Millwall found themselves frustrated at the New Den this afternoon as the woodwork, twice, and some wasteful approach play, saw them unable to break a 0-0 stalemate against a Carlisle side looking for a rare clean sheet in the league. The Lions were mainly on top throughout but it was Joe Anyinsah who fired wide for the visitors early on before Neil Harris hit a shot into the side-netting on 12 minutes as the home side began to up the pace.
Against a resolute Carlisle defence though Millwall often failed to create more than half-chances with returning pantomime villain Lenny Pidgeley able to make two easy saves in the visitors goal from a pair of Gary Alexander shots. It was the Lions' big money summer signing Steve Morison that went the closest after the interval however when quick feet saw him make space in the box before curling in a shot with the outside of his right boot that thudded against the base of the Carlisle post.
As the game started to become a bit more tight in the midfield area chances became even more at a premium as the home side got more and more frustrated in their attacking efforts. Carlisle wasting a rare opportunity to find the net midway through the second period, when after excellent build-up play from Joe Anyinsah, on-loan Chelsea midfielder Tom Taiwo made a complete hash of his attempted shot as he broke into the Millwall penalty area.
The woodwork saved the visitors again late on though when David Martin cut in from the left only to see his curling cross-shot fly away off the crossbar with the lurking Morison unable to profit from the rebound. That, apart from a Martin header easily held by Pidgeley, being the last real chance for the off-form Lions who failed to create the chances that their possession advantage deserved.