Morison left up in arms

By STEVE JUDGE at the Den

CARDIFF boss Steve Morison stood in disbelief as his side were denied a “stonewall” penalty – and fans didn’t abuse him on his return to Millwall.

Tommy Doyle’s 47th-minute shot appeared to strike Jake Cooper’s outstretched arm but only resulted in a corner.

Instead the game turned when Cardiff keeper Alex Smithies failed to cleanly handle a 73rd-minute cross and Murray Wallace headed in the resulting corner.

Sub Mason Bennett added what proved to be a crucial 82nd-minute second with Joel Bagan pulling a goal back in injury time.

Former Lions striker Morison said: “We should have had a penalty and then it might have been a different game. It was a stonewall penalty.

“Apparently his hand was in a natural position. So if diving and stopping the ball with your hands is natural, it’s a new one on me... but the fans were too nice to me.”

After a first-half in which both side’s managed just one shot on target, the penalty claims sparked a more incident-packed second half. Millwall went close when Benik Afobe turned Jed Wallace’s cross over. But the momentum shifted with the arrival of Bennett and George Saville on 69 minutes. Murray Wallace headed Millwall in front from Scott Malone’s corner and Saville set up Bennet to nod in.

Millwall had to survive a nervy injury time when Joel Bagan tapped in

Cody Drameh’s cross before an object appeared to have been thrown at Cardiff’s Joe Ralls. Morison added: “I saw the ref remove something but I was too focused on us trying to get an equaliser.”

MILLWALL: Bialkowski 7; Hutchinson 6, Cooper 7, M Wallace 8; McNamara 6, Kieftenbeld 6, Mitchell 6 (Saville 69, 7); Malone 6; J Wallace 6, Afobe 6 (Evans 90), Burke 6 (Bennett 69, 7).

Subs not used: Long, Pearce, Mahoney, Burey. CARDIFF CITY: Smithies 7; McGuiness 7, Flint 6, Ng 6; Drameh 6, Doyle 6 (Vaulks 76), Ralls 7, Wintle 6, Bagan 6; Hugill 6 (Ikpeazu 75), Harris 5 (Davies 54, 6).

Subs not used: Phillips, Pack, King, Denham.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Murray Wallace. Solid at the back, scored the goal that broke the game open

REFEREE: Stephen Martin 7.