Darren Pratley scored the only goal of the game as Bolton Wanderers beat Millwall 1-0 at The Den tonight to move eight points clear of the Championship relegation zone.
Pratley spurned a host of good chances in an end-to-end first half that somehow managed to finish goalless.
However, the big midfielder was on hand to thrash home the winner on 68 minutes as Neil Lennon's side extended their six-game unbeaten run to seven.
Below, read how all the action unfolded in a low-scoring, yet thrilling encounter in London.
Good evening and happy Christmas to you and yours. I'm Shane, but you can call me Sleighbells Shane because, well, tis' the season init. Anywho, I'll be guiding you through what we hope will prove a cracker at The Den for Millwall's clash with Bolton.
Believe it or not but it's only SIX days until that big fat bloke dressed in red (not Wayne Rooney) abseils down our chimneys to leave presents under the tree, but Christmas will come early for one of these sides in the event of victory.
We'll look at why a little later but first let's cracking on some team news? Okay, but first let's whet the appetite with a Christmas sing-song. This is different class. I'm actually in the video - I'm the kid at 2:05 in the blue dungarees.
MILLWALL XI: Forde; Wilkinson, Shittu, Dunne, Malone; Angel, Williams, Gueye; McDonald, Woolford, Gregory
BOLTON XI: Lonergan; Dervite, Mills, Ream; Pratley, Danns, Feeney, Lee, Vela; Hall, Gudjohnsen
MILLWALL SUBS: King, Webster, Briggs, Abdou, Martin, Easter, Fuller
BOLTON SUBS: Bogdan, Moxey, Spearing, Trotter, Wheater, Clough, Wilkinon
Okay we'll start with the hosts then and I can tell you that Lions boss Ian Holloway makes just the one change from that 1-0 win away to Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, with Mark Beevers making way for Alan Dunne in defence.
Lee Gregory, who has four goals this season, spearheads the attack, with Scott McDonald and Martyn Woolford in close support. You'll find Angel, Shaun Williams and Magaye Gueye in midfield, in front of defenders Scott Malone, Danny Shittu, Dunne and Andy Wilkinson, with Irishman David Forde in nets.
Right, on to Bolton now and the BIG news is that Eidur Gudjohnsen makes his first start since re-signing for the Trotters this month. Neil Lennon makes three changes to last week's 0-0 draw at Ipswich Town, with Gudjohnsen and Rob Hall starting up front at the expense of Matt Clayton and Conor Wilkinson.
Josh Vela comes in to replace defender David Wheater, with Chung-Young Lee, Neil Danns, Darren Pratley and Liam Feeney in midfield. Dorian Dervite, Matt Wills and Tim Ream retain their place in defence obviously, while Andy Lonergan continues between the sticks.
What a brilliant player Gudjohnsen was in his day. He scored 104 league goals across spells with Bolton and Chelsea, before forging out a very decent career at Barcelona, where he was apart of that team that won the treble in 2008-09. He's 36 now, but you know what they say about class; it's permanent, and Millwall defenders will have to be alert tonight.
Victory really is massive here, my friends. One of these two teams will move EIGHT points above the relegation zone if they win tonight folks. Yep. They're both five points clear at the moment - Millwall in 20th, two places below Bolton - so we can't really quantify how important a win could be here.
KICKOFF: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off, my friends. It'll be a good game this I reckon.
CHANCE! Wanderers are well and truly knocking on the door here folks as Tim Ream see's his goal- bound header palmed away by David Forde after a very quiet opening first seven minutes or so.
Millwall growing into the game a little more in recent minutes as Scott McDonald finds left-back Malone, but his teasing cross is eventually cleared. Bolton still well on top here, though.
Neil Lennon's side will kick themselves if they don't score at least once. They've been utterly dominant in this half, with Darren Pratley coming close for the visitors again but his goal-bound effort was cleared away.
CHANCE: More pressure from Bolton as Matt Mills heads a Rob Hall free kick straight at David Forde. It's still all Bolton ladies and gents.
BOOKING: Neil Danns goes into the referee's notebook for a late challenge on Shaun Williams.
CLOSE! Oh my, what a sucker-punch that would've been. After absorbing so much Bolton pressure, Millwall very nearly score against the run of play as Lee Gregory latches on to Magaye Gueye's pass before slotting just wide of Andy Lonergan's post. Big, big chance.
Millwall built on that chance and fashioned one or two more half chances to snatch the momentum away from their visitors, but it's all Bolton now again and Forde beats away another Darren Pratley shot. Lennon's side are playing like a team who do not want to be anywhere the bottom three come 2015.
It was 1-1 the last time these two faced off at The Den, but it quite literally could be 2-2 already! Lord knows how it's still goalless.
CHANCE! Yet ANOTHER chance for Wanderers, and it's Pratley again, who hesitates just before pulling the trigger and ends up scuffing his shot wide. The midfielder could've had a hat-trick already tonight.
BOOKING: It's 1-1 in the yellow card stakes now, as Alan Dunne goes into the book for upending Rob Hall. Six minutes left until the break.
We've not seen much of Eidur Gudjohnsen on his second full debut for the Trotters as of yet, but you don't need to see a cobra flash its fangs to know its lethal. He's bound to get one or two chances with the amount of that opportunities they're creating, and with his track record you have to assume he'll be a little more clinical than Pratley or Gregory in this half.
SHOT! Millwall finishing the half on top as Angel wanders into the area unmarked and flashes a half-volley inches wide of the mark.
TWO MINUTES ADDED ON:
HALF TIME: MILLWALL 0-0 BOLTON
Lord only knows how that 45 minutes hasn't spawned a goal as of yet, but that's the reality. Bolton have been well on top, and Darren Pratley will walk off the field believing he should've secured the match ball already after spurning a host of chances.
