‘Last stab’ – Lions defender on pushing for Championship play-offs

Scott Malone says this could be his “last stab” at reaching the play-offs with Millwall – with the defender out of contract at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old defender is closing in on his sixth full season with the Lions, having initially joined the club in 2012 from Bournemouth.

Malone made 71 appearances in all competitions during his first spell with the club before moving on to join Cardiff City.

He returned to Millwall in 2020, initially on loan from Derby County, before making the deal permanent the following season.

Attacking left-back Malone saw the club miss out on the play-off places last season on the final day – and is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself this season.

“It’s the club I have played the most games for,” Malone, who has turned out 187 times for the Lions, explained to the South London Press.

“The last three seasons I have been here, the aim has been to get into the top six.

“We fell just short in the first season, and last season it went down to the last game, even though we needed results to go our way.

“It’s gone down to the same situation this season – it would be disappointing not to get in there.

“I’m out of contract as well, so at the minute, as it stands, it’s the last stab to do it, so it would mean everything to get in there.

“The Championship every year is hard – anyone can beat anyone. You saw that with QPR recently. They hadn’t been on the best run of form, but they went to Burnley and won.

“As much as it’s tight, the only thing we can do at the minute is to go and win the games we have got left to play.

“We need to win the next two first, and then let’s see what happens.”

Gary Rowett’s side head to Blackpool today needing to pick up all three points and end a run of three away defeats on the bounce in order to give themselves a chance of securing a top-six finish on the final day of the season at home to Blackburn.

“Let’s be realistic, we need to win two out of two, and maybe one or two other teams need drop points in the next two,” Malone said of Millwall’s final two games of the season, with last weekend ending in a 2-1 defeat to bottom-of-the-table Wigan.

“It’s two massive cup finals, and we need to win both.

“We put ourselves in a great position. With three games to go, it’s the highest position we had been in for a while. So it’s just more of the same preparation and going back to basics.

“We need to work hard, and show grit and determination to go to Blackpool, which is a tough away day in the league, and to go and win.

“Blackpool will be exactly the same as Wigan – it will be a similar game.

“We need to go there and put a much better performance in. We need to keep them out of our end and then convert the chances we do get. It’s going to be a really hard game.

“We had a week to prepare, so there will be no excuses come Friday.

“The harsh lesson has been learnt – we need to win to get back into the top six. We let ourselves down at Wigan, but everyone needs to stay positive and keep believing.

“If you don’t do that, you might as well not turn up. We have to go up there and get a positive result.”

The defender was a mainstay in Gary Rowett’s side at the start of the season, recording assists against Stoke and Coventry City in two of the opening three games of the season.

But when the former Derby County boss switched to a back four, Murray Wallace became the first choice at left-back, with Malone having his minutes limited to brief substitute appearances.

However, with Wallace suffering a hamstring injury which is set to keep him out for the rest of the season, Malone has started the last three outings and will play a pivotal role in Millwall’s push back into the top six.

“The season started really well,” admitted Malone.

“We hit a bit of a stumbling block. We changed formation from a three at the back to a four after 10 or so games.

“I found myself out of the side, was ill for a couple of weeks and took a bad cut to my foot. The team were doing really well, and the results were good – I couldn’t get back in.

“I had to stay fit and wait for my opportunity. Personally, the opportunity has come later on in the season than I would have liked, but we’re still in a good position when the opportunity has arrived.

“It’s been stop-start, but this season is about the team, not me.

“It’s frustrating for everyone when you’re not playing. But you have got to realise you’re in a team game and team environment. It helped that the team was in a very strong position.”

Malone has more than 300 appearances to his name in the Championship. He has reached the play-offs twice during his career, fishing in the top six with Derby County and Fulham.

When asked whether he could use his past experiences to help Millwall over their line in the search to bring play-off football to the club for the first time since 2002, Malone said: “I’m not sure you can really draw anything from it, but you just have to take what’s in front of you and know that you need to go and win two, putting a performance which shows you want to win.

“That’s what we have got to do. If we do get in there, we have got a few in the squad who have been in the play-offs before, and the togetherness can shine through.”