Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Cardiff City and Millwall at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday night; Perry Ng earns managerless Bluebirds a first victory of the season.
Tuesday 1 October 2024 23:20, UK
Championship basement boys Cardiff won their first league game of the season at the eighth attempt with a 1-0 victory over Millwall at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Perry Ng scored only the third league goal of the season for Cardiff, who are now bottom of the table only on goal difference behind Portsmouth.
It was a bitterly disappointing night for Millwall, who fielded the same starting team that beat Preston 3-1 on Saturday to extend their recent run of form with just one defeat in their previous five games.
Romain Esse was among the scorers against Preston and was first to threaten on Tuesday, firing a strong effort from the edge of the box that was well smothered by Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
Cardiff showed three changes from the 4-1 loss at Hull with defenders Dimitrios Goutas (personal reasons) and Joel Bagan (suspension) as well as midfielder Ollie Tanner returning.
Tanner was among those to blaze early shots well wide in a muted opening half hour.
Callum Robinson's effort was almost spilled by Millwall keeper Lukas Jensen and the striker's later effort earned the corner that led to the game's opening goal.
Ng had just been warned by referee Gavin Ward for tussling with Joe Bryan when he shrugged off his marker to head Joe Ralls' corner past Jensen in the 39th minute.
Robinson then ensured Cardiff took that lead into half-time when he cleared Esse's header off the line, with Alnwick beaten at a corner.
It was the first time Cardiff had led at half-time in the Championship this season and they were buoyant at the start of the second half.
Tanner set up Rubin Colwill who brought a double save from Jensen just two minutes into the second half before Alex Robertson fired the rebound clear of the crossbar.
Colwill was again denied by Jensen 20 minutes later when the goalkeeper scrambled across to push wide the Wales international's audacious chipped free-kick.
Millwall offered little in attack and Yakou Meite should have settled the match for Cardiff after 74 minutes.
Robertson launched a counter-attack with a cross-field pass to Tanner who teed up Meite, unmarked close to the penalty spot, but the replacement striker could not untangle his feet and missed the ball completely.
Millwall had a handful of late half-chances but their frustration threatened to boil over when team-mates Esse and Ryan Leonard squared up to each other in injury time to round off a disappointing night for manager Neil Harris.
Cardiff caretaker Omer Riza:
"The main feeling is relief. When you haven't won a game in seven, it's frustrating, it's disappointing for the fans, the club, players, staff.
"To get that win today against a team that's so hard to play against, we had to match that. The boys were solid and dealt with a lot of problems.
"We managed to get that goal, hold on and come away with the three points so I'm really happy.
"We haven't had much time to work on things because we've got three games in seven days.
"Attacking-wise, we got bodies forward and got in good positions and, defensively, we were more robust. We had to be that against this team and we got the result.
"I've said I want to be a head coach and this is a great club and a great opportunity with a great fan base. And I think there's more to come.
"It's great to get my first three points in the Championship but I haven't heard anything about the job, only what you hear and read, which can be difficult at times.
"But it's about remaining positive, making sure the boys are ready and the team is ready and we approach every game like we want to win it. That's a professional way of acting."
Millwall's Neil Harris:
"I'm disappointed because that was our worst league performance of the season. It was poor.
"We've got a small squad with a lot of young lads and we've asked a lot of them because we can't make wholesale changes but that's the first time we haven't hit the level needed.
"Cardiff were the lowest-performing and lowest-scoring team in the division but we massively helped them. If you're not going to be fluid enough to break them down and win the game, then at least don't lose it by conceding from a set-piece."
