Long throws are a Serioux route to goal

Millwall 2 - Leicester City

Dennis Wise, the Millwall player- manager, and his assistant, Ray Wilkins, may have spent the summer frustrated by the lack of new faces wanting to join the FA Cup runners-up as they prepare for their European adventure, but they were left wearing broad smiles after an excellent debut from one of the players they have managed to lure to the New Den.

Dennis Wise, the Millwall player- manager, and his assistant, Ray Wilkins, may have spent the summer frustrated by the lack of new faces wanting to join the FA Cup runners-up as they prepare for their European adventure, but they were left wearing broad smiles after an excellent debut from one of the players they have managed to lure to the New Den.

Full of running and endeavour, Adrian Serioux, the Canadian international midfielder who only received international clearance to make his debut on Thursday, stole the show.

Playing in a holding role alongside Wise, the dreadlocked Serioux impressed the crowd with his assured touch, accurate passing and the ability to frighten the opposition with some astoundingly long throw-ins.

"He was absolutely superb out there," said Wilkins. "The headlines will all be about his long throw and the trouble that it caused but his all-round game was very good. But he has got a serious throw and I do not think that I have ever seen a longer one.

"It is all about how you start a game and we started off well and made it difficult for Leicester. I was pleased with the way that they all performed. But we have to make sure that we build on this and keep our heads above water."

Millwall, who finished a creditable 10th in the League last season, were determined to end their record as the only side yet to score in the Championship this campaign. They nearly broke their goal jinx with just two minutes on the clock.

Serioux launched a huge throw into the Leicester penalty area which was met powerfully by Mark McCammon. Goalkeeper Ian Walker, playing despite a groin strain, reacted well to save low to his left.

Micky Adams, the Leicester manager, started with five of his summer signings in his line-up, with a further three on the bench. But despite heading to London on the back of Wednesday's East Midlands derby win at Derby County, Leicester failed to make an impact.

After 37 minutes, it was another long throw-in from Serioux, this time in the region of 50 yards, which helped to break the deadlock. As Millwall's striker Danny Dichio distracted the defence, midfielder Jody Morris stole in to edge the ball past Walker from close range.

The result was put beyond doubt in the 76th-minute when Dichio charged on to a Wise pass from deep. He out-paced Nikos Dabizas to slot low past Walker. Adams' misery was completed with five minute remaining when defender Chris Makin was sent off for a challenge from behind on Millwall substitute Stefan Moore.

Adams said: "We did not deserve to get anything from that game, it would have been an injustice if we had. We had a bad day but we have been down here before."