CO-EDITOR of fanzine No One Likes Us Keith McKay tells it how it is: It's the hope I can't stand is the name of a famous Sunderland football fanzine but it's also a phrase pertinent to Millwall fans right now.

At one stage on Saturday we were five points adrift of safety. Come 5pm we were still in with a shout thanks to old-boy Marc Bircham equalising for QPR against Sheffield Wednesday and of course Dave Livermore heading home with a few minutes remaining.

Talking of safety is something of an achievement. Despite having won only two games in this calendar year we've avoided defeat more times than we've lost.

It's not to say Millwall have enjoyed a successful 2006 thus far but the last minute equalisers against Hull, Palace, Ipswich and the winner against Luton have left us hanging by a thread of hope.

So here we are eight games to go and just one tantalising win away from escaping the drop. There's hope. And it does nothing for your health. After trudging away from The Den, having witnessed just three wins all season, you tell yourself we can still do this. Such thoughts defy all logic. Yet somewhere, deep down in the soul, you find optimism.

With Barry Hayles' return to training perhaps the optimism is well placed. A goalscorer returning to a side struggling to find the net is just the ticket. Lets just hope officials don't continue to influence proceedings with Tony Craig the latest victim. Any more ridiculous red cards given by referees intent on proving themselves against Millwall and our relegation fight could well be over.

Keith McKay