Swansea City vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
Swansea.com StadiumAttendance15,119.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Millwall at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday; Casper de Norre strikes late as Neil Harris' Lions nick victory in South Wales.
Saturday 26 October 2024 18:26, UK
Casper De Norre struck a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Millwall as Swansea's Sky Bet Championship goal drought continued.
De Norre, just as he had done at Swansea in May, scored the Lions' winner by sweeping home Femi Azeez's cross from eight yards.
It was a fifth consecutive blank for Swansea and Luke Williams' side have now played 525 minutes of football since Ben Cabango scored their last goal on September 29.
The last time Swansea went so long without scoring was February 1996 and another frustrating afternoon unfolded against circumspect opponents.
Millwall created few chances in extending their unbeaten run to four games, but one point was turned into three as Belgian midfielder De Norre scored his second Lions goal - both coming at Swansea.
Millwall had not won away in the league since beating the Swans on the final day of last season.
The Lions had their own scoring issues, managing only two in four games, and were content to sit deep in the early stages as Swansea huffed and puffed.
Zan Vipotnik saw a half-opening snuffed out by Japhet Tanganga's alert defending before Ronald drove wide from 20 yards.
Swansea got into some promising positions but their finishing was untidy.
Liam Cullen blazed over from a cleverly-worked free-kick and the Wales striker then headed Josh Key's cross over.
The best moment of a low-quality first period arrived halfway through it when Cabango shrugged off Duncan Watmore to win possession.
Cabango found Vipotnik and the Slovenia striker gave Jake Cooper the slip before unleashing a powerful shot that Lukas Jensen did well to tip around a post.
Millwall were non-existent as an attacking force until Cooper header over Romain Esse's cross just after the half-hour mark.
Swansea appealed for a penalty when Ronald and Ryan Leonard collided three minutes before the interval, but referee John Busby waved play on.
Both sides showed greater adventure at the start of the second half, with Myles Peart-Harris finding Josh Tymon down Swansea's left flank.
Tymon crossed and Key, swapping his usual right-hand station for the left, slid in but was denied by the legs of Jensen.
Millwall also forced a couple of corners, with Esse's trickery their main source of danger, but the Lions were often let down by the final pass or shot.
Swansea stepped up the pressure in the final quarter, with Key breezing past two opponents and forcing a fine save from Jensen, who also showed sound positional sense to keep out Peart-Harris at his near post.
Substitute Florian Bianchini and Joe Allen were denied by a brilliant Jensen double save before De Norre sent the small band of travelling fans wild by finishing expertly right in front of them.
Swansea's Luke Williams:
"I am not sure what more we need to do to score a goal, but we didn't and we compounded that by conceding right at the death.
"We have had nearly 70 per cent of the ball in the last three games so there's no lack of confidence.
"There isn't a lack of organisation. We just have to worry about being more clinical.
"I'm fed up with not being (able) to give you (the media) answers. I am fed up with not being able to give the fans what they deserve.
"It's a difficult situation because there doesn't seem to be a huge amount wrong, but there's a lot wrong at the same time if that makes sense."
Millwall's Neil Harris:
"I wouldn't say the subs before the goal made a difference. I did have a bit of banter with them in the changing room that they were terrible when they came on until the goal.
"But that's their job, to impact the game. Whether they play well or not, Casper and Femi impacted the game.
"I made the changes before the game for a reason and I made the right subs. They just didn't play as well as they did when they went on but came up with a brilliant moment."
