Millwall 2 - Carlisle 0 (Back to Report Lists) This is now getting ridiculous. We won again. And we won comfortably. I can’t keep waxing lyrical about how good we are. It doesn’t feel right. I like to think I write my best stuff when we are losing. It is so much easier to write this stuff when I am in a dark mood. I can only draw on my old friend and mentor, Paul Simon, who was oft to say “ when something goes wrong, I’m the first to admit but the last one to know and when something goes right, its likely to lose and confuse me as it’s such an unusual sight”. Or words to that effect. Spot on Rhymin’ Simon. We are most definitely on a roll now. Oor Wullie has done the business and has staved off the spectre of relegation. The sword of Damocles has been removed from the Den and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. But before I get going I would just like to make it known that MrsB and me had a huge input into the saving of this season. I cannot divulge the nature of our input but suffice it to say, we have definitely had a hand in the saving of this season. Read this excerpt from Millwall V Scunthorpe: It really is time to put things into perspective. We have now played 23 games. We have amassed 21 points. If your maths are letting you down, let me explain it; we now have 23 more games to play. If you say, for example, 55 points means safety that means we need another 34 points. Win 11 and draw 1 with 11 defeats. Think we can do it? Seriously?? We managed 5 wins out of our first 23 games with 6 draws and 12 losses. Still think we can do it? MrsB and me did something not long after that game and it has turned our season around. Honest! So, Carlisle at home and before proceedings got underway we were introduced to ‘the future heavy weight boxing champion of the world’. He was a game lad and he shadowboxed a bit for the cameras but from our vantage point he did look like a renegade from Earth Wind and Fire. Millwall’s best crowd of the season, a hefty 10, 415, welcomed the two teams onto the pitch and we now had the familiar line up of Pidgers, Senda, Shaw, Robbo, Craig, Ardley, Brammer, Elliott, Brighton, Harris and Baby Boy all ready to take on Scotland’s representatives in the English leagues. As the first half gained momentum it has to be said that the away team were asking all the questions and this time ‘keeper Pidgers had all the answers. He is a very decent shot stopper, no question, but he is still a constant worry at corners, crosses and scrambles in the goalmouth. One disappointment was the form of Neil Ardley. I can forgive him one bad game and this one was it. He had a bit of a ‘mare and everything he tried to do failed at some point or other. The rest of the team, however, more than made up for Ardley’s poor show. A revitalised Marvin Elliott was at last haring around the pitch, chasing down the ball and distributing well, Brammer, although I think it was his worse game for us so far, still had enough about him to deal with anything that Carlisle had to offer. We had a decent shout for at least one penalty when Senda was upended in the box and maybe even a slight chance of a spot kick just before the Senda incident when Baby Boy went over after a tussle with Livesey. Referee Joslin theatrically waved away both appeals, much to chagrin of the Millwall team, officials and not forgetting the fans. To tell you the truth I can only remember one real chance of a goal in the first half, and that came from the ever-improving Tom Brighton who tried to curl the ball in after good work from Elliott and Senda set him up nicely. The half time whistle was greeted with some lacklustre applause but nothing too detrimental. A solid display against a team of bruisers, we just needed to find a little bit of inspiration to crack them open. Another healthy turn out of MISA reps saw me and MrsB joined by Cojster and NickB, JW and Mick, Nez, CharlieMFC, MFCTom, Dalboy, Smiffy05, Essex Exile (and son), Elmo Putney, Five Bells and…wait for it…are you all sitting down? Skylark and Siggles…I kid you not, they have made another rare appearance and before you ask, yes, I did phone the pope and claim a miracle….his holiness, however, refused to accept this as a bona fide miracle as he insisted that the two of them were only there so that they could join in with the head wetting ceremony for Nez’s new offspring… And now, a new item in the BigD match report…text mentions…oh yes, I am quick to move with the times and I now accept a half time text message from MISA members so that they can feel part of the match day experience in the BigD report. Well done Janie! You are the founder member of the “text me a mention club”…anyone else want to join? The second half saw Neil Ardley replaced by Alan Dunne. This did actually did improve things but whether it was anything to do with Dunne, I couldn’t say, but after about five minutes into the half Tony Craig sent in a teasing cross that befuddled the Carlisle defence but not Bomber, who latched onto the ball in the 6 yard area, skipped past a defender, then seemed to take an age to slot the ball past Westwood from a very acute angle. 1-0! Bomber was back!! Someone will no doubt correct me but I think that was his 100th goal for Millwall, not one of his best but more than welcome. This goal seemed to settle things down and the Lions started to play some decent football. Baby Boy, in particular was now running the Carlisle defence ragged and he very nearly put Harris in for his second when he flicked on a ball that Bomber hit with relish, on the volley, but just wide of the mark. Tom Brighton linked up with Craig for another effort that really should’ve been put away but Brighton smashed his shot up and over from about ten yards out. Carlisle nearly got an undeserved foot back in the door when they managed to breach our rock steady defence on a rare occasion but once again, Pidgers proved he is a very decent shot stopper as he punched the fizzing shot from Smith away for a corner. But after that it was all Millwall. We stepped up the pace and besieged the Carlisle goal with chances for Harris then Brighton and then Harris again who saw his goal bound effort kicked off the line. But the breakthrough had to come and when it did it was again through excellent committed football when Baby Boy challenged well and the knock down was snapped up by Craig who ghosted past a defender and sent a looping shot over the stranded Westwood only to see the ball smack against the bar and bounce back into play. But Carlisle were not about to ride their luck any further. The ball fell invitingly for Bomber who gleefully stroked the ball home for goal number two. 2-0 and a long way home!! There was only about ten minutes left to play and the game was won, make no mistake about it. Brammer was replaced by Hackett and the game was effectively closed up, three points a clean sheet and a step nearer to the P.O’s! We now have Crewe at home to complete our run of three home games on the spin and a win would send out a message to the rest of the league. We are the form team and no one will fancy playing us now. How galling to think that if the Northampton game hadn’t been postponed and if we hadn’t slipped on the Orient banana skin and managed to get 6 points from those two games, we would be in 6th place now……