By PA Sport Staff
Click here for full match stats
Tony Craig scored on his home debut to send Millwall on the way to a victory
which rounded off their promising end to the season in style.
Although a sequence of six victories in eight games was not enough to lift
them into the play-offs, Mark McGhee won the manager of the month award for
April and things look bright at the New Den if departures can be kept to a
minimum during the summer.
Craig is one of a number of fine young players McGhee has brought through and
eight days after his league bow at Nottingham Forest the defender scored his
first senior goal five minutes into the second half, with Tim Cahill adding the
second.
Until Craig broke the deadlock the game had proved poor end-of-season fare
with neither side having anything to play for and shots at goal were rare before
the break, Darren Ward squandering the best chance for Millwall when he blasted
the ball over the crossbar from close range.
But the Lions, for whom Neil Harris had a header saved by Gary Montgomery,
looked much the better team and it was no surprise when they went ahead early in
the second period. Craig was played in by Andy Roberts and his first-time
left-foot shot deflected off Montgomery into the net.
Three minutes later, highly-rated Australian midfielder Cahill made it 2-0.
Harris headed the ball against the post and Cahill was on hand to tap home the
rebound.
The goals made it a much more open and entertaining contest and both
goalkeepers produced fine stops in the last half-hour, Montgomery from Paul
Ifill and substitute Moses Ashikodi, while Warner did even better to keep out
strongly-hit efforts from Coventry player-manager Gary McAllister and Mo
Konjic.
Coventry's defeat meant they failed to win any of their last 12 games of the
season and they have not scored a goal in 496 minutes of football.
Teams
Millwall: Warner, Lawrence, Nethercott, Ward, Craig (Ryan 81),
Ifill, Cahill, Roberts, Livermore, Harris (Claridge 81),
McCammon (Ashikodi 18).
Subs Not Used: Gueret, Elliott.
Booked: Harris, Cahill, Craig.
Goals: Craig 51, Cahill 54.
Coventry: Montgomery, Davenport, Caldwell, Konjic, Whing,
McAllister, Engonga (Noon 82), Osbourne (Shaw 66),
Gordon (Stanford 73), Jansen, Pipe.
Subs Not Used: Brush, Cooney.
Booked: Stanford.
Att: 9,220
Ref: E Wolstenholme (Lancashire).
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