Millwall 2-1 Queens Park Rangers: Luke Cundle scores debut winner as Lions secure third straight win
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Queens Park Rangers at The Den on Saturday; Luke Cundle scores debut winner as Alex Neil's Lions seal third straight win
Saturday 1 February 2025 18:28, UK
Luke Cundle struck the winner on his debut as Millwall claimed a third successive victory in the Sky Bet Championship with a 2-1 result against QPR.
The home side were ahead after just 29 seconds through Aaron Connolly, a lead which lasted minutes before Alfie Lloyd equalised.
However, Cundle's header after 25 minutes proved the difference as Millwall enjoyed a first league win at The Den under boss Alex Neil, having claimed back-to-back victories on the road during the previous week.
QPR were without head coach Marti Cifuentes in their dugout due to illness, with his assistant Xavi Calm taking charge for the day, and the visitors found themselves trailing after just 29 seconds.
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Tristan Crama's low ball across was missed by Mihailo Ivanovic but ran for Connolly, who steered his first goal for the club into the bottom corner.
The Hoops were not floored by this early blow, however, and were level in the third minute when a flowing move led to Kieran Morgan playing the ball into the box for Lloyd, who scored via the post.
The early action kept coming as the Lions nearly restored their lead in the sixth minute when Ra'ees Bangura-Williams' shot from just outside the area crashed off an upright.
The match then finally settled down after a frantic opening, although Ronnie Edwards almost put QPR ahead halfway through the first half with a deflected long-range strike that dipped just over.
Instead, it was Millwall who had the game's third goal after 25 minutes when Cundle nodded in the rebound after George Saville's header from Crama's cross had come back off the bar.
It was a 2-1 lead the hosts retained into half-time and QPR struggled to find a second equaliser during what was a scrappier start to the second half.
However, they found a second wind in the final 20 minutes and came close to levelling again when Harrison Ashby's header from fellow substitute Koki Saito's cross was pushed wide by the fingertips of home goalkeeper Luke Jensen.
From the resulting corner, taken by Kenneth Paal, Morgan Fox rose highest but his thumping header was again well saved by Jensen.
The Millwall keeper needed to be alert again in tipping over a ferocious drive from a tricky angle by Tottenham loanee Yang Min-hyeok.
Saito was proving very lively after coming on and it was from the Japanese midfielder's cut-back that Sam Field's deflected effort produced another fine save by Jensen as the hosts clung on for victory.
The managers
Millwall's Alex Neil:
"He [Cundle] has had one day. He met them yesterday for not even half a training session but good players can play anywhere.
"Obviously, Aaron Connolly has come in and today's his first goal. He's played the last couple of games but I think we've looked threatening in the last couple of games as well.
"But I think it's a combination of everything - there's competition for places, we've brought in some good quality at the top end of the pitch that can play in tight spaces, link play and do all the bits around the edge of the box.
"We've also got the guys who've performed brilliantly in the last couple of games that haven't been brought in during the last few days.
"I'm not going to give credit to one group of players and not the other, it's a collective and I think we're playing pretty well at the moment."
QPR's Marti Cifuentes:
"We have the feeling that we deserved more, at least one point.
"In the second half we pushed all-in, 100 per cent, with set-pieces, crosses, everything and we have this feeling [of deserving more], but it is what it is.
"We didn't expect to start the game conceding a goal in minute one. We usually defend this type of actions better and today we have not done it, but we have reacted in a top way, I would say, scoring an amazing goal.
"The reaction was brilliant because it's not easy after conceding a goal in minute one.
"We have done that but then the second Millwall goal, again it's a sloppy goal, I would say. But all the credit to the lads because at half-time we have spoken about trying to win the second half.
"We have done very well but the small margins today were not for us."
