Hull City vs Millwall. Sky Bet Championship.
MKM StadiumAttendance20,009.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Hull City and Millwall at the MKM Stadium on Saturday | The Tigers and the Lions play out goalless draw as both stay winless.
Saturday 24 August 2024 15:36, UK
Hull and Millwall remain winless in the Sky Bet Championship this season following a low-quality goalless draw at the MKM Stadium.
Neil Harris will be the happier of the two managers as the robust visitors were well organised from the outset and deserved their first point of the new campaign.
Hull, who have now drawn their first three Championship games, had their moments and were more pleasing on the eye than Millwall.
But they lacked quality up front, and only twice significantly tested goalkeeper Lukas Jensen.
Millwall began brightly, with former Hull midfielder George Honeyman a particular nuisance for the hosts.
Honeyman's role was clearly to stop his opponents playing out from the back, and he did so with aggression and efficiency .
Millwall also sensed Hull lacked aerial presence, with a flurry of first-half corners and Ryan Leonard's long throw-ins causing disquiet within the Tigers' backline.
Harris must have been satisfied with his side's start but would have been far happier had George Saville converted on 18 minutes.
Saville's first touch off Romain Esse's cute through-ball took the ball away from goal, with his one-on-one strike from a difficult angle well stopped by Ivor Pandur.
Hull needed inspiration, which arrived 60 seconds later when Lewie Coyle's chip into the penalty box was controlled on the chest by debutant Mason Burstow.
But Jensen was quickly off his line and reacted well to smother Burstow's fierce hit, with Regan Slater's follow-up well blocked by centre-back Jake Cooper.
Burstow's chance brought with it with an improvement from Hull, who slowly began to control the tempo of the first half - without ever looking like scoring.
Millwall remained competitive after the interval, though, with their direct approach occasionally threatening to find a way through.
Indeed, their best chance in the second half came when they bullied Hull into losing possession on the left after 55 minutes.
Joe Bryan seized control, weaved his way into the box and sent over a fine, low cross which was parried by Pandur.
Hull centre-back Sean McLoughlin made a mess off his central clearance, but recovered to deny Casper de Norre a tap-in.
Tigers head coach Tim Walter had seen enough and made a brave triple substitution moments later.
The changes at first failed to alter the general flow of the game, but Hull quietly grew in self-belief as the match progressed.
Indeed, they nearly scored after 76 minutes when Coyle thumped a right-sided free-kick towards the back post.
Xavier Simons headed into a dangerous central area, from where debutant Chris Bedia's overhead kick was tipped over the crossbar by Jensen.
Coyle also volleyed inches wide from 20 yards after 82 minutes as Hull finished well - but not well enough to force a winner.
Hull's Tim Walter:
"I can speak like a fan: if you don't score it's really frustrating as you try to drive forward, sometimes a bit too slow.
"We had to overplay in positions, and we also made a lot of tactical mistakes - and then you need a better first touch to bring you up to the ball speed.
"At the end we tried it all the time, which is good that they have the willingness to learn and improve themselves.
"They are doing a new style, trying to play in a new philosophy and that takes time.
"It's like a new situation - like maybe having a new first love."
Millwall's Neil Harris:
"I'm really pleased with a point. I asked for a clean-sheet mentality and the importance of not getting back on the coach with at least a point.
"There was a bit of pressure on the players, but they responded to it really well.
"As a group, they know the importance of a clean sheet and getting a point on the road.
"I'll praise my players for that, but that doesn't mean I'm settling for (a point) as I thought we deserved three.
"I'm happy to get off the mark but, if I'm a little greedy, I thought we had the better chances and deserved to win."
