With the travel restrictions placed on the game a great number of City fans (including me) missed the opening minutes of the game. Tony Warner was given plenty of stick from the home fans, with a "lively" atmosphere being created by the two sets of fans.
It was clear from the outset that Wise and Morris in midfield were going to get stuck in, and it was niggly stuff at times.
City attacked well on the break, and largely contained Tessem and Hayles up front for Millwall. McAnuff had a great run from the half way line halted by a last ditch tackle, and it was a great goal that opened the scoring for us. A lovely diagonal ball from Thorne played O'Neil in on the right side of the box. An average player would have lashed at it first time, but Gary O'Neil cut inside and dinked the ball superbly over the diving goalkeeper to give City the lead. It was a fantastic finish from one of the best midfielders I have ever seen in a City shirt.
Half time 1-0 to Cardiff and all well with the world.
Millwall swapped to 4-3-3 second half with Neil Harris coming on, and their adventure got immediate rewards when the ball was cut back for Tessem to turn home from close range.
The second half was very open, but the home side were getting well stuck in and a number of yellow cards for their players were well deserved.
We took the lead again when Alan Lee headed home from close range after a well played corner. He seemed to be in a right tangle with his marker and Stack in the home goal, but somehow the goal stood and we were in the lead. I hoped we could push on and claim the win, but it wasn't to be as a far post free kick saw Darren Williams overloaded and Harris headed home well across Warner to make it 2-2.
Both sides had a go at winning the game, City's best chance coming when O'Neil broke through and beat a couple of men before pulling the ball back against a Millwall arm, but Alan Lee couldn't finish it off. The Irish international then ended up in an altercation in the six yard box that somewhat unfairly saw him booked.
A well earned point, but we need to start turning these performances into wins at some stage. Home games against Leicester and West Ham to come won't be easy either. We are out of the bottom three though, as Forest lost and fell into the relegation places.
Nigel's report to follow...