Millwall 1-1 Cardiff City: Harris takes a point on Den return

Millwall's Ben Thompson battles for possession with Cardiff City's Joe Ralls

Neil Harris took a point on his first return to Millwall after Kieffer Moore's goal salvaged a draw for Cardiff City.

Harris was back at the Den for the first time since leaving the Millwall manager's job in October 2019.

The Lions' all-time leading goalscorer seemed set for a miserable afternoon until Moore's low shot cancelled out Matt Smith's first-half header.

Millwall are left without a victory in four matches, while Gary Rowett's team have won just once in six home Championship games this season.

Cardiff have won only one of their last seven league outings, though they were grateful for the late rally which saved them from defeat and saw them climb a place to 15th. Millwall remain ninth.

The contest took a while to get going, with two sides who had not been in great form prior to the international break toiling early on.

There was barely a sniff of an opening goal before Millwall broke the deadlock when Shaun Williams floated the ball into the Cardiff penalty area.

Bluebirds keeper Alex Smithies came off his line but got nowhere near claiming the cross, meaning the towering Smith had the simple task of heading into the empty net as he rose above Curtis Nelson.

Smith's third goal of the season was a welcome boost to the Lions, who had not found the target in their last three Championship games.

But it was another setback for Cardiff, whose only sight of a first-half goal came just before the break when Bartosz Bialkowski did well to push Robert Glatzel's header over the bar.

Millwall wasted a golden opportunity to double their advantage early in the second period as the unmarked Ben Thompson headed Jed Wallace's cross over the top from six yards out.

Kieffer Moore scored his fourth Cardiff goal of the season

But Cardiff finally began to threaten as the game opened up, with Moore, Glatzel and Joe Bennett missing the target before ex-Bluebird Scott Malone's loose ball led to the equaliser.

Josh Murphy played a fine through ball to Moore, who drove forward and saw his left-foot effort roll into the bottom corner thanks in part to a touch off the boot of the sliding Jake Cooper.

Cardiff might have won it as Harry Wilson and Moore drew fine saves from Bialkowski, before Millwall wasted their own big opportunity to claim all three points as Jon Dadi Bodvarsson shot wide.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett:

"We go 1-0 up - a great ball in from Willo (Shaun Williams) to Smudge (Matt Smith). We probably didn't put enough balls in like that today. I think Cardiff are a good side - they are always going to give you problems on the ball.

"First half at times because we perhaps couldn't put enough pressure on high up the pitch for different reasons, they can play round that and your wingers end up in a bit of a back six.

"Then we miss the chance which probably seals the game. Then just before Cardiff scored we were probably at our most comfortable.

"Then of course we make a mistake for the goal. It is what it is. We are a team. Whether it's people missing chances or making mistakes, we just get on with it together.

Cardiff City manager Neil Harris:

"Let's get the disappointment out of the way with the goal we conceded. We were disappointed to be behind in a game that had nothing in it first half.

"Then second half we didn't get going for 15 minutes until we made the sub and changed to a 4-2-3-1. Then we looked really threatening and I thought did enough to win the game.

"Curtis and Alex have held their hands up (over Millwall's goal) - lack of communication. We have just got to make sure we cut out those errors.

"We threw to the caution to the wind. We passed the ball really well at times - got between the lines. I understand it's another game without a win and we want to win games of football."