Sean Dyche's second-half goal salvaged a point for Millwall against 10-man
Birmingham to move the Lions into third place in the First Division table.
The defender headed home midway through the second half, after the visitors
had midfielder Curtis Woodhosue sent off, to cancel out Tommy Mooney's
first-half strike.
It was Steve Bruce's first visit to London since he quit the Lions' south
London neighbours Crystal Palace to take the St Andrews manager's post last
month.
But it looked as if it would be an unhappy return to the capital as a rampant
Millwall side, intent on earning all three points to move into one of the
automatic promotion spots, dominated from the start.
Lions' striker Neil Harris, starting only his second game since winning his
battle against testicular cancer, came close to creating the opening goal on six
minutes.
He weaved his way into the box before delivering a low cross to Steve
Claridge, who was bundled to the ground, but referee Phil Dowd waved away
penalty appeals.
Millwall piled on the pressure and it was Harris who nearly broke the deadlock
after 21 minutes.
He ghosted past the City defence but his close-range shot was saved by
goalkeeper Ian Bennett, before David Burrows cleared the ball off the line.
Claridge found himself one-on-one with Bennett, via Marc Bircham's
through-ball, but the Blues shot stopper palmed the Millwall striker's shot
away.
But for all their possession the home side failed to find an opening and they
were severely punished in first-half injury time when Mooney struck the opening
goal.
The former Watford striker collected the rebound off the wall from his own
free-kick and hit a 25-yard left-foot volley into the top corner of Tony
Warner's goal.
Mark McGhee's side applied the pressure in the second half as they went in
search of the equaliser, but again the Lions lacked the finishing touch.
But the complexion of the game was changed midway through the half when City
substitute Woodhouse was sent off for a foul on Matt Lawrence.
From the free-kick the ball was headed on and Sean Dyche beat Bennett to head
into the net and earn Millwall a point.
Birmingham had a chance to take all three points but were denied when Geoff
Horsfield's low curling left-foot shot came back off Warner's right-hand post
with the keeper well beaten.
Teams:
Millwall: Warner, Lawrence, Nethercott, Dyche, Ryan, Reid,
Livermore, Bircham (Odunsi 68), Bull (Kinet 68), Claridge,
Harris.
Subs Not Used: Gueret, Ward, Braniff.
Booked: Dyche.
Goals: Dyche 70.
Birmingham: Bennett, Kenna, Purse, Vickers, Burrows, Eaden,
O'Connor, Bak (Woodhouse 64), Mooney,
Horsfield (Andrew Johnson 82), Marcelo (Hughes 70).
Subs Not Used: Vaesen, Gill.
Sent Off: Woodhouse (67).
Booked: Bak, O'Connor, Horsfield.
Goals: Mooney 45.
Att: 11,856
Ref: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).
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