BILLY Mitchell and Tom Bradshaw made their competitive comebacks from injury in Millwall under-21s’ 3-1 Professional Development League defeat to Brentford at Wheatsheaf Park on Monday afternoon.
Midfielder Mitchell hasn’t played for Neil Harris’ senior side in this campaign after picking up a quad injury in pre-season.
Striker Bradshaw – who wore the captain’s armband for Kevin Nugent’s side – has been out with a hamstring injury he sustained in the 1-0 EFL Cup defeat to Leyton Orient at The Den in August.
Mitchell and Bradshaw played the first 45 minutes.
Bradshaw had the chance to equalise from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Julian Eyestone, but the goalkeeper made up for that by making the save.
Another senior player, winger Adam Mayor, played 70 minutes after being out since January with a hamstring injury that he also aggravated over the summer.
Kyle Smith scored a 90th-minute consolation for the Lions after Ashley Hay’s brace and Ryan Trevitt’s goal had given the Bees a 3-0 lead at half-time.
“It’s a real positive for the club, they’re two fantastic lads, really good players as well,” Nugent told Millwall TV when asked about the returns of Mitchell and Bradshaw. “The first team got a great win last night [against Burnley]. For those boys to be back and getting minutes is really good.”
Nugent added: “We went a goal down early on and came back from that, in terms of our performance. We’re trying to develop players, we’re trying to get on the ball more so now ad certainly the lads did that.
“We thought we’d clawed our way back into it and got a well-earned penalty but unfortunately that was saved.
“And then shorty after that they get another two goals where we’ve got to be critical of ourselves in terms of those goals, we didn’t defend a couple of crosses properly.
“But the over all performance, there are real positives there.”
