Fourteen games and counting. Millwall’s hold over their South London rivals refused to crack, as Ra’ees Bangura-Williams hit an 88th-minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw against Charlton Athletic at a packed Valley. In front of 23,293 fans, the South London derby produced late drama, a red card, and another reminder of how fine the margins are when these two meet. For Charlton, this felt like a win that got away. For Millwall, it was a familiar script: stay in the fight, land the punch late.
This was the first big test of autumn in the Championship for both clubs, and it delivered all the edge you’d expect. Charlton thought they had finally found a way to flip the narrative when Sonny Carey put them ahead before the break. Then came the turn: a 74th-minute red card for Kayne Ramsay, the momentum swing, and Millwall’s late rescue to keep their long unbeaten run in this fixture intact.
If you were tracking the trends pre-match, you saw the collision coming. Charlton had goals in them—five in their previous five games—but were wobbling after three straight league defeats. Millwall, hard to read in recent weeks, mixed a solid away win at Sheffield United with a bruising 3-0 home loss to Middlesbrough. When derby day arrived, the form guide mattered less than the habits built over years. Millwall know how to get something here. They did it again.
Derby drama at The Valley: the story of the game
Charlton started with urgency, pushing the tempo and getting early joy down the flanks. Lloyd Jones, their most assertive weapon on set pieces this season, threatened from dead balls and showed why he’s been averaging close to a shot on target per game from defence. Millwall countered with their own aerial route through Jake Cooper, who headed off-target from a good position—an early warning that set-plays would decide moments if not the result.
The opener came in the 40th minute and felt like a release as much as a goal. Carey timed his run well, met a cut-back with composure, and steered the finish past a crowded box. The Valley surged. After a sticky run, Charlton had a lead to protect and a platform to play from. Millwall had to chase.
After the restart, Millwall started to pin Charlton back in longer spells. The away side’s best moments flowed through Mihailo Ivanovic, who has been their most productive creator this season with three assists. He kept finding half-spaces and teasing angled balls into the area. Charlton’s response was compact and disciplined, dropping lines, cutting lanes, and betting on quick breaks to relieve the pressure.
Then the hinge moment: Kayne Ramsay was sent off on 74 minutes. From there, the game tilted. Charlton’s plan shifted from control to survival—two tight banks, full-backs tucked in, wide men chasing shadows and clearances. Millwall brought on fresh legs and pushed the full-backs higher. The crossing volume rose, the second balls started falling their way, and Charlton’s clearances got shorter.
The equaliser finally arrived on 88 minutes. Bangura-Williams drifted into a pocket at the far post and finished coolly, punishing a rare lapse in Charlton’s back-line coverage. It was the kind of moment that defines derbies: one team hanging on, the other unflinching, and a single detail at the back post turning the mood inside the stadium.
The final minutes were frantic. Charlton threw on Miles Leaburn in the 61st minute for Charlie Kelman to stretch Millwall on the break, and James Bree replaced Robert Apter at the same time to add fresh legs, but the red card rewrote the script. After 88, it was about keeping the point. Millwall sniffed a late steal but didn’t overcommit. When the whistle went, the noise felt mixed: pride in the fight from the home stands, relief and a hint of triumph from the away end.
Numbers, patterns, and why this derby keeps repeating itself
That 14-game unbeaten streak for Millwall against Charlton isn’t a quirk—it’s a habit. Seven wins and four draws in the last 11 meetings show a pattern of control when it matters, and the late equaliser here fits the profile. Millwall rarely blow Charlton away in these games; they manage them, win collisions, and drag the contest to a place they like. Saturday was textbook.
Look at the form lines. Charlton came into this after three straight league losses but with flashes of quality: a 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Stevenage and a tidy 1-0 victory against Watford earlier in the campaign. They also absorbed a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Leicester and ground out a goalless draw away to Bristol City. The blend says they can defend their box, score in bursts, but still lack the rhythm to see out tight games—especially with ten men.
Millwall’s recent stretch has been uneven: four goals in five matches, an excellent 1-0 at Sheffield United, a heavy 3-0 hit at home to Middlesbrough, a sharp 2-1 away win at Norwich, and a professional 1-0 in the Carabao Cup against Newport. The common theme? They travel well, keep games close, and trust their set pieces and late pressure. That’s exactly how they clawed back at The Valley.
Individual notes matter in these margins. Jones continues to be an attacking threat from deep, which forces opponents to defend Charlton’s set pieces with an extra body. Carey’s timing and decision-making in the box gave Charlton a smarter edge in open play. On the other side, Ivanovic’s creativity is quietly becoming Millwall’s compass, and Cooper’s presence on set pieces shapes how teams defend their near post and six-yard line. Add Bangura-Williams’ calm finish to that mix, and you have the core of Millwall’s late-game bite.
The red card, of course, is the hinge the match swung on. With eleven, Charlton were compact and comfortable, even with Millwall’s territorial push. With ten, they had to compress space and concede the wide channels. That invited waves of crosses and second phases, precisely the kind of game Millwall know how to control over the final 15 minutes. It’s no surprise the equaliser came from a recycled attack rather than a single clean break.
Beyond the key incidents, there were quieter battles that shaped the tone. Charlton’s wingers did a lot of recovery running, and the full-backs lived on the edge positioning-wise once the card came out. Millwall’s midfield screen kept the back line out of one-on-ones, which meant Charlton’s counters often died before reaching the penalty area. Small gears, big effects.
For the analysts, a handful of takeaways stand out:
- Charlton vs Millwall continues to hinge on late-game pressure. When Millwall chase, they tend to find something.
- Charlton’s defensive structure is sound for 70 minutes; game management with ten men needs sharpening.
- Set-piece dynamics matter: Jones for Charlton and Cooper for Millwall force constant adjustments.
- Ivanovic’s creative output (already three assists this season) gives Millwall a reliable supply line in tight matches.
Where does this leave both sides? Charlton will take confidence from the first 70 minutes and the quality of Carey’s finish, but they know the assignment now: break the cycle, hold the box late, and tidy up those back-post checks. Millwall leave with exactly what they wanted—a point away, the unbeaten derby run extended, and another reminder to the league that they’re ruthless when games get scrappy.
Derbies carry their own weather. This one had the full forecast: early belief, a momentum swing, and a late sting. It didn’t settle the rivalry; it refreshed it. And when these two meet again, you can bet both benches will plan for the last 20 minutes first.
