Championship play-off battle sees Gary Rowett and Neil Harris – the present and past Millwall managers – battling for sixth place

MILLWALL 1
Bennett 20
BLACKBURN ROVERS 0
BY RICHARD CAWLEY AT THE DEN

The race for the sixth Championship play-off spot has been a bit like a fame-hungry celebrity couple using their relationship to get publicity – on, off, on, off and then back on again.

But we really are getting to the point where even in a division as unpredictable, barmy and absorbing as this one, issues at both ends of the table are about to be resolved.

Back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since the turn of the year have ensured that Millwall are still in the hunt for the play-offs.

Mason Bennett’s second goal since arriving on loan from Derby County deservedly ended the Lions’ wait for a league victory at The Den that stretched back to January 18. That doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad when you consider that there was a three-month break due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

So often football seems to offer up a sub-plot – Millwall are trying to hunt down a Cardiff City side managed by Neil Harris.

Lions fans had been rooting for Chopper to reach the play-offs in three of the previous four campaigns. This time they will be hoping that their former boss misses out at their expense.

Harris and Gary Rowett – his replacement in SE16 – have already had very successful seasons, whatever final twists are left in a little over the three hours left of the regulation season.

The former wasn’t expected to push Cardiff into the promotion picture after a stuttering start to the campaign under Neil Warnock.

And Millwall were 17th in the table when Rowett took charge. The only target at that juncture was consolidating in the Championship.

But the former Derby, Stoke, Birmingham and Burton manager has proven to be an excellent appointment by the Lions board.

It will be fascinating to see where Rowett goes with signings this summer, because this is still very much a Harris-assembled squad.

Rowett’s only additions in the January window were loans – Bennett adding dynamism and power to the attack with Ryan Woods providing extra composure on the ball in a holding midfield role.

The most striking change under Rowett has been the transformation of the club’s away form and defensive stability.

All seven of their victories on the road have come under his watch and the shift to a 5-2-3 formation made them difficult to break down.

Certainly Blackburn had few ideas how to do it on Tuesday night as Bart Bialkowski kept his 16th clean sheet in the league this season.

The Poland goalkeeper didn’t even record a shutout in a harrowing season last time around at relegated Ipswich Town – conceding 51 times in 30 matches.

But Bialkowski will be the first to admit that quite often his job has been made easier by the wall of imposing defenders deployed in front of him.

His handling was rock solid against Rovers but they aren’t the first side this season to find it a struggle to craft openings. Four of their shutouts have come in the last six matches.

When it comes to the club’s Player of the Season competition then it is hard to look beyond Bialkowski, Jake Cooper, Shaun Hutchinson or Mahlon Romeo for the accolade.

The question in the run-in had been whether Millwall have enough of a cutting edge to make the play-off grade. And it’s still the question.

Bennett has undoubtedly helped in that respect. It has to be hoped that the former England U19 international can steer clear of the injuries which have disrupted his career.

When Bennett plays it lifts some of the responsibility off Jed Wallace’s shoulders and also means the Lions have a threat down both flanks.

Wallace has been Millwall’s best attacker and the winger was involved in the 20th-minute goal which decided a tight encounter.

His pullback was not met cleanly by Tom Bradshaw but Darragh Linehan’s attempted clearance only presented Bennett with the opportunity to tuck the ball into the bottom left corner.

Hutchinson had already put a decent chance wide before that and Christian Walton twice saved at his near post from Jed Wallace and Bradshaw in the second period.

Blackburn knew that only a victory would be enough to keep alive any razor slim hopes they had of extending their own season but they were unable to raise the tempo or really build up a spell of sustained pressure.

There was a scare with the final kick of the match when Joe Rankin-Costello sent an effort just wide of Bialkowski’s left post. Referee John Brooks played seven minutes of stoppage time – much to the disgust of Rowett, although the Lions were definitely in no hurry to do anything quickly after the restart.

Millwall go into the penultimate round of Championship fixtures with a genuine chance of the play-offs. It has echoes of the 2017-18 season, when they were also two points adrift of sixth spot.

Back then they had just seen a 17-game unbeaten run ended by a relentless Fulham side, who went on to beat Aston Villa at Wembley to take the final Premier League place.

Lions’ hopes were ended as they followed up with a 2-0 loss at Middlesbrough. Rowett’s Rams took the final berth.

This time the remaining fixtures look kinder for Millwall. The chances are they will need to win both of them. QPR have taken one point from a possible 12 at Loftus Road.

Huddersfield could be safe from relegation for the finale on Wednesday.

How much would Neil Warnock love to scupper Cardiff’s promotion hopes tomorrow? It had better be hoped the Boro chief, dispensed of by the Welsh side in November, can mastermind a victory. You wouldn’t feel confident that Hull City – wiped out 8-0 by Wigan in midweek – would pull off a result at the Cardiff City Stadium next week.

The Lions would be underdogs in the play-offs. There would be absolutely no pressure or expectation on them.

Even if they do end up falling short, this hard-working unit – and that togetherness has been vital – can be proud of what they have achieved.

Millwall (5-2-3): Bialkowski 8, Romeo 8 (M Wallace 71), Hutchinson 8, Pearce 8, Cooper 8, Ferguson 8 (Thompson 81), Leonard 7, Woods 8, J Wallace 7 (Molumby 87), Bradshaw 7 (Mahoney 81), Bennett 7 (Bodvarsson 69, 6). Not used: Steele, Williams, Mitchell, Smith.