Josh Coburn’s second-half brace fired Millwall up to second in the Championship with a 2-1 comeback victory at Middlesbrough.
Coburn completed Millwall’s comeback with a 86th-minute strike into the far-bottom right corner from Barry Bannan’s pass, having initially found their equaliser against his former team with a 58th-minute close-range shot which spilled over the line despite Sol Brynn’s effort to clear the ball.
Dael Fry initially put Middlesbrough in front after he nodded in Alan Browne’s 26th-minute cross from a deep cross to the left post to put Middlesbrough in front.
Millwall now sit second on 72 points and just one point above Middlesbrough who slipped to third and two points clear of Ipswich who sit fourth after their trip to Southampton was postponed until 28 April.
Sat just two points clear of their visitors at kick-off, Middlesbrough enjoyed a bright start as Tommy Conway’s second-minute shot was deflected wide, whilst Alan Browne headed over and Fry volleyed over from early corners plus Adilson Malanda headed a seventh-minute free-kick wide.
Boro continued to dominate and got their reward from a 26th-minute corner which was cleared short and worked to the feet of Browne, and he calmly whipped in the delivery towards the left post where Fry swept in to nod the ball into the net to put the hosts in front.
Aidan Morris and David Strelec saw further chances to double Boro’s lead denied whilst Femi Azeez blocked Fry’s 40th-minute shot from a corner-kick, as Millwall defensively kept their deficit to a single goal.
Anthony Patterson further kept that single-goal deficit with a crucial 52nd-minute save to deny Matt Targett.
Millwall swiftly found their attacking spark soon afterwards as Tristan Crama forced a save barely a minute later from Brynn.
Brynn five minutes later couldn’t protect Middlesbrough’s lead from a corner which Jake Cooper nodded down to Mihailo Ivanovic, and the Serbian on the bounce teed up Coburn to rifle in their equaliser under Brynn who wasn’t able to make a composed save as the ball crossed the line.
Millwall continued to up their intensity as Femi Azeez forced Brynn to punch away his 62nd-minute shot, before Zak Sturge saw a header deflected behind as he met Azeez’s cross a minute later.
Substitute, Bannan volleyed over from a deflection of Sturge’s 69th-minute throw-in as Millwall continued to dominate possession.
Boro however almost restored their lead in the 73rd minute as Conway broke forward with a shot on goal, which was blocked by Billy Mitchell.
Millwall however continued to pile on the pressure and forced a sloppy moment in possession from Malanda, which saw the ball fall for Bannan who teed up Coburn to rifle into the far-bottom right corner to fire the Lions above their hosts with his second goal of the game.
Alex Neil’s Lions eventually clung on for victory to move up to second, although Mitchell fired over on a 93rd-minute solo counter-attack in a wasted opportunity to extend their lead.
What’s Next?
Middlesbrough head to Swansea in a 5:30pm BST kick-off on Easter Monday 6 April in the second game of their Easter double-header.
Millwall meanwhile host Norwich at 1pm at The Den earlier that day.
Teams
Middlesbrough: Sol Brynn, Luke Ayling, Dael Fry, Adilson Malanda, Callum Brittain (Sarmiento 89′), Aidan Morris, Riley McGree, Matt Targett (Bangura 78′), Alan Browne, David Strelec, Tommy Conway
Substitutes: Alex Bangura, George Edmundson, Alex Gilbert, Cruz Ibeh, Law McCabe, Finlay Munroe, Jeremy Sarmiento, Kaly Sene, Joe Wildsmith
Millwall: Anthony Patterson, Tristian Crama, Jake Cooper, Caleb Taylor, Zak Sturge, Femi Azeez (McNamara 95′), Billy Mitchell (Cundle 95′), Camiel Neghli, Casper De Norre (Bannan 64′), Mihailo Ivanovic (Langstaff 85′), Josh Coburn
Substitutes: Thierno Ballo, Barry Bannan, Joe Bryan, Max Crocombe, Luke Cundle, Macaulay Langstaff, Derek Mazou-Sacko, Danny McNamara, Tom Watson
Referee – Anthony Backhouse
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