Tom Bradshaw's brace earned Millwall a share of the spoils as the Lions came from behind twice against Cardiff City at The Den.

Bradshaw’s double either side of the break cancelled out Danny Ward’s early opener and Junior Hoilett’s delightful finish to give the Lions a point they thoroughly deserved.

Newly announced Lions boss Gary Rowett was sat in the stands for the tie with Adam Barrett leading from the sideline for a final time.

The gutsy result on the back of a painful defeat at Brentford on Saturday lifts Millwall up a place to 16th whilst Neil Warnock’s outfit drop to 13th.

Early Threat

Millwall looked threatening early on with Aiden O’Brien and Matt Smith going close.

As the home-side looked to be settling into their rhythm, Cardiff’s first foray into the Lions half on 12 minutes yielded a goal.

Junior Hoilett sending in a deep cross from the left, catching Murray Wallace out of position leaving City forward Ward to nod home from close range.

The opener gave the Bluebirds a boost and was it not or two smart stops from the in-form Bartosz Bialkowski from Hoilett and Ward, City would’ve added to their tally.

Cardiff frustrated Millwall up until the stroke of half-time when Bradshaw got on the end of a deflected through ball to fire home from the angle around 12-yards out.

It was no more than what the Lions deserved from the opening half.

End-to-End Second Half

Both sides started the second half well with chances at both ends.

Lions skipper Shaun Hutchinson made a crucial clearance from Gavin Whyte’s dangerous cross with Ward ready to pounce.

Hutchinson’s counterpart Sean Morrison did likewise and thwarted a Ben Thompson effort moments before City took the lead just before the hour.

Hoilett, picking the ball up on the wide-left, cut inside Romeo before bending a low effort from the edge of the box beyond a despairing Bialkowski.

Cardiff should’ve made it three on 67 minutes but Bialksowksi stood up brilliantly to deny Aden Flint from close range.

The Lions stopper made a superb save from the resulting corner, denying Morrison this time much to the disbelief of the traveling support behind the goal.

Millwall’s equaliser on 77minutes came against the run of play.

Bradshaw who’s dogged running won his side a throw-in high up the pitch, latched onto Dadi-Bodvarsson’s deft through ball before cutting inside to fire past Neil Etheridge in the City goal.

With their tails up the Lions felt they had a winner in them and went close through Bradshaw again.

On a hat-trick the former Barnsley man saw his long-range volley fired straight at Etheridge.

The Cardiff stopper then made a smart save to deny Wallace low down to keep Warnock’s side, who were now on the ropes, level.

Both sides went close late on with substitute Callum Paterson dragging wide from a corner for the bliuebirds whilst Thompson also saw his goalward effort blocked, leaving both sides with a deserved point.

TEAMS:

Millwall: Bialkowski, Romeo, Hutchinson, M.Wallace, Williams, Thompson, O’Brien(Mahoney 85), Wallace, Smith(Dadi-Bodvarsson 68’), Bradshaw. (SUBS: Steele, McCarthy, Ferguson, Pearce, Molumby, Mahoney, Dadi-Bodvarsson.)

Cardiff City: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Flint, Bennett, Ralls, Pack, Tomlin (Bogle 86’), Hoilett (Murphy 66’), Whyte, Ward (Paterson 86’). (SUBS: Smithies, Glatzel, Murphy, Paterson, Nelson, Mendez-Laing, Bogle)