Championship basement boys Cardiff won their first league game of the season at the eighth attempt with a 1-0 victory over Millwall at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Perry Ng scored only the third league goal of the season for Cardiff, who are now bottom of the table only on goal difference behind Portsmouth.

It was a bitterly disappointing night for Millwall, who fielded the same starting team that beat Preston 3-1 on Saturday to extend their recent run of form with just one defeat in their previous five games.

Romain Esse was among the scorers against Preston and was first to threaten on Tuesday, firing a strong effort from the edge of the box that was well smothered by Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.

Cardiff showed three changes from the 4-1 loss at Hull with defenders Dimitrios Goutas (personal reasons) and Joel Bagan (suspension) as well as midfielder Ollie Tanner returning.

Tanner was among those to blaze early shots well wide in a muted opening half hour.

Callum Robinson’s effort was almost spilled by Millwall keeper Lukas Jensen and the striker’s later effort earned the corner that led to the game’s opening goal.

Ng had just been warned by referee Gavin Ward for tussling with Joe Bryan when he shrugged off his marker to head Joe Ralls’ corner past Jensen in the 39th minute.

Robinson then ensured Cardiff took that lead into half-time when he cleared Esse’s header off the line, with Alnwick beaten at a corner.

It was the first time Cardiff had led at half-time in the Championship this season and they were buoyant at the start of the second half.

Tanner set up Rubin Colwill who brought a double save from Jensen just two minutes into the second half before Alex Robertson fired the rebound clear of the crossbar.

Colwill was again denied by Jensen 20 minutes later when the goalkeeper scrambled across to push wide the Wales international’s audacious chipped free-kick.

Millwall offered little in attack and Yakou Meite should have settled the match for Cardiff after 74 minutes.

Robertson launched a counter-attack with a cross-field pass to Tanner who teed up Meite, unmarked close to the penalty spot, but the replacement striker could not untangle his feet and missed the ball completely.

Millwall had a handful of late half-chances but their frustration threatened to boil over when team-mates Esse and Ryan Leonard squared up to each other in injury time to round off a disappointing night for manager Neil Harris.