Wrexham thrash Millwall for 1st win of season
Wrexham got their first win of the Championship season in style as Millwall were swept aside 3-0 at the New Den.
Wrexham got their first win of the Championship season in style as Millwall were swept aside 3-0 at the New Den.
Alex Neil's home side were coming off the back of a chastening 5-1 thrashing by Southampton on Saturday, and their formerly steadfast defense suffered another horror show as their hopes of repeating last season's promotion push were dealt a blow.
After starting with two clean sheets in victories over Bristol City and Norwich, it is now eight goals conceded in two games after Wrexham put them to the sword with some clinical finishing.
Defender Zak Sturge was unfortunate in turning Issa Kabore's effort past his own goalkeeper in the first half, but there was nothing lucky about the goals scored by Phil Parkinson's side after the break as Kieffer Moore and Jacques Ekomie provided excellent finishes to hoist the visitors into the top half of the table.
It means the Welsh side finally got their campaign going after drawing with Cardiff and Watford before losing at home to Birmingham.
"I am pleased to get the first win of the season," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said after the match. "I felt it was deserved. I am pleased with the response after getting beaten by Birmingham.
"In reality we probably should have had more points than we've got, but you've got to respond and I felt like we did.
"Coming to Millwall is one of the hardest grounds to come to. It's about quietening the crowd and trying to get an element of control in the game."
They were the better team throughout. Mark Sykes drilled an effort narrowly wide of the post for Millwall after 11 minutes, the only time they truly threatened.
At the other end, Max Cleworth's header from a deep Matty James free kick sailed harmlessly wide, as neither side offered much in the opening 25 minutes.
There was an element of fortune about the opening goal in the 28th minute. Moore played a through ball to send Kabore clear inside the area. His strike hit Sturge and spun out of the reach of goalkeeper Max Crocombe to hand the visitors the lead.
Lyndon Dykes fired wide on the half-volley in stoppage time at the end of a first half in which the home side carried little threat and rarely troubled Anthony Patterson.
Lewis O'Brien was guilty of a dreadful miss at the start of the second half, leaning back and scooping the ball over the crossbar after being played in 8 yards out by Moore.
But Wrexham would not have long to wait for their second goal as it arrived a minute later. Moore picked up the ball in space 20 yards out and was given time to move it on to his right foot, take aim and send a perfectly placed drive into the bottom corner.
The game was over as a contest with just over 20 minutes to go. Substitute Danny Imray got free down the right and pulled the ball back to near the penalty spot where Ekomie was waiting, evading the attention of Jake Cooper to sweep a finish into the corner and wrap up the win as home supporters began to stream out of the stadium.
It marked Wrexham's biggest margin of victory since returning to the second tier just over a year ago.
"Coming here, you've got to be ready," said Parkinson. "The mentality has to be strong, the character has to be right.
"I've played here many times myself, I've managed here a lot of times, and if there are certain boxes not ticked, you come away with nothing."
