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Millwall make winning start

Jed Wallace’s first-half strike gave Millwall the perfect start to their Championship campaign as they battled past Preston 1-0 at The Den.

The Lions winger converted on 33 minutes to earn Neil Harris his 100th victory as Millwall manager and ensure their first opening-day win in the second tier since 2014.

Preston huffed and puffed but failed to register a single attempt on target, with Alan Browne’s first-half strike that was cleared off the line and Sean Maguire’s curling effort just past the post the closest they came to grabbing an equaliser.

Millwall, starting with four of their eight summer signings, made a lightning start to the game – with Wallace forcing Declan Rudd into a sharp early save from 25 yards after Preston only half-cleared a Shaun Williams corner in the second minute.

The visitors were dominating the ball but it was Harris’ side who continued to look the more dangerous going forward. However, Mahlon Romeo needed his blistering pace to make a last-ditch challenge on Maguire after the Lions defender was initially caught hesitating on the ball.

But Millwall’s joy was short-lived as goalkeeper Frank Fielding, another of their new players, was forced off through injury – forcing Harris to introduce a fifth debutant in Bartosz Bialkowski, who joined earlier this week on loan from Ipswich.

Bialkowski was almost beaten seconds into his Lions debut as he could only watch Maguire’s 45th-minute curler fly just past the far post.

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