise the Millwall star.

 

Barnet were 3-1 down five minutes later , due to some indecisive defending, and ball watching, its usually strong defensive wall breached. This prompted Barnet, to swap Ramos, back with Barney and throw caution to the wind. This became 4-1 with Goldman flagging for outside, prompting the vitriolic outburst from the Millwall captain.

 

Then it all kicked off. A reckless challenge was Tony Fenton, was met by a headbutt from a Millwall teammate. Fenton was immediately requested to be substituted, and  suffered a chipped tooth as a consequence. At the same time Ross Clark had to leave the pitch with a ripped scrotum. Think Vinny Jones, Paul Gascoigne, all male readers will wince, and get the picture. In the fracas one Millwall player even squared up to Barnet’s football in the community officer Janet Matthewson, and her daughter Sam on the touchlines.

 

This gave the opportunity to Chris Richards to strut his stuff in Midfield on his debut appearance, and young Ben Kentish came on. Silvio Gradoni was tasked with following their number eight everywhere, even to the loo

 

Soon afterwards Matt Dodimead was injured with a calf strain.

 

At this point Millwall were cruising, and brought on a young lad up front. Robin Goldman was immediately assigned to follow him everywhere. Barnet moved to an effective two man back line, as they chased the game consisting of Oliver Minton, and James Taylor.

 

James Taylor was the star of the show today, and a unanimous vote for man of the match. He was calm, assured, and oozed necessary composure in defence. He read the game well. He broke from the back, and always delivered a good end ball. Tall, and strong, he looks to be a good partner for Ollie Minton in the future allowing Sav Alavi to move to full back.

 

Credit too goes to Ross Clark, for a mature and versatile performance. Clark continues to impress.

 

Just when it seemed as though it was a lost cause Barnet, got the fire in their bellies, and pulled two hard-worked, and scrappy goals back from Ramos, and Barney – 5 goals in his first two outfield games for 7 years.

 

This gave us a necessarily comical interlude in an odd match. Robin Goldman who possesses a volcano in his belly, and bleeds black and amber, was annoyed that Millwall wouldn’t return the ball after our third goal, and went to retrieve it himself. He was in the face of the Millwall defender, said his piece and sprinted back. Robin was in agony. He limped around Underhill during the game, as though he’d been riding on Brokeback Mountain. The diagnosis from the Barnet medical staff is a torn cartlidge. He is a doubt for the Farnborough tournament. John Hunt was about to take his place for the last five minutes but Goldman soldiered on.

 

It was decided not to risk injury to Tommy Salinger in a volatile atmosphere, and he is being kept fresh for Cherrywood Road.

 

At the death Millwall almost made it five. Darren Chillingworth tipping a fine effort over the bar.

 

The end result 3-4. A bit flattering to Barnet perhaps, but illustrative of their never say die attitude. Are Millwall pantomime villains, playing to the galleries, like John McEnroe, as it is expected of them, or are they the real McCoy ? A broken tooth from a headbutt, squaring up to supporters, and a ripped scrotum would tend to the latter conclusion.

 

The Barnet Manager commented afterwards “ Millwall were a different proposition to any of the other teams we have played so far. They certainly play in their own inimitable way, and it works for them. They are a fine side, and focusing on the way they play the game, can detract from their ability to play the game. It has been an education out there for our young boys who need to be ready for such competition in the future. The team will learn from this, and we are still confident that we can give a good account of ourselves at Cherrywood Road.”

 

Barnet look forward to the return fixture in South East London , next season.