IT’S a match Richard Keogh and Malvin Kamara won’t

forget in a hurry.

Nor will the 457 travelling fans who were in party mood long before the end of a Town victory packed with character and battling quality.

The New Den is not a venue for faint hearts and, after the misery of home defeat by Carlisle, this 90 minutes was always going to be an early-season benchmark of resolve, skill and downright bottle for Andy Ritchie’s men.

They came through with flying

colours, despite going behind to a Paul Robinson header on 41 minutes and having to re-jig because of another hamstring injury for Frank Sinclair.

Andy Booth marked his first start of the season with a brave header to put Town level just before the break and then, seven minutes into the second half, Kamara struck with a lovely first goal for the club after a skilful turn and darting run into the box.

He celebrated by pointing to the name on the back of his shirt – with delight beaming all over his face – and it was a gesture to indicate to

teammates and fans: "I’ve arrived."

Maybe it will prove to be a

significant moment in breathing extra confidence into his Galpharm career, because Kamara murdered Millwall for pace and trickery, worked hard on his defensive duties and epitomised the spirit which oozed from every corner of the team – and he needs to just keep on running at defences in positive, direct style.

One player needing no extra

confidence is loan man Keogh.

After an early long ball skidded off his boot into the path of Gary

Alexander – Nathan Clarke doing the tidying up – Keogh was magnificent in directing a robust rearguard which left Millwall frustrated, floundering and finally flattened.

The 21-year-old from Bristol City showed all the attributes you want from a centre half and, as Millwall pressed hard in a high-tempo opening, he flung himself full length into the path of a Dave Brammer thunderbolt to block the ball to safety with his chest.

It set an impressive tone for the rest of his performance and he was also unlucky not to score on 37 minutes with a crisp volley deflected over the top after Clarke had headed back a Joe Skarz corner.

Town also went close in the first half through Luke Beckett, who fired straight at Chris Day from 10 yards out, and through Booth, whose low stabbed shot was booted from the line by the stretching keeper after another fantastic run and cross by Kamara had created problems for Richard Shaw in the centre.

At times the game was ridiculously open and while creating plenty of problems for Willie Donachie’s side, Town also had some major let-offs.

Matt Glennon saved brilliantly from Danny Spiller in only the second minute, springing to his left to keep out a stinging drive one-handed, and after denying the same player on 26 minutes he watched a firm shot from Danny Senda angle inches wide of his righthand post.

Alan Dunne had a header wiped out by the assistant’s flag and it will long trouble Alexander how he didn’t score with a free six-yard header from Andy Frampton’s cross on 31 minutes.

Those chances indicated why it was vital for Town to equalise so soon after Robinson’s strike – within two and a half minutes, in fact – and then Kamara’s goal really took the wind out of Millwall’s sails.

Aaron Hardy showed encouraging form deputising for Sinclair at right-back, Skarz stuck to his guns to such good effect that Smith eventually switched wings.

Clare and Keogh dovetailed so well that Donachie sent on both his

Premiership loan men – Jamie O’Hara from Spurs and Jay Simpson from Arsenal – to try to unsettle them but he was unsuccessful, even though the latter went close with an athletic late volley.

Michael Collins and Andy Holdsworth did much better in

midfield in the second half, when Kamara and Chris Brandon also worked tirelessly for the cause.

Town defended too deep at times in the closing stages, when Matt Young added grit and Ritchie opted for just Booth up front, and Glennon’s top-class save from Senda’s swerving shot in the 89th minute served notice they were not to be denied.

A first win at Millwall since the 1981-82 season is not to be sniffed at and, while it included plenty of trials and tribulations, it was very much deserved for the team effort.