Millwall 1-0 Middlesbrough: Camiel Neghli secures narrow win for Lions

Camiel Neghli's first goal for Millwall pushed his side into the thick of the play-off picture in the Sky Bet Championship as they dug out a 1-0 victory over fellow chasers Middlesbrough.

The strike from the Lions' record signing, who later went off injured, eight minutes after coming off the bench was enough to put Alex Neil's side within two points of sixth-placed Coventry, who travel to Hull on Monday.

It also put them level on points with their visitors, whose own play-off push has stuttered while Millwall's has suddenly kicked in, as they fell to back-to-back defeats.

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Millwall had the game's first half-chance with under a minute played when Tristan Crama was unable to keep his header down from Joe Bryan's free-kick.

It was the beginning of the Lions having the better of the opening stages, albeit without any clear sights of the Middlesbrough goal.

The visitors grew into the contest, however, and a good opportunity went begging when a poor clearance went straight to Hayden Hackney whose mishit shot bobbled wide.

The best opening of a scrappy first half came three minutes before the break when Anfernee Dijksteel played the ball across for Morgan Whittaker, whose wait for a Boro goal continued as he shot tamely at Lukas Jensen.

That was the only shot on target before the players went in for half-time, with both sets of supporters left hoping for much better when they returned.

Millwall's were almost celebrating within four minutes of the restart when a long throw fell for George Honeyman, whose low shot was well saved by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Travers.

Another Ryan Leonard long throw then caused problems for the visitors, with Travers needing to push out a header from second-half substitute Macauley Langstaff.

Hackney then bent a shot off target for Boro from just outside the area before an ambitious effort from Femi Azeez travelled wide for the hosts.

The breakthrough then came for Millwall after 65 minutes when two substitutes combined as Azeez's cross was diverted off a defender into the path of Neghli, who controlled before firing into the bottom corner.

Middlesbrough searched for a way back into the contest, with Finn Azaz letting fly from outside the box with an effort Jensen got his fingertips to as it flew over.

Unfortunately for Neghli, it turned out to be a bittersweet afternoon as he went off with a pulled hamstring to cut short his first appearance since injuring an ankle in the Lions' FA Cup tie at Crystal Palace six weeks ago.

The Dutchman can, however, celebrate a third straight win for his side, with Jensen making a big save to deny Marcus Forss in the second minute of stoppage time.

The managers

Millwall's Alex Neil:

"We're at a stage of the season where it's needs must. Unfortunately for Camiel, he pulls his hamstring and I feel bad about that because that's partly my fault because he shouldn't have been on as early as he came on.

"However, he scores us the winning goal and it's sort of bittersweet for him and, like I say, it's disappointing for me because I've got a player injured.

"However, it could potentially be this season turns out to be a successful one, it could be the most crucial goal anybody scores for Millwall in a number of years.

"There's a huge amount of work to do, there's a huge amount of games left - and if we go and lose the next couple, it could all end.

"But what we have done this week is gives ourselves an opportunity where we can go and battle for the remaining games and see where it takes us."

Middlesbrough's Michael Carrick:

"They had a spell for about 20 minutes after half-time and they built a bit of momentum. Credit to them, they made us defend and they made the most of the time when they were on top.

"I thought first half, largely, we were really good, coming here and controlling things and I thought we caused them a lot of problems in playing through the pitch.

"I thought we created enough space, good opportunities, but we couldn't make the most of it.

"That spell after half-time, they made the most of it, they took the chance that they got and in the end that was the game.

"We had that chance for Marcus at the end, which was a great save, but we didn't quite have that little bit of something to open them up even more."

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