The visitors from League One were twice ahead thanks to a Billy Knott brace and a Sid Nelson own goal, but were pegged back by a Ricardo Fuller double that followed Scott McDonald’s equaliser.
Millwall 3-3 Bradford City
FA Cup Third Round
The Den
Saturday 3 January 2015
A crowd of 5,470 braved the elements on a bitterly cold afternoon to take in what looked to be a delicately poised FA Cup tie – and they did not have to wait long until the first goal, as after six minutes the visitors were ahead.
On-loan Jon Stead, playing in what is likely to be his final game in a Bradford shirt before returning to parent club Huddersfield, met a James Hanson corner from the right.
He headed down perfectly into the path of Knott who fired his left-footed shot low and into the net to send the visiting supporters at the opposite end into raptures.
Both sides have experienced Cup runs in recent years, and as the first half progressed Bradford managed to quell the Lions’ roar and grew in confidence.
Just as their supporters began a verse of ‘Que Sera Sera’, however, Millwall were level.
Half an hour after Knott’s opener, Lee Martin delivered an exquisite cross onto the head of Scott McDonald, who glanced home.
As the wind swirled and the rains came in across the old docklands of south-east London, the two sides continue to attack in what had turned into gripping, and at times gruelling, Cup encounter.
Although a division apart, promotion-chasing Bradford would have fancied their chances of causing an upset when they were paired with the Championship strugglers.
Ben Williams started in goal for Bradford in place of the on-loan Jordan Pickford, who was not granted permission to play by parent club Sunderland.
And despite Bradford’s impressive first-half display, the stand-in stopper was not completely untroubled before the equaliser.
Danny Shittu met a deep cross and his header was spectacularly saved by the stand-in goalkeeper.
The rebound fell directly into Ricardo Fuller’s path, and the former Jamaican international fired the rebound past Williams.
However, much to the delight of the 1,093 travelling Bantams entourage behind the goal in the North Stand, and to the despair of the flat-cap sporting Lions boss Ian Holloway – Shittu was adjudged to be offside and the goal was chalked off.
It was end-to-end stuff. After drawing level the Lions were momentarily on the front foot and the frustration present in the home fans’ voices throughout much of the first half subsided as Fuller went close after a fine individual run and Ed Upson headed just over.
Meanwhile, now attacking the end in which their supporters were positioned, Bradford also went close. Firstly through Stead and then Knott.
The 2004 FA Cup finalists went ahead for the first time in the game as Fuller picked up McDonald’s pass to slot home on 66 minutes.
In keeping with the spirit of the first 70 minutes, Bradford went straight up the other end and were level within four minutes when Nelson was unable to get out of the way of James Hanson’s deflected shot.
The drama was not over there, as Knott met a Filipe Morais pass with a fine volley to put Bradford 3-2 ahead.
It was a lead that lasted just three minutes though as Fuller hauled Millwall back into the game with seven minutes remaining.
Despite both sides having chances in the remaining minutes, neither side could muster a seventh and decisive goal.
And with Bradford on an English record run of nine consecutive wins via penalty shootouts, Holloway’s side will be determined to get the job done in regulation time when the pair reconvene at Valley Parade.
Millwall (4-4-2): David Forde; Alan Dunne, Danny Shittu, Sid Nelson, Matt Briggs; Lee Martin, Jimmy Abdou, Richard Chaplow, Ed Upson; Ricardo Fuller, Scott McDonald
Subs: Magaye Gueye for Chaplow 80. Martyn Woolford for Upson 87.
Subs not used: Tom King, Jermaine Easter, Aiden O’Brien, Jack Powell, Angel Martinez
Booked: Upson. Chaplow
Goals: McDonald 36. Fuller 65, 83.
Bradford City (4-1-3-2): Ben Williams; Stephen Darby, Rory McArdle, Alan Sheehan, James Meredith; Gary Liddle; Filipe Morais, Andrew Halliday, Billy Knott; James Hanson, Jon Stead.
Subs: Jason Kennedy for Halliday 76. Francois Zoko for Stead 87.Oliver McBurnie for Knott 90+3.
Subs not used: Matthew Urwin, Christopher Routis, Sam Wright, Dylan Mottley-Henry
Goals: Knott 6, 76. Nelson 70og.
Referee: David Webb
Attendance: 5,470
Watch highlights of the Third Round tie at the Den
