Promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest were made victims of their third-most-heaviest defeat of the season after a dreadful first-half showing. Matt Smith finished the game with three goals.
Matt Smith Hat-Trick Defeats Nottingham Forest In Poor Showing Against Millwall
Lions Slaughter Reds In Dominant Performance
Sabri Lamouchi’s side entered the side eight points adrift of the automatic promotion spots but three goals from Matt Smith in the final 25 minutes of the first half left them with too much to do after the break.
An outsider may have seen the two sides’ respective run of forms, each including a series of draws, but this had no makings of a bore draw from the first minute.
The result will come as a huge boost to Gary Rowett’s hopes of taking Millwall to the play-offs and will be an almighty shock to Forest, who could well face the Lions in a battle to get promoted come May.
First Half
This fixture was jam-packed full of significance and it was evident by the explosive nature of their starts.
Both sides had chances in the opening ten minutes. First Mahlon Romeo had a shot blocked for the visitors; Joao Carvalho then had a strong effort saved by Bartosz Bialkowski after dancing his way through the Millwall defence.
Chances continued to flow as the game progressed but it was the Lions who were on top.
Gary Rowett’s side came close to scoring when a low cross from Jed Wallace met Matt Smith in the middle, but Joe Worrall hastily cleared the danger.
The hosts were not as privy to the danger nine minutes later though when Wallace’s pin-point delivery was headed well beyond Brice Samba by the on-rushing Smith to open the scoring.
Millwall had to wait just six minutes to double their lead when another left-wing cross, this time by Mason Bennett, was turned over the line by a subtle deflection by Smith on Jayson Molumby’s strike.
Smith sealed his hat-trick with a strong header at the far-post, nodding in Shane Ferguson’s right-wing corner under poor marking from the hosts.
The hosts produced a truly awful first-half performance as they rarely showed any attacking integrity.
Second Half
Forest provided much more in the second half.
Carvalho had a call for a penalty waved away when he went down under pressure from Shaun Hutchinson – it would have been soft had referee Geoff Eltringham pointed to the spot.
Lolley and Sammy Ameobi took sight of goal in a busy first ten minutes but hardly threatened Bialkowski.
Substitute John Bostock tested Millwall’s Polish keeper’s reactions midway through the half but it never looked dangerous.
Bostock produced another long-range strike, that threatened Bialkowski more, but it was too little too late as Forest remained unable to break Millwall’s threshold.
Verdict
This was an all-round lacklustre performance from Forest.
They should have, at least, managed a draw coming into this game but they just failed to get a grasp of the game.
Apart from the opening few minutes, Forest were second to every pass, tackle and clearance.
Millwall, on the other hand, dominated from virtually the first minute.
They were clinical in attack and, when Forest created a rare attack, Bialkowski was equal to any kind of effort.
If they manage to sneak into the play-offs, Gary Rowett’s side will certainly be one to be reckoned with.
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