KEVIN Nisbet was the star of the show again as he scored a hat-trick for Millwall to make it back-to-back pre-season wins.
The new striker looked sharp on his second outing and will have fans licking their lips as he led the pre-season assault on Sutton.
The match-up with Dean Holden’s Charlton next week should provide a better measure of the Lions’ true ability, with the game at the VBS Community Stadium sharing similarities with the clash against Gillingham on Saturday.
On both occasions Millwall set the tempo early and dictated the ball with a calm quality their opponents struggled to disrupt.
The Lions’ control came despite the fact that they were missing senior players like Zian Flemming, Tom Bradshaw and Andreas Voglsammer, all who Gary Rowett had opted to play in a behind closed doors game against Brentford B earlier.
But this only gave other forward players the chance to step up – and step up they did.
Bradshaw, who grabbed 17 Championship goals last season, may well have been watching on with interest at the man who will want to take his crown as goalscoring king.
But Nisbet’s efforts were not without plenty of help from Duncan Watmore and Romain Esse, both who also shone throughout the night and buzzed into the space created by the Scottish striker.
The opening goal was a result of this space with Esse picking the ball up on the edge of the area.
He slipped it into the path of Nisbet, who swivelled away from his defender and drilled home low after 23 minutes.
Sutton offered little in response with the south London side occasionally building the ball into Millwall’s final third before hitting overzealous passes just as opportunities looked like presenting themselves.
This was the first meeting between these two sides since 1965, a friendly match Sutton won 9-1, with Millwall scoring first that day.
Any hope of a similar Sutton revival was snuffed out after an hour when Millwall got their second.
It was Esse causing issues again as he whizzed into the Sutton box and looked like heading all the way to goal before being dragged back by Alex Hart.
Just like at Priestfield, it was up to Nisbet to step up and confidently strike his spot-kick into the bottom corner.
Millwall looked to extend their lead even further as the game went on with Joe Bryan cutting onto his right foot but firing his effort over.
Sutton’s best chance of that second period came when Josh Coley came inside off the flank, cracked the ball into the box, with the clearance bouncing off a Millwall body and having to be clawed away by George Long.
But ultimately the night belonged to Nisbet and he claimed his third after 73 minutes.
The tireless Duncan Watmore was fouled outside the box and Nisbet sniffed his chance to score from the free-kick as the sun began to set over Gander Green Lane.
The 26-year-old, signed from Hibernian this summer, opened up his body and hit a succulent side-footed effort into the corner of the net.
No one will be getting too excited at a pre-season game but fans will be left with the impression that Nisbet could offer their side plenty more attacking edge when competitive football resumes next month.
Millwall: 3-4-1-2: Long; A Mitchell, Cooper, Wallace; Leonard, Saville, B Mitchell, Bryan; Esse; Watmore, Nisbet (76′ Leahy).
Sutton: 4-4-2: Rose; Milsom, Goodliffe, Trialist A, Kizzi; Trialist C, Clay, Eastmond, Coley; Angol, Smith.
Attendance: N/A
Referee: Carl Brook
