Millwall ease into play-off final

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  • xman
    Admin
    • Sep 2006
    • 24007

    Millwall ease into play-off final




    Steve Morison and Paul Robinson were the heroes as Millwall defeated Huddersfield to reach the League One play-off final for the second successive year.

    Morison has been sensational for the Lions this season and tapped home his 23rd of the campaign in all competitions after Town keeper Alex Smithies parried a cross into his path midway through the opening half.

    As the match became increasingly stretched after the break, Scott Barron might have calmed the home supporters' nerves but he saw his strike rebound to safety off the crossbar.

    However, Robinson headed home a corner from Barron with 10 minutes remaining to settle an edgy, at times error-strewn but always engrossing match that the home team deserved to win to secure a 2-0 aggregate victory after a goalless first leg.


    Millwall lost just once at home during the regular season and their victory on Wednesday keeps alive their hopes of securing their first victory through the play-offs at the sixth attempt.

    Manager Kenny Jackett will be hoping his team can go one better than last year's defeat against Scunthorpe when they meet Swindon at Wembley on 29 May.

    The Lions defeated the Robins 3-2 at the New Den in their final home game of the regular season and can go into their final match of the campaign full of confidence after a strong performance against a Terriers side left to rue missed opportunities in the first leg.

    Millwall, who finished third in the table after the regular season, started Wednesday's second leg at an incredible tempo, pressuring the Town defence and taking every opportunity to deliver crosses into the box.

    Robinson narrowly failed to connect with a ball in from the lively Neil Harris while Smithies saved a header from Morison.

    But Huddersfield grew in confidence and started to look threatening on the break, helped in part by the fact that Millwall gifted the Terriers far too space to run at their defence.

    David Forde had to be alert to save an attempted clearance from Nadjim Abdou that struck a team-mate and headed goalwards and the Lions keeper later tipped a Lee Novak effort around the post.

    And it was slightly against the run of play when Jack Smith broke down the right and delivered a low cross that Smithies parried for Morison to open the scoring.

    Anthony Pilkington delivered a teasing cross that Forde athletically tipped over his crossbar shortly afterwards, but otherwise Millwall took control of the match after scoring.

    Morison, full of running from wide areas, caused problems for Peter Clarke and, particularly, Neal Trotman, pulling the central defenders out of position.

    A low Morison cross from the right resulted in a near miss by Smith, while Clarke had to take urgent action to clear another ball in from the Lions striker, this time delivered from the left.

    Morison, wearing a bandage on his head after picking up an injury in the first leg, also headed narrowly over from a corner as the Lions pushed for a second before the break.

    There was little sign of a Town equaliser in the opening period after the restart and boss Lee Clark replaced the ineffectual Jordan Rhodes with Theo Robinson after 56 minutes.

    The match entered a disjointed phase as some misplaced passes and poor decision making ensured chances remained at a premium.

    Morison was less influential but it was his low pass from the right that Barron collected before surging into the Town area and smashing a shot that cannoned off the crossbar.

    Millwall looked the more threatening and sealed their place at Wembley when skipper Robinson rose unmarked to head home his team's second.

    Substitute Gary Alexander might have added a third but his low angled strike was saved by Smithies.

    Huddersfield01 Smithies02 Peltier yellow card05 P Clarke16 Williams35 Trotman (N Clarke 83)07 Roberts08 Kay yellow card19 Pilkington yellow card (Eccleston 75)25 Drinkwater17 Rhodes (Robinson 57)21 NovakSubstitutes26 Eastwood,06 N Clarke,04 Collins,11 Goodwin,09 Robinson,10 Simpson,36 EcclestonRef: BatesAtt: 15,463HUDDERSFIELDPossessionMillwall 56%Huddersfield 44%Attempts on targetMillwall 6Huddersfield 4Attempts off targetMillwall 7Huddersfield 6CornersMillwall 10Huddersfield 8FoulsMillwall 7Huddersfield 11This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.


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