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Millwall vs Luton Town
 0 - 0 
Date: 
24/03/2008
Venue: 
The Den
Attendance: 
8375
Referee: 
T Bates

Millwall picked up another point in their bid to bid the drop - but were left wondering just how they failed to secure all three in this Den draw with fellow strugglers Luton Town.
Up against a Luton side all but condemned to League Two already, The Lions produced a disappointing display that did little to warm the hearts of the home faithful on a bitterly cold afternoon.
Lions boss Kenny Jackett handed a home debut to loan signing Jem Karacan, with Lewis Grabban returning to the starting line-up after missing the last two matches with a niggling hamstring.
Unfortunately the pacey striker wasn't even able to see out the first half, hobbling off a couple of minutes before the break clearly struggling with the same injury again.
It proved to be a largely underwhelming opening 45 minutes in which Millwall looked nervy and struggled to really get going.
Twice midfielder Karacan tried his luck from outside the area in the first quarter of an hour, firing straight at keeper Dean Brill and then drilling a yard over.
Ryan Smith's curling left wing cross was cleared for a corner whilst at the other end Millwall had a real let-off when Ryan Charles' diving header looked in danger of squeezing in at the far post, only for keeper Rhys Evans to avert the danger.
It took the superb reflexes of Evans to deny Don Hutchison from firing the visitors ahead on 22 minutes, when the former Lion hit a stinging shot that was somehow parried for a corner.
That was about the sum total of goalmouth action in the first half, with Millwall forced to make a change two minutes before the break when Ahmet Brkovic replaced the injured Grabban.
It was Brkovic who was at the centre of most of the action thereafter and it was from his deft cross that Bas Savage's header was deflected for a corner nine minutes after the restart.
The introduction of Dave Martin for Smith on the hour mark injected some vigour and penetration on the left flank, and within two minutes of his introduction Millwall really should have taken the lead.
A slide-rule pass from Zoom Bakayogo split the Luton defence and was picked up by Jay Simpson, but the latter took too long on the ball enabling keeper Brill to gather at his feet.
Fuseini drove over and then, with The Lions finally enjoying a sustained period of ressure, the chances were created to have buried Luton in the final 15 minutes.
Savage headed onto the roof of the net from a great Brkovic delivery and then a surging Danny Senda run ended with the right-back's teasing cross hammered clear for a corner.
With 13 minutes remaining Savage and Martin combined on the left to set up Brkovic. He in turn controlled the ball 10 yards out and fired a shot that hit the underside of the woodwork with Simpson wildly lashing the loose ball over the bar.
Savage was left hanging his head in despair on 86 minutes when Senda's inch perfect cross picked out the big striker unmarked at the far post, but he inexplicably scooped the ball over from two yards.
It simply was not going to Savage's - or Millwall's - day and when Simpson curled over an 89th-minute corner, the ball was diverted into his path. This time Savage's close-range effort was deflected wide to deny him once again.
Fuseini had one last chance to secure all three points right at the death when he drove forward from midfield, but snatched at his shot and fired wide of the target.

Millwall: Evans, Senda, Bakayogo, Fuseini, Robinson, Whitbread, Smith (Martin, 59mins), Karacan, Grabban (Brkovic, 43mins), Savage, Simpson. Subs not used: Pidgeley, Shaw, Cochrane.

Luton Town: Brill, Jackson, Keane, Emanuel, Spring, Bell, Parkin, Charles (Andrew, 81mins), McVeigh, O'Leary, Hutchison. Subs not used: Davis, Goodall, Beavan, Currie.

Ref: Anthony Bates
Att: 8,375 (away 466)

Full-time from The Den
 Match Information
 
  Millwall Luton
Goals : 0 0
Possession : 48% 52%
Shots On Target : 1 3
Shots Off Target : 10 3
Corners : 6 4
Fouls : 12 12
Most Fouls : Savage (4) Hutchison (2)
Yellow Cards : 0 0
Red Cards : 0 0
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