Millwall 3-0 Dagenham & Redbridge: Lions set up fourth round tie against Leeds

Millwall comfortably defeated National League side Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup third round to progress to the fourth round, where they will face Leeds United. Mihailo Ivanoivc opened the scoring with an unusual header while on the ground, followed by a second goal from Casper De Norre. Substitute 20-year-old, Romain Esse, scored his first goal for Millwall.

Following the match, Millwall manager Alex Neil confirmed in an interview with BBC Radio London that attacking midfielder Romain Esse, who had previously been linked with Crystal Palace, was not included in the matchday squad, increasing the likelihood of his transfer. Millwall will travel to Elland Road to face Championship leaders Leeds United on the weekend beginning February 8th (Saturday).

In the match, Millwall enjoyed a nearly 61% share of possession, which is unusual for them. However, for much of the first half, they failed to convert their possession into clear scoring opportunities. Despite a sparse crowd, the away fans created a lively atmosphere, cheering early shots from Joe Bryan and Femi Azeez that went over the bar. In the 30th minute, Ivanoivc headed in from the ground after his volley was saved by Dagenham goalkeeper Elliot Justham, giving Millwall a deserved lead.

Early in the second half, the away side put together a spell of pressure, with Josh Rees' shot being deflected wide for a corner. Millwall then nearly conceded from the resulting corner, with Jack Hession-Harris' volley being held by goalkeeper Lucas Jensen. Ivanoivc missed a chance to extend the lead before De Norre volleyed home at the far post after a deep cross from Bryan to make it 2-0. The highlight of the match came from substitute Bangura-Williams, who, having just signed a long-term contract, sealed the victory with a fine left-footed finish, marking new manager Neil's first win since replacing Neil Harris in late December.

Millwall manager Alex Neil stated in his interview with BBC Radio London, “It was a really good performance. I think the only disappointment was we should have scored more goals in the first half, we created some really good chances. I have to give credit to Dagenham, they made us wait until midway through the second half to get the second goal, which settled us down. It also gave me the opportunity to get some of the younger lads on and see how they do, and they certainly didn’t disappoint – I thought they were excellent.” Regarding Bangura-Williams' goal, Neil said, “He gets away from the center-half, slips past him, and then confidently puts it under the goalkeeper. If you were writing a script before the game, then what happened tonight would be pretty much it, so I’m delighted for everyone.”

Regarding whether the possibility of Esse's transfer to Crystal Palace was greater than last week, Neil said, “Yeah, I think it’s fair to say that.” Dagenham & Redbridge caretaker manager, Lewis Young, said: “I’m a little bit disappointed, at half-time I don’t think the players showed what they’re about. You know, you get a bit of fear when you’re on a big stage and you’ve got a chance to show everyone what you’re about, and you get a bit overawed by the stadium and the opposition. For 20 minutes in the second half, we created a couple of chances and had them really on the back foot. At the end of the day, they’re a Championship team, but I was really proud of that 20-minute spell and the reaction of the players.” On the club's search for a new manager, Young said: “That’s out of my hands. I aspire to be a football manager and I want to be successful. All I can do is help the team as best as I can, which I have done, and maybe it’s down to other people, but I’ll do my best to prepare for the next game.”