Millwall and West Ham draw 2-2 in first Dockers derby for 14 years as Kanté sees red
First Dockers derby in 14 years ends all square at the Den
Millwall hosted West Ham United at the Den on Saturday in the 100th competitive meeting between the two London clubs — and their first for 14 years. The fixture, steeped in working-class docklands history, lived up to its reputation for intensity without the serious disorder many feared.
The match was broadcast live on ITV with a 12.30pm kick-off, deliberately moved early to limit drinking time beforehand, and an extensive police operation involving around 400 officers was put in place. West Ham were handed just 1,774 tickets in a crowd of roughly 20,000, and most travelling supporters avoided wearing club colours. They were instructed to travel via London Bridge to South Bermondsey, from where they were escorted to the away end.
Lions dominate before the Hammers fight back
West Ham arrived at the Den top of the table and buoyed by a recent 6-0 thrashing of Wrexham, but it was the home side who took control. Despite a string of injuries, Millwall dominated much of the first half and went into the interval two goals ahead, courtesy of Caleb Taylor and Camiel Neghli.
West Ham found their way back into the contest after the break. Mohamadou Kanté pulled a goal back in the 74th minute, and six minutes later Konstantinos Mavropanos restored parity. Each goal drew an explosive reaction from the stands, with the equaliser the only moment the crowd appeared close to spilling over, prompting additional police support to be called in.
Kanté sent off as Millwall denied a winner
In the 89th minute, as Kyrell Lisbie broke through on goal, Kanté pulled him down and was shown a straight red card — possibly denying Millwall a winning goal. The match finished 2-2, a result both clubs could find reasons to be disappointed and satisfied with.
There were a few brief scuffles between Millwall supporters and police outside the ground afterwards, but they quickly petered out. Within minutes, young fans were waiting by the stadium for autographs while others stood around dissecting the match.
Passions flare on the pitch too
The needle was not confined to the terraces. Jake Cooper of Millwall and Morato of West Ham squared off at one stage before teammates stepped in to separate them. Despite predictable heated posts and banter on social media, there was a general feeling before Saturday that the day would pass without serious trouble — which, for the most part, it did.
What was far more visible than any animosity, according to those present, was the strength of community around the clubs and the friendliness and warmth of the majority of supporters. As the article's author noted: "I had a few choice words thrown at me during the day, but they came from a minority."