MILLWALL 1
May 89
CRYSTAL PALACE 1
Watson 67

For the second time this season it was honours even in the south London derby between Millwall and Crystal Palace At The New Den on Saturday Ben Watson handed Palace a 67th minute lead, stabbing home from 15 yards after a square pass from Michael Hughes, before Ben May broke the hearts of the 2,214 visiting fans when he equalised in the 89th minute.

Iain Dowie's men should have taken the lead inside the first minute following a neat one-two between Clinton Morrison and Dougie Freedman on the edge of the Millwall box. But Freedman, starting in place of the injured Andrew Johnson, could only fire straight at Andy Marshall in the Lions goal.

After eight minutes Berry Powell evaded Darren Ward, who was getting by the fans who once cheered him every time he touched the ball, but Powell dallied too long and shot into the side netting.

In the 12th minute Watson tested Marshall with a 20-yard effort before the Millwall keeper's long clearance was headed back by Ward to Gabor Kiraly only for Powell to intercept the bouncing ball and force Kiraly into a desperate save.

For the rest of the half neither team could force the upper hand with the majority of the game being scrapped out in midfield.

After the interval both teams came out with a renewed sense of purpose. Neither was giving anything away in the centre of the park and like the first half, little was created in the way of clear cut chances.

After 56 minutes Morrison was pulled back in the Millwall area but referee Lee Mason decided to wave play-on. Mason made the same decision moments later when Jobi McAnuff was fouled right on the edge of the box.

The deadlock was broken in the 67th minute following a period of dominance by Palace. Millwall centre-back Mark Phillips was caught in possession by Michael Hughes who slipped the ball to Watson to score. Of his four goals for Palace, three have come against Millwall.

The goal looked to have knocked the stuffing out of David Tuttle's relegation threatened side and Palace were coasting towards all three points.

Indeed, Watson nearly doubled Palace's advantage in the 71st minute with a fierce 20- yard drive that was superbly tipped over by Marshall.

Yet Millwall rescued a point in the dying moments as Palace had done at Selhurst Park in December. Matt Lawrence fired in a deep cross from the right and the ball fell to Ben May, who scored in the 1-1 draw at Selhurst in December, and he shot home into the bottom left hand corner from eight yards.

Speaking after the game, Dowie was seething at the two points dropped but was pleased with his team overall.

Dowie said: "You do not get a lot at the New Den. We have had two points robbed from us.

"We dominated the game from start to finish, but were punished by one ball into the box it was one of those days."

PALACE STAR MAN: Ben Watson. The Palace midfielder knew the importance of this game and ran his heart out, constantly getting up in the faces of Millwall players. The goal was a sweet bonus for his performance.CRYSTAL PALACE: Kiraly 8, Ward 7, Boyce 8, Fitz Hall 7, Borrowdale 7, McAnuff 6, Hughes 8, Watson 8 (Leigertwood 82 7), Soares 7, Morrison 7, Freedman 7 (Andrews 90 6)