Millwall takeaways from 2-1 win at QPR – long wait for Loftus Road win ended, Watmore and Burke deliver first goals as Mitchell celebrates a milestone

Millwall are fifth in the Championship after a 2-1 win at QPR yesterday.

Here are Richard Cawley’s takeaways from the match.

PARTY LIKE IT IS 1989

The last time that the Lions had won at Loftus Road it was the year when the Berlin Wall came down, the internet was about to become a thing and the first episode of The Simpsons aired. What I’m trying to say is that it has been a pretty long wait for three points in that particular neck of the woods in west London.

Millwall had failed to win their nine previous away matches against the R’s and there would have been more than a few of their supporters, used to pain there, who feared the worse when Chris Martin halved the deficit late on.

QPR came into the fixture winless in their last seven games and from the early stages it felt like the visitors had every opportunity of increasing the woes of Neil Critchley’s side.

The Lions’ away form has picked up since they recorded their first victory on the road at Preston North End on November 12, winning three of their last five since.

They have already equalled the amount of away wins they managed last season (five) and still have eight fixtures away from SE16 to go in the regulation campaign.

WATMORE COULD YOU WANT?

Duncan Watmore was handed his first league start for Millwall yesterday, the only change made by manager Gary Rowett. It was an enforced switch with Mason Bennett out with the ankle injury he sustained against Sunderland the previous weekend.

The former Middlesbrough and Sunderland attacker was flagged offside for a couple of early forays forward but then produced a thumping finish in the 31st minute. Zian Flemming slipped the ball into his path and Watmore had the time, space and luxury of taking a touch before a searing left-footed strike past helpless Rangers keeper Seny Dieng.

BURKE OFF THE BENCH

Both of Millwall’s major incoming January signings got on the scoresheet at the weekend.

Oliver Burke had not hit the back of the net since August, for Werder Bremen in a Bundesliga fixture against Borussia Dortmund.

It was a simple conversion from close range after QPR’s defence made a real hash of clearing once Charlie Cresswell had flicked on Zian Flemming’s long throw.

Burke’s pace and power makes him a really effective substitute to bring on in the closing stages and he should have had a second in the closing stages, managing to stay on his feet as an R’s player attempted a foul, only to put his shot wide of the target.

WRIGGLE ROOM

Millwall head to Coventry City on Tuesday night before about as tough a pair of back-to-back home matches that you could get – Sheffield United and Burnley. The pair have powered well clear at the summit of the Championship and look almost assured of Premier League returns.

But the Lions have lost just once in their last eight league games, winning four and drawing three, and that gives them a little bit more leeway.

Yes, they will absolutely want to get returns over the next 10 days but it’s also not going to be a complete disaster if they don’t.

Sheffield United and Burnley are powering along but Millwall have the fourth best home record in the division. They won’t go down not swinging, at the very least.

MITCHELL MILESTONE

Billy Mitchell made it 100 appearances for Millwall when he featured at the weekend.

The midfielder told our paper recently that he ran around “like a headless chicken” on his debut. But there’s absolutely no doubt that he has matured into a very good Championship midfielder who must be one of the first locked positions on Rowett’s teamsheet.

Mitchell and George Saville are a strong pairing in the middle of the park, both of them tending to sit deeper – a requirement when playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The pair were joint first for interceptions in the QPR game with Mitchell second highest for attempted tackles.