Millwall 0 v 4 Sheffield United

Coca-Cola Championship

IT WAS a bad night at the New Den as Millwall crashed to their heaviest home defeat since March 2003 and returned to the foot of the Championship.

The visit of table-topping Sheffield United, who have only dropped four points all season, was always going to be difficult and so it proved.

Blades boss Neil Warnock rested regular strikers Steve Kabba and Neil Shipperly while Lions boss Colin Lee had no choice but to leave out his front men, Barry Hayles, suspended, and Carl Asaba, injured, and he recalled Ben May and Josh Simpson.

Afterwards Lee said: "The difference was there for all to see. They leave out two strikers and bring two more of equal quality in while we haven't got such luxury.

"I've told the players if someone hits me I would get up and smash them back. I expect the players to show the character to bounce back from this."

Blades' replacement striker Danny Webber opened the scoring on 33 minutes with a blistering 25-yard strike and two minutes later Vincent Pericard doubled the lead with a header off David Unsworth's corner.

Millwall had had chances prior to the double blow although Paddy Kenny in the Blades goal was equal to any threat.

But Blades' second goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Millwall and twice within the opening minutes of the second half the visitors threatened the home rearguard with Webber and former Lion Paul Ifill both trying their luck from long range.

Lee introduced Carlos Fangueiro for Simpson but by the 67th-minute the game was effectively over when Alan Quinn curled a sublime free kick past Marshall from 19 yards.

Webber grabbed his second of the night on 73 minutes when he used balance, pace and pose to work an opening before despatching a delightful effort into the bottom corner.

Millwall host Southampton on Saturday. The Saints, who lost at Leeds on Tuesday night, have drawn nine of their 14 league games and sit 10th in the Championship.

Millwall: Marshall; Ifil; Vincent; Morris (Elliott, 74); Williams; Lawrence; Livermore; Simpson (Fangueiro, 48; Hutchison, 89); Dunne; Wright; May.

Subs not used: Jones; Robinson.

Att: 9,148