Middlesbrough lost 1-0 against Millwall at the Den.
Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes were dashed after losing 1-0 to Millwall in the capital, exposing two glaring faults. Boro ultimately struggled for quality in the final third, particularly after a dominant first half performance, and were eventually defeated by substitute Camiel Neghli’s goal.
Not for the first time, an opposing manager’s alterations had a significant impact on the game before Michael Carrick switched to his.
Boro plummeted to eighth place after losing, while West Brom won and moved ahead on goal difference. More crucially, with four games remaining, Bristol City moved four points clear with a draw at QPR, while Coventry City had a fantastic opportunity at Hull City on Monday night, following what appeared to be a difficult day for Boro and Carrick.
The Boro manager made one change from the team that lost to Leeds United on Tuesday evening. Kelechi Iheanacho was dropped to the bench after being mocked by his own fans, while Morgan Whittaker was given his first start since last month’s defeat to Swansea City.
With only three points separating the two teams ahead of them, Boro were hoping to recover from their midweek defeat while also reinforcing their top-six ambitions. They knew they were in for a challenge against the in-form Lions, as the Den is never a pleasant place to visit. Boro fell behind early in the week and were almost behind again after two minutes.
After conceding an early free kick out wide, defender Tristan Crama outjumped his marker to receive the cross. His header went high past the crossbar, serving as an early warning to Boro.
It acted as a wake-up call to Carrick’s side. They gradually got into the game and handled Millwall’s early impetus before seizing control of proceedings. Interestingly, despite the personnel change, the Boro boss maintained the starting position. Whittaker was a direct replacement for Iheanacho following Tommy Conway.
Boro’s assault was flowing, and they played some good stuff in the first half. Samuel Iling-Junior’s good Boro form continued, as he had plenty of space to attack the left wing while Finn Azaz glided inside. But in terms of clear-cut chances, Boro were just failing to get that killing ball or cross, with the added misfortune of things not quite falling for them either.
There were 21 minutes on the clock before they made their first serious attempt at goal. A half-cleared Iling-Junior cross fell to Hackney. Despite having the time, he grasped at his shot and sent it wide of the near post. When Anfernee Dijksteel sprinted past a couple of challenges 20 minutes later, he set Whittaker up for a decent opening, but the January signing couldn’t find his feet, and his effort was tame and simple to save.
Boro had plenty of positives going into the break, but they hadn’t converted them into a lead. It remained there to be won by either side.
Millwall put the home side under pressure from the start of the second half, and Boro were fortunate to remain level. After surrendering a poor wide free kick, it fell easily for half-time substitute Macaulay Langstaff. As the Teessider prepared to pull the trigger, Howson made a last-ditch tackle to stop him. The home team requested for a penalty, but Howson and Boro were not punished.
Boro were battling to compose themselves after the restart though. They could also thank Mark Travers for the frantic five minutes after the restart. He made a wonderful reaction save, diving low and returning in the direction he had came from to prevent George Honeyman’s header from going in.
While Millwall’s tails remained up, Boro appeared to be weathering the storm again, just like in the first half. One unsuccessful counterattack served as a reminder to the hosts that they could not overcommit to attacking. However, after making the change at the interval, Alex Neil made three changes on 57 minutes and achieved the desired result inside eight minutes.
Femi Azeez moved to Millwall’s right wing and instantly caused difficulties. On 65 minutes, went in behind Dijksteel and crossed powerfully. Van den Berg was unable to shape his body in such a way that he could clear the ball. Instead, it deflected off his leg and landed straight to another substitute, Neghli, who finished calmly between the bodies. Boro, on the other hand, were having difficulty finding the last ball. Carrick’s first substitutions came after Millwall’s goal, with Marcus Forss and Riley McGree replacing Burgzorg and Whittaker.
Boro ultimately regained control of the match, but only after Millwall had retreated to safeguard their lead. Boro continued to struggle to get back into it, but as Millwall became more compact, they ran out of ideas. Finally, Boro’s lack of cutting edge proved to be the difference, as they were unable to score an equaliser.
Lukas Jensen rescued Marcus Forss’s chance at death, which was the closest they approached all afternoon. A defeat brings Millwall level on points with them; West Brom also won to move level, while Bristol City drew to move three points ahead. Coventry City head to Hull City on Monday evening with the opportunity to increase their advantage to five points.
Boro will reflect on their first-half domination and be disappointed that they were unable to capitalise on it. Their final-third quality was ultimately inadequate. Not for the first time, opposing modifications made without Carrick’s response were expensive. His in-game management has been heavily scrutinised this season, and the newest tale culminates in what appears to be a negative day for Boro and their manager.
Leave a Reply