Millwall cap historic season with Shield win
Millwall RFC's 'Invincibles' have crowned the most successful season in the club's history by lifting the Essex President's Shield
Millwall RFC's 'Invincibles' have crowned the most successful season in the club's history by lifting the Essex President's Shield following a crushing win over Thames on Sunday.
The Isle of Dogs outfit, who secured the Essex Division Two title after going through the entire league campaign unbeaten, cruised to a 53-20 win at Ilford to land another major trophy in a record-breaking season.
The triumph marked the sixth time Millwall had overcome higher division opponents in the competition and coach David Leftley paid tribute to his team's thrilling display against a physical Thames outfit.
He said: "This has been a wonderful end to a dream season.
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"I'm so proud of all the players. This has been a great effort all-round and I commend them for their dedication and commitment."
Thames had drawn first blood in the encounter, making Millwall pay for some early indiscipline by converting a penalty from in front of the posts.
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But Millwall hit back five minutes later when skipper Brent McMillan and fly-half Dom Sutherland combined to release Dan Lawrence for a spectacular opening try, from which Thames never recovered.
The East London side regularly found space out wide and flanker Daryl Gera touched down under the posts to extend the lead.
Thames briefly threatened a recovery with tries either side of half-time, but Millwall never let up and ran away with the contest after the restart, with centre James Reilly crossing the line following a stunning break by Sutherland.
Winger Naz Mohammed sealed the victory with a stunning individual effort, chipping over a crowd of defender and racing through to gather his own kick before touching down.
Millwall, whose second team also completed a league and cup double by defeating Bancroft in the BL Merit Division Three Cup last weekend, will celebrate their historic campaign at the club's Festival of Rugby on Saturday (10am).