It hasn't been all one-way traffic, though, as Millwall have fashioned one or two chances themselves, with their top goalscorer Lee Gregory missing the best opportunity of the game perhaps, after slotting wide of Lonergan's post.
As we said prior to kickoff, the winner of this one will move EIGHT points clear of the relegation zone, and as it stands Bolton are far and away the hungrier of both sides. It'll be a bittersweet half for Neil Lennon, who watched his team dominate but they're yet to be rewarded.
Anyways, lash the kettle on and meet me back here in a few minutes for the second half to see if the forcefield around either goal has subsided.
RESTART: Right, so we're back underway at The Den, ladies and gents. I'm willing to stake everything I own on the prospect that we'll see goals in this half. It's inevitable after that first 45. Let's see.
CHANCE: Bolton haven't lost any of that momentum as the visitors go straight on the attack and our friend Pratley heads over the bar from Lee's decent cross. It's really not an exaggeration to say he could've had about four goals tonight.
CLOSE: Bolton go close once more, and it's only Darren Pratley again as the big midfielder curls just wide of the far post. It was nowhere near as clear-cut as his previous misses. #helpPratleyfindthenet
Still all Wanderers so far in this half as Gudjohnsen crosses for Feeney, but the ex-Lion can't find a teammate with a headed pass, while Hall drills a low shot at Forde moments later.
BOOKING: Danny Shittu goes into the book now after bringing down Chung-Young Lee. 2-1 Millwall in yellow cards now folks.
SUBSTITUTION: First sub of the night then, and it's Millwall as the ineffective Scott McDonald makes way for former Stoke man Ricardo Fuller. He's always good for a goal, isn't he?
SUBSTITUTION: Another change by the hosts now as fit-again Lee Martin replaces Magaye Gueye, who was promising at times in that first half. Big call by Holloway.
BLOCK! It's getting a little ridiculous now, but Pratley is at the heart of everything in the final third for Bolton. We've lost count at how many he could've scored by now, but he would've scored this time if not for Alan Dunne, who throws himself in the way of his shot. Dunne replaced Mark Beevers in the first XI so he's certainly vindicating Holloway.
Around 30 minutes to play here at The Den and, remarkably, it's still 0-0. How? God knows. Surely something has to give, though.
SUBSTITUTION: Neil Lennon makes his first change now as Eidur Gudjohnsen makes way for Liam Trotter, another former Millwall man. Gudjohnsen was disappointing in his second full debut, but he is 36 so let's give him a break.
SHOT! And Trotter nearly has an immediate impact on his return to The Den by forcing Forde into a decent low save within moments of coming on. What an introduction that would've been.
OFF THE POST!!! This is just unbelieveable. Rob Hall's effort cannons off the post before rebounding off Forde, but the Irish keeper gets it away before Trotter can convert the loose ball. If Millwall win this, or even take a point, it'll be incredible.
GOAL!!!!! MILLWALL 0-1 BOLTON (Darren Pratley)
It had to be him, didn't it? Good things come to those who wait, and Pratley has waited nearly 70 minutes to grab a goal after previously coming close on about six occasions. He latches on to Lee Chung-Yong's incisive pass before firing past Forde for a thoroughly deserved opening goal. That was coming from the first minute more or less.
Interesting to see what Neil Lennon does now: does he continue on in the same vein, or will he look to hold what Bolton have at some point? Decisions decisions for the Northern Irishman.
The Lions are growing a little more adventerous in their attack now, committing more bodies forward as they look to force an equaliser. Will they get one? Maybe, but you certainly would not back against the Trotters scoring again.
SUBSTITUTION: Final throw of the dice for Holloway now as midfielder Jimmy Abdou replaces defender Andy Wilkinson. 13 minutes remaining. #Gungho.
Do they deserve an equaliser? Not really, no. They've had seven shots, but only one of those has been on target. They haven't done enough so far tonight and, should they lose, Holloway can have little complaint.
It's all Millwall but Bolton are comfortably absorbing all the pressure at the minute. I'm not sure the hosts have the firepower necessary to crowbar their way back into this game, but they've got about 10 minutes in which to prove me wrong. 0-1.
BOOKING: Matt Mills goes into the book for hauling down Martyn Woolford.
SUBSTITUTION: Bolton make their second change now as Conor Wilkinson replaces Rob Hall in what seems pretty much like-for-like. Surprised Lennon hasn't thrown on a defender as of yet.
SHOT! Second-half sub Lee Martin goes close for the hosts, but Longeran is equal to the effort. Four minutes to play and it looks like Bolton are going to hang on.
Sounds like Millwall are going to have a 12th man spurring them toward an equaliser in the closing stages as the home fans make themselves heard
SAVE! What a massive save this is from Lonergan, who races off his line to thwart Woolford from snatching a late equaliser. Huge. Was that the chance?
SAVE! It's all about both goalkeepers now as Bolton break following that Lonergan stop and Forde superbly tips Wilkinson's long drive wide of the post.
FIVE MINUTES ADDED ON: Plenty of time to snatch a point then!
It's backs to the wall for Bolton as they desperately cling on to this slender lead, and as it stands they're doing just that. Two minutes to play.
FULL TIME: MILLWALL 0-1 BOLTON WANDERERS That's it! Bolton hang on to beat Millwall and move EIGHT points clear of the relegation zone in the Championship. What a good result that is for the Trotters, who also extend their six-game unbeaten streak to seven. Neil Lennon is doing a fantastic job.
Anyway, that's all we've got time for tonight folks. Have a lovely weekend and an equally lovely Christmas. Hopefully you've enjoyed the action and we'll see you next time.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
