By Stephen 18
November 18 2004

When somebody mentions Millwall’s epic 4-1 victory over West Ham at the Den last season, what is your abiding memory? For many, Tim Cahill being a missed penalty away from scoring a hat trick against the great enemy would spring to mind. When somebody mentions Millwall’s epic 4-1 victory over West Ham at the Den last season, what is your abiding memory?

For many, Tim Cahill being a missed penalty away from scoring a hat trick against the great enemy would spring to mind.

Others may plump for the off-field shenanigans involving West Ham supporters tearing up Millwall’s anti-racism banner in a thinly veiled attempt to attack the home fans midway through the second half.

Whether it was the look of astonishment on your best mate’s face when Christian Dailly was an inch away from netting his second own goal or the jump for joy when Nick Chadwick came off the bench to fire home Millwall’s fourth, it is a good bet that few people would list Paul Ifill as the main figure flashing through their mind when tapping into recollections of the Mother’s Day massacre.

Strange really, because Ifill’s one-off talent makes him an odd candidate to play the bridesmaid in any game, especially one as significant as that which took place on March 20 2004.

Yet it was he who won the penalty on sixteen minutes that Neil Harris missed, and his through ball leading to the same player being fouled - provoking Cahill’s own nightmare moment from the spot.

In between, Ifill’s left wing cross led to the Dailly own goal that could so easily have been doubled, and it was the Brighton-born man’s corner from the same side that set up Cahill’s volley to knock on the door of a hat trick.

So while we belatedly give Ifill the credit he deserves for his invaluable contribution to this historical win, let’s also be thankful that he is fit and ready to face the Hammers again this weekend.

Because although the striking situation at the Den has eased considerably, Ifill is an unpredictable box of tricks who can be seldom replaced and never replicated.

Ifill had needed painkillers to soothe a sore patella bursar during the trip to Ferencvaros, and it was thus a huge sigh of relief that greeted his unbelievably sharp comeback to the first team in a half-hour appearance at Preston at the weekend, and the player’s full match outing for the reserves on Tuesday.

He said: “The injury was causing me a lot of pain and it hurt for me to run and jog. It was hurting to even walk so there’s nothing you can do to speed it up, only rest.

“They told me that that it wasn’t much and that I could play with injections and be back within seven to ten days with a bit of rest, but that turned into five weeks. It was frustrating.

“They said I could play with an injection and it wouldn’t get any worse, but it clearly did because it’s taken me five weeks to get back so it was a mistake to play.

“I was very tired after the game on Saturday although I only played half an hour. It’s easier coming on as a sub when you’re 1-0 down so you can try little things and it’s not that much trouble because we were getting beat.

“If you get the result it’s a bonus, so they threw me on and it worked well and we got a result. On Tuesday it was my first 90 minutes for seven weeks and I’ve come through it without any pain.”

Given his undoubted influence on the side, no pain for Ifill could mean plenty of gain for Millwall against the Hammers.

“I’m fit for selection”, he added. “Whether I’ve got 90 minutes in me is a different matter, and it’s up to the management.

“The cup final was a big highlight but a lot of fans will tell you that beating the enemy 4-1 was the real highlight of the season, so we know what we’ve got to do.

“They need the points, but I think we’ve got enough to win on Sunday. Anything will do. 1-0 will do. It will be nice to keep a clean sheet and three points is most important to us.

Harking back to the victory last season, Ifill recalled: “We were quick out of the blocks that day. We were a couple of goals up before they had even got started.

“If we can start like that again, who knows?”