Millwall 1 Southampton 1

The Lions seemed to have thrown the game away when Lambert's 30-yard free kick deflected off the defensive wall leaving David Forde flat-footed in goal.

But Millwall charged up the other end and Trotter found himself unmarked in the box and kept his head to coolly slot past Kelvin Davis.

It was a case of two points dropped by Kenny Jackett's men as they dominated the game, and they only had themselves to blame as they wasted plenty of decent scoring opportunites.

The chief culprit was Lewis Grabban, who failed to make the most of being asked to partner Steve Morison up front and was eventually withdrawn for fans favourite Neil Harris.

The young forward failed to convert a golden chance in the 36th minute when visiting keeper Davis failed to hold a rasping Alan Dunne shot from outside the box. The ball fell to Grabban just six yards out but his effort rebounded off the Saints' keeper to safety.

That was Millwall's best chance of a scrappy first half, when both sides showed plenty of commitment but created few openings.

Southampton, perhaps mindful of two big cup games ahead of them this week, seemed content to conserve their energy and make sporadic attacks on the break, while Millwall found it difficult to break down a resolute back four featuring new signings Jose Fonte and Daniel Seaborne.

The quality of the football improved after half-time and Grabban was again presented with a great scoring chance.

Three minutes after the break Danny Schofield, a lively contributor all afternoon, put Grabban clean through on goal but he could only sidefoot his shot wide of the post.

Schofield saw a good claim for a penalty turned down after he appeared to be clipped in the area as he bore down on goal on the hour mark.

Three minutes later the midfielder saw his 25 yard shot tipped away by Davis as Millwall sensed the game was there for the taking.

Grabban completed a hat-trick of wasted opportunities on 65 minutes when he volleyed over from close range after Morison headed the ball across the face of the goal.

The introduction of Harris, back after nine weeks on the sidelines with injury, immediately pepped up the Millwall attack. The veteran forward had a good shout for a penalty ignored when he seemed to have his shirt pulled by Seaborne and then he won a free-kick after being held by Fonte.

Despite their increasing dominance the goal would not come for the home side and Southampton were always dangerous on the break, particularly when they brought on the lively Michail Antonio.

And they looked to have snatched it when Lambert converted a free-kick carelessly conceded by Lions skipper Paul Robinson, only for Trotter - on loan from Ipswich, to immediately make himself a hero with the fans.

Kenny Jackett was disappointed his side only earned a point.

He said: "It was a big game and I felt we should have won it. We could have lost it. It settled even, which keeps Southampton from making any ground on us anyway.

"In the first half we had the best chances and a high number of corners and I felt we had the better of the second half. It was a really good performance but we were just looking for the goal.

"As it goes on and it doesn't come, as a manager you just look for the sting in the tail and obviously the deflection came. But credit to our players, they took the opportunity to get down the other end and it was a very good and composed finish by Liam."

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Barron, Robinson, Ward, Hackett, Schofield, Abdou, Trotter, Morison, Grabban (Harris, 69). Unused subs: Sullivan, Martin, Craig, Smith, Fuseini, Price.

Booked: Robinson

Goal: Trotter 90+3

Southampton: Davis, Otsembor, Fonte, Seaborne, Harding, James (Antonio, 76), Hammond (Wotton, 37), Schneiderlin, Holmes, Lallana (Wiago, 90), Lambert. Unused subs: Bialkowski, Thomas, Perry, Connolly.

Booked: Fonte, Seaborne

Goal: Lambert 90+2

Attendance: 11,524

Referee: Andy Woolmer