Football: Millwall 1 - 0 Stoke City
Mihailo Ivanovic kept his nerve to slot home a last-minute penalty, handing Millwall a dramatic victory.
The game seemed destined for a goalless draw until Ben Wilmot was penalised for pulling down Josh Coburn in the box as he attempted to latch onto Wes Harding’s long throw. Ivanovic stepped up to coolly convert from the spot, sealing all three points for the Lions.
After a quiet first half, Stoke came closest to breaking the deadlock just after the hour mark when Bae Junho surged down the left and unleashed a powerful strike that crashed against the crossbar.
Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen then produced a crucial save to deny Wouter Burger from 12 yards, before Jordan Thompson was in the right place to head Japhet Tanganga’s goal-bound effort away. But the late penalty drama ensured it was the hosts who took the spoils.
The win moves Alex Neil’s side to within five points of the play-off spots, while Stoke remain just four points above the relegation zone.
Having secured a vital clean sheet in their midweek victory over Blackburn, the Potters looked set for another shutout. However, they were left to rue their failure to see out the final moments of a largely uneventful contest.
Both sides had played on Wednesday—Millwall suffering a 2-0 defeat at league leaders Leeds—and the first half reflected that, with very little goalmouth action.
The Lions started the second half brighter, with Coburn appealing for a penalty when Ben Gibson appeared to have a hold of him inside the box. Stoke then had the best chance of the game when the lively Junho latched onto Eric-Junior Bocat’s ball down the flank and struck a fierce effort that rattled the bar with Jensen beaten.
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Stoke’s next opportunity came in more fortunate circumstances. A Millwall clearance rebounded straight to Burger in the box, but Jensen reacted well to block the midfielder’s effort with his leg.
Millwall gradually posed more of a threat, and Tanganga’s header from Joe Bryan’s corner looked destined for the net until Thompson’s intervention.
As the game entered its final moments, a draw seemed inevitable—until Ivanovic’s late winner breathed life into Millwall’s fading play-off ambitions and left Stoke facing an increasingly perilous battle for survival.
Millwall travel to promotion-chasing Sunderland after the international break, while Stoke host mid-table QPR in search of a much-needed result.
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