Sem-ersault seals victory
ANTOINE SEMENYO was head over heels as he sent Millwall tumbling out of the FA Cup.
The Bristol City winger celebrated a 72nd-minute wonder goal that ended this tie with a somersault.
It completed a miserable reunion with his old pals for former Robins keeper Frank Fielding.
He was making only his third Millwall appearance since ending a six-year stint at Ashton Game in June 2019.
But his dreams of putting one over his old club were dented when he gave away a 32nd-minute penalty, which Famara Diedhiou converted.
He was then left flatfooted by a deflected 58th-minute Nahki Wells free-kick.
Robins boss Dean Holden said: “There were two passages of play in the first half. One led to the penalty when we cut them open.
“Nahki’s free-kick was a little fortuitous with the deflection.
“But the third one was a fantastic goal. Nahki’s vision to hit Antoine one v one on the far side, then
Antoine to drive in the gap with his pace and that was some finish with his left. A brilliant, clinical finish.”
Fielding was one of eight changes made by Millwall boss Gary Rowett, with Holden making six and it showed in an opening half in which both sides struggled for fluency.
Millwall’s Troy Parrott forced an early save out of Max O’Leary with a volley on the turn.
But after Ryan Leonard had stung the palms of the City keeper, Fielding brought down Diedhiou as he latched on to a smart Zak Vyner pass.
The striker hit his spotkick with enough power and accuracy to beat the keeper’s dive to his right. Tom Bradshaw was denied an instant reply when his header from Shane Ferguson’s 35th-minute corner was headed off the line by Tommy Rowe.
But the visitors stepped up the pace after the break and grabbed a lucky second when Mason Bennett hauled down Semenyo on the corner of the box, then deflected Wells’ free-kick past the hapless Fielding.
There was no luck involved when Semenyo finished off the Lions, driving through the heart of the home side’s defence before finishing in style.
Ben Thompson and sub Matt Smith went close with headers as Millwall’s home misery stretched to a ninth game without a win.
Fielding 6, Romeo 6, Pearce 6, Cooper 5, Ferguson 6, Thompson 5 (Woods 76), Leonard 6, Parrott 6 (Burey 63, 6), Bradshaw 6, Zohore 5 (Smith 63, 6), Bennett 6 (Skalak 76). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Hutchinson, Malone, Bodvarsson, McNamara.
BRISTOL CITY: O’Leary 6, Mariappa 7, Kalas 7, Moore 6, Rowe 7, Semenyo 9 (Adelakun 76), Vyner 8 (Edwards 79), Bakinson 7, Palmer 7 (Massengo 76), Diedhiou 8 (Martin 76), Wells 7 (Bell 88). Subs not used: Bentley, Hunt, Nagy, Towler.
Antoine Semenyo. A constant threat and gained his reward with
Tony Harrington 7.