Millwall fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Lincoln City at The Den on Saturday. The result halts a recent slide and keeps the Lions 11th in the Championship standings with 14 points from 10 games.
Lincoln stunned the home crowd by scoring twice inside the first half hour. Andrei Coubiș opened the scoring after just one minute, and Robert Street added a second in the 33rd minute. Millwall's first-half display was widely criticised, with manager Alex Neil describing it as "really poor." He told reporters, "The first half was probably as poor as we've been since I've been here."
The comeback
The second half brought a dramatic shift. Kyrell Lisbie, who had six attempts in total, sparked the revival with a left-footed finish in the 63rd minute. The momentum swung further Millwall's way when Jake Cooper rose to head home an 82nd-minute equaliser from a corner. Cooper's all-round performance, which included winning seven aerial duels and regaining 12 possessions, earned him the Player of the Match award. Lincoln's task was made harder when Deji Elerewe was sent off with a straight red card just two minutes after Cooper's goal for a dangerous high challenge on Millwall's Japhet Tanganga.
League context
The point leaves Millwall's league position unchanged at 11th, with a record of four wins, two draws, and four defeats. Their recent form reads one win, three draws, and one loss from the last five outings. The team has scored 16 goals and conceded the same number this season. Top scorer Lyall Dykes has netted four of those goals in his 10 appearances. Millwall will travel without several key players, with Joe Coburn, Casper De Norre, Romain Esse, Marko Ivanovic, Lukas Jensen, and Massimo Luongo all currently sidelined injuries.
Lincoln manager Chris Cohen found positives in his team's start despite the late collapse. "Loads of positives, especially in the way we started, coming off a really emotional week," he said, referencing a midweek loss to West Ham. The draw saw Lincoln drop from 12th to 16th in the table. Millwall's next match is away to Portsmouth on 24 October fixtures.
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Manager Alex Neil has criticised a key refereeing decision following the 2-2 draw with Lincoln. Neil told reporters that a handball in the build-up to Lincoln's second goal was a "poor decision." He questioned if the official would deem it accidental on the goalline. The result leaves Millwall 12th in the Championship with 15 points from 11 games, having scored and conceded 18 times this season. Their recent form now reads one win, three draws and one loss from the last five.
Lincoln City head coach Chris Cohen told reporters he was "gutted for the fans who came all the way down to south London." He praised his side's excellent performance and start, but said you can never be satisfied after letting a two-goal lead slip. Cohen highlighted missed chances to go 3-0 up and praised his team's defending with ten men. The draw leaves Millwall 12th in the Championship with 15 points, having scored and conceded 18 times this season.
