Scunthorpe’s sad plight underlines why Murray Wallace is savouring Millwall’s play-off chase

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Murray Wallace knows all about final league positions not mattering when it comes to the play-offs.

The Scottish defender was part of the Scunthorpe United side which finished nine points clear of Millwall in the 2016-17 League One campaign.

The Iron came third in the table, four points behind second-placed Bolton, with the Lions only scraping sixth after Shaun Hutchinson’s late goal at Bristol Rovers on the final day.

It is an example of the sliding doors moments you get in football.

Scunthorpe drew 0-0 in the play-off first leg at The Den and took the lead at Glanford Park through Ivan Toney, only for Millwall’s frontline double act of Steve Morison and Lee Gregory to turn the tie around to make it 3-1 before the hour mark – eventually prevailing 3-2 on aggregate.

Any Lions fan knows what came next – Morison’s finish seeing off Bradford at Wembley and securing a return to the Championship.

Fast forward and Scunthorpe will play in National League North next season after two successive relegations.

Wallace signed for Millwall from the Lincolnshire outfit for £500,000 in June 2018.

“It’s a massive shame to see what has happened to Scunthorpe,” the Glaswegian told the South London Press. “When I was there the club was challenging for promotion to the Championship. We came up against Millwall and they went up.

“Maybe there was a bit of complacency from us – in that we’d got a good result at The Den. It’s not an easy place to go, so to come away with a 0-0 and then have a home tie – it felt like a great opportunity.

“We went 1-0 up and maybe got a little carried away. The game turned on its head. It’s lessons you take out of that game – not to take anything for granted.

“Five or six seasons later they have dropped down the leagues. You never want to see that happen to any of your previous clubs, but especially not one which you have good memories of.

“That’s why it is so important to seize these opportunities you get. This is where we want to be. We want to be fighting for those play-off positions and to have a chance of getting promoted.”

Millwall are fifth in the table with five matches remaining, starting with in-form Preston North End in SE16 tomorrow.

Wallace said: “It doesn’t matter what position you finish – third, fourth, fifth or sixth. If you’re in the play-offs then the league form goes completely out the window and it becomes a knockout stage.

“It’s then about whoever can manage and perform the best, initially over the first two games and then, if you make it, the final match. That’s why it is so important just to get into those spots, it gives you every chance.

“It’s what we all want – progression. Millwall Football Club want to progress. We’ve tended to keep the core group of players and we’re all driven and want to keep improving all season. Each season we want to get a better points tally, improve on our goals scored and keep more clean sheets. They are the sort of targets we aim for.”

Millwall are not relying on other results to go their way as they look to reach the play-offs at this level for the first time in 21 years.

“It’s a significant position to be in,” said Wallace, inset. “Maybe we’re a bit fortunate to have that after the last few results, that it is up to us what we do. We’re not relying on anyone else to slip up.

“In the last few games it isn’t even that we’ve been performing badly. What’s most frustrating is that the performances didn’t quite get the results they deserved.

“A draw against Luton, with where they are in the table, wasn’t the worst result.

“We had half-chances to win that game. A draw was probably a fair result.

“At Hull we were in control of the game, for most of it, and had the better opportunities. To not take any points is disappointing and frustrating.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD