Millwall 2 (Gregory 13, Cooper 72)
Wolves 2 (Jota 90+4, Saiss 56)
Helder Costa returned to the starting line-up as the only change to Nuno’s team with Leo Bonatini dropping down to the bench. Millwall included former Molineux midfielders Jed Wallace and George Saville.
Millwall kicked-off attacking the end of the Den that housed over 1,700 supporters who had made the early start to the trek south.
Costa’s fourth minute drive was deflected behind for a corner taken short by Ivan Cavaleiro to Barry Douglas whose cross was nodded behind for another flag-kick.
This time Douglas took the kick himself but the ball was cleared upfield to Tom Elliott who was in full flight when Cavaleiro clattered into him – an action that resulted in an inevitable yellow card for the Wolves man
Wallace curled a shot into the arms of John Ruddy from the edge of the area before Costa laid the ball into the path of Matt Doherty. He raced into the Millwall box and hit a powerful drive that Jordan Archer did well to keep out at the near post.
But from the corner conceded, taken by Douglas, Millwall took a 13th minute lead. The ball was quickly cleared upfield to Wallace who advanced before hitting a low cross that was turned home by Lee Gregory.
It was almost two, moments later, when Aiden O’Brien diverted the ball inches wide of the far post after a cross from Saville.
Shaun Williams went into the book after catching Romain Saiss before James Meredith had to volley over his own crossbar to clear Diogo Jota’s centre from the left.
Ruben Neves, with a slide rule pass, gave Costa a one on one opportunity with Marshall – a battle that the keeper won by spreading his body and blocking.
Costa then fired over the bar from just outside the area before Connor McLaughlin saw yellow for an untidy challenge on Douglas.
Wolves were asking questions of the home defence and a crossfield pass from Conor Coady gave Doherty the chance to pull the ball back into the path of Cavaleiro but, from 20-yards, he sidefooted well wide.
Millwall almost grabbed a second in stoppage time with Jake Cooper heading narrowly wide from Williams’s corner.
Wanderers deserved an equaliser and it arrived in the fourth minute of added time. Cavaleiro was lying in a heap just inside the Millwall area but play continued and Costa, with a brilliant turn and burst of pace, got to the by-line and hit a low cross that Jota converted from point blank range into the top corner.
Half-Time: Lions 1 Wolves 1
Cavaleiro failed to appear for the new half and his place was taken by Bonatini.
Millwall twice went close to regaining the advantage in the 48th minute. A lucky rebound put Gregory through on goal but Ruddy was quickly off his line to get a vital deflection. From Williams’s corner, once again, Cooper was uncomfortably close with a header.
Saiss was booked for a late challenge on Wallace but the Moroccan midfielder was soon celebrating as he gave his side the lead.
Jota’s cross forced Costa wide but he controlled the ball and laid it back to Saiss who hit a stunning shot from fully 25-yards in front of the delighted away support.
A snapshot from Neves was too hot for Archer but as the ball bounced away from the keeper there wasn’t a Wolves player near enough to ‘finish the job off’.
Roderick Miranda was a 68th minute replacement for Willy Boly.
Coady became the third Wolves man to see yellow when he conceded a foul just outside his own area = Williams hit the free-kick high over Ruddy’s bar.
Millwall drew level in the 72nd minute following a Williams corner. Substitute Mahlon Romeo, on for McLaughlin, headed the ball up and Shaun Hutchinson then nodded it across the face of goal to Cooper.
The tall central defender was lurking at the back stick and he managed to squeeze the ball into the net.
A final Wolves change saw Alfred N’Diaye taking over from Costa.
As the game entered into its final stages, Wolves pressed hard for a winner. N’Diaye fired over after the home defence had failed to clear and, after Hutchinson had been booked for fouling Jota, Archer produced a tremendous save to keep out Douglas’s free-kick.
From the corner conceded, taken by Douglas, Doherty headed over and seconds later the whistle signalled that the game had finished with honours even.
Millwall: Archer, McLaughlin (Romeo 52), Meredith, Hutchinson (capt), Williams, Gregory, Wallace, Elliott (Morison 60), O’Brien (Tunnicliffe 82), Saville, Cooper.
Unused subs: Martin, Craig, Thompson, Onyedinma.
Bookings: Williams (15 – foul), McLaughlin (33 – foul), Hutchindson (90+3 – foul).
Wolves: Ruddy, Doherty, Douglas, Coady, Bennett, Boly (Miranda 68), Costa (N’Diaye 80), Saiss, Jota, Neves, Cavaleiro (Bonatini 45).
Unused subs: Norris, Batth, Enobakhare, Vinagre.
Bookings: Cavaleiro (6 – foul), Saiss (55 – foul), Coady (69 – foul).
Referee: T. Robinson.
Attendance: 13,121.
