THE sense of deja-vu is becoming almost sickening for Town.
For the third time in eight days a late goal deprived them of their just reward, with the injury-time strike by Millwall’s James Henry just adding further insult for Lee Clark’s team.
While Town couldn’t claim to have produced of their best against the Lions – the first half display by both sides was abject – they were certainly worthy of a point.
However, they were sucker-punched at the death when a Town attack from a corner broke down and Millwall substitute Scott Barron raced fully 80 yards before delivering the perfect pass for the impressive James Henry to slide the ball home.
Town complained that Henry had been offside, and it certainly was a close call – though assistant referee Amy Rayner was not really in a position to call the decision either way.
To say the game was at times lamentable, the team of officials inspired even less confidence, and it was testimony to the two teams that they did not let their frustrations get the better of them.
The opening period was itself just plain frustrating as neither side really managed to get a grip of proceedings.
Town did make Lions keeper David Forde scramble to save on a couple of occasions, most notably from a Lukas Jutkiewicz effort, while Millwall went closest to scoring when a Henry cross was met by Town defender Chris Lucketti who was relieved to see his header come back off his own bar to safety.
The second period proved far brighter and it was fitting that the first chance fell to Anthony Pilkington, the Town midfielder forcing a save from Forde.
Pilkington was distinctly one of Town’s plus points and when he hobbled from the field with an ankle injury it took most of the sting out of the home side’s forward drives. However, it was the Lions who drew first blood when they showed that they too had a bit of bite in attack.
Wingers Henry and David Martin were looking a real threat and it was from a move involving Henry that they opened the scoring on 69 minutes when Marc Laird was the quickest to react following a blocked shot.
Pilkington went close to providing an almost instant reply, and it was only five minutes before Town were back on terms.
Pilkington was again at the hub of the move and his well placed cross found Gary Roberts at the back post where the midfielder applied the perfect touch to beat Forde at his near post and net his 10th goal of the season.
Roberts too was one of Town’s plus points and he looked to be regaining all his old confidence and was very comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The introduction of Andy Booth for Jutkiewicz had also lifted Town’s effort and the striker almost put the home side ahead with a header only to be denied by Andy Frampton’s challenge.
Then came a stunning moment of skill from Town keeper Alex Smithies.
Again a break on the left flank saw Millwall cut through Town’s defence and when the cross was delivered there seemed only one outcome as Lions’ striker Gary Alexander met the ball with a perfect header from eight yards.
Somehow teenage keeper Smithies managed to twist and dive to claw the ball up on to the bar and it rebounded away to safety. A stunning save clean out of the top drawer.
However, then came the injury time breakout and Town were again left to wonder why injury time is proving so costly.
