Herded like animals, we bleat. Kettled for our safety we boil. It’s bad enough losing to Millwall but to be prevented from reaching the train station “For our Safety” is quite frankly ridiculous.

Any fan who’s been to the Den in recent years understands that South Bermondsey well policed is safe. The trains are safe; it’s London Bridge where the problems begin as the police disappear.

Tempers fray, “You’ll catch the five fifteen”. We don’t. The galvanised gate stays shut. Abuse is hurled at sated Lions making their way home, they don’t care about us and all we care about is leaving.

When the train has gone - the gate opens, blame it on the Police say the Transport Police. Blame it on the Club say the Police. Blame it on the Boogie, Simon Says it makes as much sense.

Earlier a minutes silence impeccably observed only the cranking of the turnstiles and the clickerty-clack of train bogies over joints disturbing the peace.

Disturbing nothing the Rams were unchanged playing 4-4-2 at a slow waltzy pace.

Millwall, started strongly, the better team, with a full head of steam and fire in their bellies they deserved their lead even if the goal itself was disputed. A cross from the left full back, a forward in the centre, the ball runs to Liam Feeney on the right wing and is smashed into the back of the net.

Lions roar yet a chequered flag raised bring howls of protest. We relax, offside.

A posse pursues the officials, Darren Dysdale overturns the decision and the goal stands. The yellow man in the middle ruling presumably that Andy Keogh, the Blue Shirted man in the middle, wasn’t interfering with play despite being the proverbial gnats cock away as the ball flashed past him.

On such things games are decided.

Sometimes.

In truth we are ran ragged. In Chris Wood the home side has a centre forward who wins everything in the air, who ghosts his markers, whose intelligent passing brings others into the game and who tests the goalkeeper at every opportunity.

In Conor Sammon we had none of the above. It was a bad day in the tank for our Fish. Especially when brick outhouse Danny Shittu is all you have to beat.

Millwall though have Liam Trotter, wearing six, he isn’t a number he is a free man. Bossing the midfield and warming Adam Legzdins gloves, he catches the eye as the home side dominate.

Second half we wake up. Will Hughes steers his shot from the edge of the box into the back of the net to level the scores.

We actually look quite good without really troubling their keeper. “So much in control” is laughable but we were on top for a good fifteen minutes. Sometimes that’s all you need.

And as sometimes happens, a substitute is waiting to come on, Michael Jacobs. The Fourth Official has his board in his hands and the Lions score. Craig Bryson tries to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick some six yards from the post, it’s a bad decision, he’s dispossessed, the ball is rolled back and Andy Keogh doesn’t miss those.

Two one down, Jacobs is recalled to the bench.

With nine to go, Jacobs replaces the Fish, it’s 4-5-1 chasing a deficit.

Jacobs, fires off two rasping drives that David Forde struggles to hold, Theo Robinson is first to one of the rebounds only to be sent sprawling in front of us at the feet of Shittu. Drysdale waves away our appeal.

Game over.

The handicapped race to the 18:08 at Kings Cross begins.

Player ratings:

Legzdins 7 - Some good saves and little chance with either goal.

Brayford 7 - An excellent block from Wood, John got forward as much as he could but Millwall had done their homework putting three players on the right hand side to negate the threat of Brayford and Coutts.

Keogh 7 - Found Wood a handful but never gave up.

O’Connor 6 - Another committed performer pulled out of position easily at times. Roberts 6 Given they had three on our right it should have allowed more space on the left, we never utilized that until Jacobs came on.

Coutts 6 - A quiet game see comments under Brayford.

Hughes 7 - A better second half as he became more central. Bryson 6 Below his normal high standard was responsible for being too casual for their winning goal.

Hendrick 6 - Would swop him for Trotter in a flash, Jeff is an honest player but it’s not quite happening at the moment. Sammon 4 A bad day out for Connor, he never looked to leave his markers or find space but rather waited for the ball to find him, not a good choice when you haven’t the pace to beat them when you have the ball, fired two shots high and wide.

Robinson 5 - Hard to remember much about his game other than the penalty near to the end, he worked hard found space and….

Subs: Jacobs (Sammon 81) 7 - If only he had started, nuff said.

*Footnote:

The race was won by running the final hundred yards, literally on board just as the train doors were closing. Seats booked - we flumped down and spent the whole journey being annoyed by the antics of an Arsenal family whose little girl had “Princess” as the name on the back of her first team shirt. I almost wished we’d missed the train!

Photo: Action Images

Derby County Polls