Newcastle progress as Joe Willock strikes late to see off Millwall

Joe Willock scored the only goal of this boisterous, fun, slightly vague early-season cup tie, finishing neatly on 81 minutes. Although by the end there was a sense both sets of fans were more or less happy with the result. Millwall for the vigour of the performance. Newcastle for the result, the clean sheet and any signs of early progress in the dawning of the age of Jaissle-ball.

This was a significant game for Newcastle, who have been excitingly direct at times under their twinkly new manager, with his much-trailed blueprint for hyper-vertical attack, rapid transition, and getting it forward quick-smart to the lads up front. But they still need to groove the system. They might also only really have the cups to go for this year.

Millwall also aren’t sure what they are just yet this season, but this is more to do with injuries. They currently have 13 players out, which is at least an improvement on the previous 15. Absurdly, Alex Neil has already come under some pressure after a couple of losses. Football needs its irrational edge. But there is also a limit.

Matthias Jaissle selected a strong starting eleven, with Jacob Ramsey in on the right for the early-season hot-hands Anthony Elanga. Millwall made seven changes to the zombified remains of a team that has been staggering around the country in the opening few weeks.

At kick-off the sky was still a deep blackish blue above the lip of the Dockers Stand, the lighted windows of London commuter trains trundling past the Den’s unfilled corners. And the Den was its usual self, a ground that always manages somehow to generate that unique crackle of nonchalant hostility, no matter how much of an afterthought the game might be, or no matter how midweek the crowd (and this one was decent).

Newcastle had most of the ball early on, but looked like what they are, a team still finding it shapes and rhythms. “They are PONY, Wall!” was one measured home fan assessment of the Jaissle project at this early stage. Newcastle’s manager does have a very precise idea of the patterns and tempo-shifts he wants from his team. This kind of systems-play can lead to loose, drifting periods in the early stages.

But Newcastle did settle and start to dominate possession. Yohan Wissa looked nippy and elusive running from a slightly withdrawn central role. Joe Willock had the first real chance, snatching the ball from Romain Esse deep in the right back zone and shooting powerfully but too close to Filip Marschall.

In return Millwall offered graft, full-stretch defence and two deep banks of four in the classic old school style. With 36 minutes gone Caleb Taylor headed just wide charging on to a nicely flighted free-kick, their first effort at goal. And by half-time this had become something more like a cup tie as Millwall pressed down the left, ratted and pressed nicely in midfield, and delivered some ominously potent set pieces.

Tino Livramento came on for Amar Dedic after the break. But it was Millwall who began at a clip, a zinging low cross from the right creating a scramble under the Newcastle bar, the ball eventually falling to Jenson Metcalfe, who shot with real power but just over the bar. After which it was more diffuse pressure, more hustle without any real sense of edge from Newcastle. Most teams would feel the absence of a midfielder of Bruno Guimarães’ passing quality. This one definitely does.

And for a while this looked like it was, a game of cup football between two chop and change teams, no lack of energy, collisions, movement, but an absence of incision, or even real incident, all feints and ducks and grapples, like a boxer warming up in the mirror. And at the hour mark Newcastle had 70% possession and 17 shots at goal, but somehow Millwall’s collection of slightly hurled together bit part players looked more likely to create a telling chance.

Anthony Elanga was on by now, a measure of Newcastle’s desire to get this done. Again it was Millwall who again came closest, Tairyk Arconte, a real menace on the right, hitting the post with a shot that pinged back on to Lukas Hornicek and somehow stayed out.

But moments later Newcastle scored with their first real moment of quality near goal. It was a lovely move to make it. Matias Fernandez-Pardo produced the key pass, a cute little shimmy and nudge outside to Lewis Hall. His cross found Willock in the centre, who finished it with a smart little side-foot shot across the face of goal.

Millwall continued to press, without really managing to find space near goal. And by the end there was a concerted wave of noise coming from the full half-end of Newcastle fans, for whom the journey home from Bermondsey into Wednesday morning would at least be a happy one