Mistakes cost Tigers dear in disappointing loss to play-off rivals Millwall

AGONY: Oli McBurnie on an afternoon to forget for the Tigers. Pictures courtesy of Hull City

Hull City 1 - 3 Millwall

Sky Bet Championship

MKM Stadium

Attendance: 21,504

By Sam Hawcroft, Hull City Correspondent

Hull City were left to rue mistakes and missed chances as a promising afternoon swiftly turned into a 3–1 defeat at the hands of play-off rivals Millwall.

For long periods the Tigers controlled the contest and looked the more likely side to go on and win it. City hit the woodwork twice in the first half and saw a goal ruled out, but they ultimately pressed the self-destruct button after the break as Millwall punished two costly errors.

Sergej Jakirović made four changes from Tuesday night’s defeat at Ipswich, with Semi Ajayi, John Lundstram, Kyle Joseph and Oli McBurnie returning to the starting XI. Ajayi, out since mid-December, stepped back into midfield after returning to the squad in midweek, though Matt Crooks was absent through suspension after collecting his 10th yellow card.

City began brightly. Just after three minutes McBurnie headed wide from a great floating cross by Lewie Coyle, the delivery begging for another body in the box to turn it goalwards.

GAME OVER: Josh Coburn, facing camera, celebrates grabbing Millwall’s third

Moments later the Tigers won their first corner after Joseph saw the second of two attempts deflected behind, and the early signs were encouraging.

City came agonisingly close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Lundstram delivered a superb ball from the right into the area and Joseph looked certain to score, only to see his header crash against the crossbar. A few inches lower and it would have been a certain goal.

Millwall, by contrast, had barely ventured into City’s half in the opening stages – but it was the Lions who opened the scoring in the 14th minute with their first real opportunity.

A free kick from deep on the right was floated into the area where Tristan Crama knocked the ball across goal. Jake Cooper met it and although his header struck the crossbar, this time it bounced over the line.

DESPAIR: The first half had promised so much for City boss Sergej Jakirović

City responded in fine fashion. Just four minutes later, Cody Drameh did well to head forward under pressure and find Joe Gelhardt. Billy Mitchell failed to stop the ball reaching the on-rushing Joseph, who popped it back across to Gelhardt – and he showed great composure to finish calmly from 12 yards and restore parity.

The Tigers continued to push forward. Drameh shot well wide in the 22nd minute, Gelhardt unleashed a powerful strike that spiralled just wide, before McBurnie tumbled under pressure in the area as he tried to keep control of a loose ball. Appeals for a penalty were waved away.

Moments later, City thought they had taken the lead when Joseph headed into the net after a chaotic scramble in the Millwall box. However, the referee ruled a foul on goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, which looked an extremely harsh call.

Replays showed Patterson was barely touched as he mistimed his attempt to come out and claim the ball, and Joseph had cleanly headed the ball over him. Should have been a goal, no doubt about it. The home fans were, rightly, apoplectic – and they let the referee know. Afterwards, Jakirović said it was a “goal all day long”.

AT FULL STRETCH: McBurnie gets a toe to the ball

City were inches away from going ahead before half-time. Regan Slater’s free kick found Charlie Hughes rising highest in the area, but his header thundered off the underside of the bar and bounced the wrong side of the line.

In the 43rd minute, another opportunity fell City’s way when a corner bounced through to Ajayi at the far post, though his difficult half-volley sailed over the bar.

The Tigers began the second half in similar positive fashion, once again applying pressure. In the 52nd minute Liam Millar’s cross found McBurnie, whose header drifted just wide.

A minute later McBurnie was fouled and the resulting free kick caused more problems in the Millwall box. McBurnie’s shot was blocked before he laid the ball off to Slater, but his effort lacked power.

Millar then tried his luck from a tight angle but was blocked as City continued to press, the sense growing that a second goal for the Tigers felt inevitable.

Play was briefly halted when Alfie Doughty – who’d only just come on at half-time – suffered an injury that at one stage appeared to require a stretcher. The defender was eventually able to walk off but headed straight down the tunnel, clearly in discomfort, and was replaced by Mihailo Ivanovic.

Then, just as City looked in control, the game swung dramatically.

In the 70th minute Millwall retook the lead following a costly error by Ivor Pandur. Femi Azeez delivered a low cross from the right which should have been comfortably claimed, but the goalkeeper missed it completely as he dived to smother the ball. Ivanovic was left with the simplest of finishes from a yard out.

Jakirović responded immediately with changes, introducing Lewis Koumas for Joseph and Amir Hadžiahmetović for Lundstram.

But there was yet more damage to be inflicted.

Eight minutes later a misplaced pass from Ajayi back towards Hughes was intercepted by Josh Coburn. The striker surged forward, easily holding off Hughes and Hadžiahmetović, before finishing clinically from the edge of the area to make it 3–1.

The wind had been knocked out of City’s sails – and their body language showed it. Kieran Dowell replaced Millar in the 80th minute, but the sense of belief that had filled the stadium earlier had largely evaporated, while the visiting supporters in the north-east corner gleefully taunted the home crowd with chants of “You’re getting mauled by the Lions”.

City briefly threatened in the 88th minute when chaos broke out again in the Millwall box, but it was too little, too late. Koumas shot wide and Dowell had an effort blocked, but Patterson claimed the resulting corner comfortably.

Late changes saw Slater and Coyle replaced by Toby Collyer and Cathal McCarthy before seven minutes of added time were signalled, though by that stage many supporters had already begun to drift towards the exits.

For 70 minutes City had the better of the contest. But football rarely rewards dominance without ruthlessness, and two second-half mistakes allowed Millwall to seize control and leave the Tigers with a defeat that felt far harsher than the performance alone might have suggested.

So, are the wheels coming off the play-off chase? This was a costly one to lose, with Wrexham hot on the heels of the Tigers, now just three points behind and with a game in hand.

And who comes next? Wrexham away on Tuesday night… what a massive night under the lights that could prove to be.