Millwall miss out on Championship play-off place after defeat at Burnley

Millwall missed out on a spot in the Championship play-offs after a 3-1 defeat at Premier League-bound Burnley.

The Lions went ahead after 10 minutes at Turf Moor when Josh Coburn found George Honeyman on the right-hand side of the box.

The ex-Sunderland attacker whipped a cross into the area, and  Mihailo Ivanovic poked in front of the Burnley defence to open the scoring.

But Burnley went down the other end straight away from kick-off and Jake Cooper’s clearance bounced off Ashley Barnes, and Josh Brownhill collected the loose ball and swept a shot beyond George Evans.

Alex Neil’s side asked questions again of James Trafford moments later when Japhet Tanganga rose highest from a George Saville corner and forced the Clarets stopper into a save.

Jaidon Anthony went close to putting Scott Parker’s side ahead in the 24th minute, but Cooper pulled off a block on the line to clear the danger.

Josh Coburn issued an absolute sitter in the 35th minute after Tristan Crama crossed low along the face of goal and Middlesbrough loanee stabbed his left-footed shot off the post in front of an open goal.

Burnley should have gone ahead in the 49th minute when  Hannibal Mejbri drove forward from his own half on the counter-attack and played a perfectly weighted pass to Anthony.

The former Bournemouth winger, however, could only shoot straight at the legs of Lions stopper Evans.

Mejbri fashioned his own chance four minutes later when he shifted the ball onto his right foot from the edge of the box and curled an effort over Evans’ crossbar.

Burnley eventually made their pressure pay in the 65th minute when Anthony drove past Crama on the left-hand side and slotted a right-footed shot beyond Evans.

Neil brought on Macaulay Langstaff, Aidomo Emakhu and Ryan Wintle to get back into the game.

Millwall applied pressure late on – Femi Azeez forcing a save from Trafford at full stretch – but they were unable to find a way back into the game.

Brownhill rounded off the scoring in the 93rd minute when his free-kick from the edge of the box beat Evans.

The Lions ended the season in eighth and two points off the play-offs.

PICTURE: ALAMY