Squeaky 3pts: City 2-1 Millwall

City edged nervously past 10 man Millwall at CCS today thanks to Andy Keogh's late first goal for the Bluebirds.

The game started brightly enough but one of City's all too frequent defensive lapses let Millwall in for an opener in the 11th minute.

Thereafter the game became quite scrappy as City pressed for an equaliser. In the end it came 14 minutes later as a great Lee Naylor long throw (where did he get that from?) caused havoc in the Millwall box and Bothroyd jabbed home from close range.

There was more drama to come in the first period. On 40 minutes Trotter upended Darcy Blake in what looked like a horror tackle and Lee Mason pulled out a straight red. Thankfully Blake walked off and was able to continue, but you just can't go into tackles like that an expect not to be punished.

Them on the verge of half time, Whittingham made a mazy run into the box and was brought down. There were few protests at the penalty. Whittingham, City's top scorer last term stepped up only to see ex City 'keeper David Forde (who was crap when he was with us) make a stunning save low to his right.

Naylor at left back was being run ragged, but to be fair he wasn't getting much help from left sided centre half Gabor Gyepes who also had a poor game in my opinion. We've got to tighten up at the back, and Naylor has looked suspect in a few games now, but it would be unfair to single him out in a side where no-one was on song.

In the second period City were clearly hoping to make the extra man count. Millwall by comparison couldn't find the space they had in the first period, but despite that City made hard work of everything.

Their passing was shoddy, they weren't making runs and finding space, and despite several opportunities, wasted the final ball.

Substitutions didn't help. Koumas for McPhail (who looked decidedly unhappy to be subbed) and Rae for Blake didn't change the standard or quality of play. But then, just as it looked like we were heading for 1-1, Bothroyd on the right hit a beautiful cross that was expertly glanced home by Andy Keogh for his first goal for City, and more importantly 3 precious points that keep us 2nd in the table.

Kudos to Millwall who brought a great following an sang throughout, and they'd be unhappy not to have come away with something. But we don't care do we? No.

Up the Bluebirds!!!!