Millwall 3-0 Ipswich Town: Millwall make light work of Championship's bottom side
- Published
Lee Gregory netted a goal in each half for Millwall in their dominant victory
New Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert watched from the stands as Millwall inflicted another defeat on the Championship's bottom side.
A Lee Gregory brace and Ryan Leonard's goal gave Millwall a convincing home victory hours after Lambert was confirmed as the Suffolk club's new boss.
Gregory opened the scoring midway through the first half when he volleyed home inside the six-yard box from a corner.
The striker doubled the advantage after the break with his fifth league goal of the season following a long throw-in from Leonard.
Leonard then added further insult to injury with a third, lofting the ball into a vacant net from outside the penalty area as Ipswich goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski failed to punch clear.
Ipswich are three points adrift at the foot of the table and five from safety with just one win to their name all season. Millwall's third win in their last four matches moves them up two places to 18th.
It was the first time the Lions had recorded consecutive Championship victories since April and Ipswich's shyness in attack also handed them a first home clean sheet of the season.
Bryan Klug took caretaker charge of Ipswich at The Den after the club sacked Paul Hurst on Thursday, less than 150 days since he was appointed in May.
Former Norwich manager Lambert will assume full-time control from Sunday before they host Preston next weekend, but he will have had an uncomfortable afternoon watching some poor set-piece defending.
Millwall centre-back Jake Cooper twice won flick-ons inside the Ipswich area to lay on Gregory's two goals, while indecision between Luke Chambers and Bialkowski led to Leonard punishing the keeper's poor clearance.
Millwall manager Neil Harris:
"I think [a big win] has been due with our performances, although that wasn't our best.
"I thought it was extremely professional. We could have played better when we were 3-0 up but I don't give a damn about that - I wanted a clean sheet and the defenders and team wanted a clean sheet.
"It wasn't easy for Ipswich in the position they are in and with the transition to a new manager here today but it wasn't easy for us either.
"You are not sure who you are going to face. But without being at our best we were clinical and to give up very few opportunities was a very good performance in the Championship.
"We had a tough September. We're not the finished article. We are not going to keep getting results just because that is what has happened in the last three years."
Ipswich Town caretaker manager Bryan Klug told BBC Radio Suffolk:
"It was exactly what we expected here at The Den and we conceded goals from situations we knew would occur.
"It's something if we don't cut it out at this level...then you're going to struggle.
"I could see some things I think can be developed, but ultimately you're looking at quality in both boxes and winning important headers and challenges and we are finding that difficult at the moment.
"Working on the training field can rectify that and obviously the new manager will come in and he's going to find a way of turning this club round and winning games of football."