Cambridge United gave as good as they got in their pre-season fixture against Millwall at the Abbey Stadium, with the Lions scoring two headers through Tom Elliott and Jake Cooper in the final quarter of the game to win 0-2.
United felt their way into the game early on, as the Lions took early control of possession. However the U’s kept good defensive discipline and shape to reduce Millwall to minimal chances on goal.
Ade Azeez looked lively throughout the first 45 minutes and twice came close to finding an opener, with a volley on the end of a David Amoo cross sailing fractions over Jordan Archer’s cross bar.
United’s centre back partnership George Taft and Greg Taylor were a constant threat for attacking corners for the U’s, with the latter forcing a great save from Archer at his near post midway through the half.
Meanwhile at the other end David Forde, playing against the side he made over 300 appearances for earlier in his career, produced two fantastic reaction saves in quick succession to deny Lee Gregory with the Lions’ best chances of the half.
Joe Dunne’s men had the ball in the back of the Millwall net six minutes into the second period with Azeez guiding the ball over the line, only for referee Alan Young to pull play back for an earlier foul and chalk off the effort.
Shane Ferguson clipped the top of David Forde’s cross bar from a dipping free kick for Millwall shortly after the hour mark.
United made their full change up on 70 minutes, as every outfield player switched, so that the U’s lined up with John, Goode, Darling, Norville-Williams, Osadebe, Squire, Brown, Foy, Dunk and Corr for the final 20 minutes.
Former U Tom Elliott broke the deadlock with 16 minutes to play as he nodded in at the far post, after Jake Cooper’s initial header had bounced off the front post and into the striker’s path.
However, Cooper did find the net for Neil Harris’ men six minutes later though when his diving header had just too much on it for David Forde to be able to grasp it away from goal, doubling Millwall’s eventual win.
Cambridge United: Forde, Carroll (Norville-Williams, 70 min), Taft (Darling, 63 mins), Taylor (Goode, 70 min), Davies (John, 70 mins), O’Neil (Osadebe, 70min), Maris (Squire, 70 mins), Lambe (Foy, 70 mins), Amoo (Dunk, 70 min), Knowles, Azeez (63 min)
Millwall: Archer, McLaughlin (Meredith, 62 mins), Hutchinson (M.Wallace, 62 mins), Cooper, Williams, Wallace (Onyedinma, 76 mins), Thompson, Gregory (Morison, 76 mins), Ferguson, Romeo (Brown, 84 mins), Elliott
Attendance: 1,312 (394)