Stevenage vs Millwall

The opening minutes of the second half proved decisive. Alex Revell introduced substitutes Sam Earley and Josh Pattenden at the break, and the fresh legs immediately unsettled Millwall's rhythm. Malcolm's strike — which took a heavy deflection off Cooper — gave Stevenage the lead and allowed them to sit deeper, nullifying the Lions' first-half fluidity.

Filip Marschall (Stevenage) — The goalkeeper was the busiest player on the pitch in the first half, making four notable saves including a critical one-on-one stop against Arconte. His command of the area gave Stevenage the platform to grow into the game.

Jovan Malcolm (Stevenage) — Unlucky not to score in the first half, the forward was a persistent threat and his driven shot forced the decisive own goal. He was a handful for the Millwall defence throughout.

Tairyk Arconte (Millwall) — The Millwall attacker was the most impressive creative outlet for the visitors, regularly finding space and forcing Marschall into his best save of the match. Let down by the lack of a finish from his side.

Player of the match: Filip Marschall

The match was a classic pre-season friendly: high on endeavour, short on sharpness. Millwall's first-half dominance in terms of clear chances (4 big saves from Marschall) did not translate to the scoreboard, a pattern Alex Neil will want to address before the Championship season begins. Stevenage's xG may not have been impressive, but they were clinical when it mattered — one shot on target, one goal. The second-half drop-off in Millwall's attacking output (routine saves only for Marschall after the restart) suggests the Lions lost their rhythm after the early goal.

For Stevenage, this is a confidence-boosting result ahead of the League One campaign, which kicks off in two weeks. The performance was a clear improvement on the West Ham friendly.

For Millwall, the defeat extends their pre-season pattern of creating chances without converting them. Alex Neil will want to see more cutting edge in the final third before the Championship season begins. Speaking after the match, Neil told Millwall TV+ that his side were "dominant" but not "clinical enough" — a summary supported by the first-half chances.

A typical pre-season friendly in which the scoreline flattered the home side but told a genuine story: Millwall's lack of a finishing touch cost them, while Stevenage's organisation and Marschall's goalkeeping earned a deserved clean-sheet win. Neither side will read too much into the result, but Neil has a clear concern to address before the real action starts.