AG's Football Reports

Millwall and Charlton have had some interesting encounters over the years but this clash at The Den in December 2016 had a big impact on both sides seasons.

A Steve Morison brace followed Aiden O’Brien’s opener at The Den. Nicky Ajose did get Charlton back into the contest before Morison sealed the victory for Neil Harris’ side with his second of the game on the hour mark.

Millwall came into the game having lost three of their last five games in the league. Meanwhile, the Addicks had failed to win since Karl Robinson had been appointed manager.

Millwall would not lose for the next 15 league games, while Charlton would only go on to win 8 of their remaining 24 league games.

The result was the turning point in what had been a tough first half of the campaign for the Lions. They sat 17th in the League One table prior to this pre-Christmas game. The result saw Millwall rise up to tenth in the table. They would go on to win both of their remaining home games in 2016 to finish the year ninth in the League One table.

Karl Robinson would secure his first win as Charlton boss in the very next game, going back to his old club MK Dons and securing a 1-0 victory. That led to a seven-game unbeaten run which got hopes of a top-six challenge but an eight-game winless run would follow including five defeats, that led to Robinson’s men slipping to 15th in the table ending any hopes of a late play-off push.

Meanwhile, over in SE16 things were looking up. The Lions went 15 games unbeaten, winning seven. A 3-3 draw with Bury left Millwall occupying the final play-off berth with seven league games remaining. It set up what was going to be a rollercoaster end to the season for Neil Harris and the Lions faithful.

Charlton ended the season strongly. Going unbeaten for the final five games of the campaign, winning five. The Addicks finished the season in 13th place a hefty 13 points off the top six.

The drama was only just starting in SE16 however, following the 3-3 draw at Rochdale a 95th-minute goal Conor Thomas sealed a dramatic late win for Swindon against Harris’ men. The Lions were beaten again three days later 2-0 at Brammal Lane by Sheffield United leaving them seventh in the table. Three wins in the next four games would follow and sixth place regained.

Just when the Lions faithful thought their place in the top six was routine, back to back defeats would follow, a 1-0 defeat at third-placed Fleetwood was followed up by a 3-0 home defeat to Oxford, remarkably despite those two defeats Harris’ charges were still sixth going into the final day of the season and that was to be one of most dramatic in recent years.

Sunday, April 30th 2017. turned into a crazy afternoon. Lee Gregory and Tony Craig gave Millwall a two-goal lead. Former Lion Jermaine Easter pulled one back before Gregory’s second restored Millwall’s two-goal advantage. Millwall were on the verge of missing out on the play-offs after Billy Bodin’s equaliser enabled Southend to jump above Millwall in the table. However, Shaun Hutchinson headed home an 85th-minute winner which secured a place in the top six.

The Lions went onto win the play-offs beating Bradford 1-0 in the final, courtesy of a Steve Morison winner, six minutes from time.

Picture: Millwall FC