By Joe Collins
Hull City’s Under-21s came moments away from securing a point at the MKM Stadium, losing 3-2 to Millwall in their second league game of the season.
The last time these two sides faced off against each other, it was down in SE16 in the promotion play off semi-final at the end of last season. Despite goals from Raj Palit, Will Jarvis and Harry Wood; the Tigers fell to defeat at The Den and were denied the chance to face Sheffield United U21s in the final.
Manager Conor Sellars made two changes from the side that beat Charlton Athletic U21s at the MKM Stadium in the season opener. Xavier Simons and Ajay Weston dropped out, replaced by Nathan Tinsdale and Kyle Fanning. New signing Tyrell Sellars-Fleming was named among the substitutes. Notably, the former Scunthorpe United striker was named alongside a trialist Stan Ashbee (son of former Hull City captain Ian Ashbee).
The Tigers started the first half on the front foot, with Olly Green’s passing range acting as the architect of a series of chances in the first 15 minutes. After receiving the ball from Green, Sincere Hall went on a mazy run. This run was curtailed by a foul, but the ball fell to Henry Sandat – who rifled a shot towards goal which forced Millwall goalkeeper Ethan Wady into a diving save. Three minutes later, Green found Hall running in behind. The Bermuda international spent too much time getting the ball under control and, when he eventually got his shot off, it was blocked away by a crowd of Millwall players around him.
On the 11th minute mark, Green lofted a pass over the Millwall defence. Sandat raced onto the ball and beat a few defenders before attempting to round the goalkeeper and slot into an empty net. Wady brought Sandat down in the 6-yard area, and the former Southend United striker forcefully hit his penalty down the middle of the goal to give Hull City the lead and score his second in as many games.
Following this, the game very quickly turned against Hull City due goalkeeper Owen Foster being sent off. Foster mis-controlled the ball outside of his area and pulled down Abdul Abdulmalik just inside the box to prevent a certain goal. Referee Helen Conley pointed to the spot and showed Foster the red card with Under-18s goalkeeper George Wilson being brought on in place of Sincere Hall.
Tom Leahy scored the resulting penalty for The Lions, with Wilson diving the wrong way.
Up until the interval, it was “one-way-traffic” in favour of the visitors, with City making a series of last-ditch blocks and Abdulmalik spurning several chances for Millwall.
The second half started in a similar manner, with Wilson being forced into a save from a close-range effort by Seb Drodz after 7 minutes, and Nino Adom-Malaki missing a chance with 56 minutes played.
Three minutes after this missed chance, Millwall took a deserved lead. A cross from the right flank was parried into the air at the front post by Wilson and Leahy headed home the rebound from a few yards out.
This goal seemed to wake Hull City up a bit, and they grew more into the game again. Vaughn Covil’s powerful effort from 25 yards out forced Wady into a diving save low down to his right, and Alfie Taylor was denied by a last-ditch block by Malaki.
Jevon Mills levelled the game again in the 74th minute. Covil was brought down 25 yards from goal, and Mills stepped up to take the free kick. Taken with his right foot, his driven effort flew past a diving Wady and into the top corner. The cheers from the Hull City bench could be heard for miles around, and seeing a centre-back score such an outstanding free kick stunned some members of the crowd into silence.
City, at this stage, felt that taking all three points from this game was more than possible. Jim Simms and Tyrell Sellars-Fleming were brought on, and Hull City were on the front foot. Almost immediately, Sellars-Fleming latched onto the end of a volleyed cross from the left by Olly Green. His header landed on the roof of the net. Simms also came close but failed to divert a header by Jevon Mills past Wady.
In the fourth minute of five added on, Millwall found their winner. Kamarl Grant rose highest in the penalty area and his headed effort clipped the inside of the post and found the back of the net.
In the final minute of the game, Kyle Fanning met Olly Green’s cross from the left wing but saw his powerful headed effort claimed by Wady.
Hull City: Foster (GK); Fanning, Mills, Taylor, Johnson; Palit (Sellars-Fleming 77’), Green (C) Tinsdale (Trialist 72’), Hall (Wilson {GK} 19’); Sandat (Simms 77’), Covil.
Unused Substitutes: Ashbee.
Millwall: Wady (GK); Smith (C), Grant, O. Evans (Stephenson 98’), Adom-Malaki; Walker, Cotton, Lawson, Drozd; Leahy (Hearn 84’), Abdulmalik.
Unused Substitutes: G. Evans (GK), Massey, Bangura-Williams.
